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ToggleHow can we improve communication in the workplace? It is only partially achieved: it requires a permanent process of review and care of the exchanges that employees make with each other, both within the same hierarchical level and between different levels, in formal and informal situations. Keep reading this post to learn more about it.
Why improve communication in the workplace?
Communication is a complex process that involves the participation of at least two parties. It allows them to connect, fostering some closeness, understanding, or cooperation, at least from one of the parties involved, concerning the desires or needs of the other party. That is to say, communication has an objective. It involves another so that I or both of us achieve something. That is why it should be as efficient as possible; the workplace is the perfect example.
The million-dollar question, especially when we want to improve communication in the workplace, is what we must take into account for this and how we can achieve it so that this communication is one more element in favor of achieving the company’s objectives. The first thing to do is to understand the basic elements of all human communication and apply them to the workplace. These are probably the most important ones:
1. The message
It is the essence of communication, what we transmit to each other. We communicate messages verbally and non-verbally. We share desires, needs, orders, or opinions. We also communicate aspects of our life, of different nature and levels of relevance, with the conscious or unconscious intention that the other knows them, and sometimes without realizing that we are communicating or against our will to do so.
2. The channel
To improve communication in the workplace, it is essential to understand that talking on the phone is different from speaking in person, through an internal chat, or via e-mail. Improving communication in the workplace also depends on the medium through which we choose to exchange messages.
3. The transmitter and receiver
Depending on the different situations, these key figures may be strictly differentiated, especially in unidirectional communications: someone sends a message, and someone receives it, ending the circuit. However, even if the communication starts from one of these agents, the transmitter and receiver roles are constantly interchanging within most communicative situations.
3 characteristics of good communication
To improve communication within companies, it is necessary to consider these elements and remember that this process can fail. These failures within a communicative approach are basically due to distractions of different types.
These elements distort the transmission of messages, decreasing the probability that the sender and receiver reach an agreement on the contents being transmitted: the likelihood of understanding each other decreases.
The noises can be literal but are usually more psychological: mistrust of one of the two parties, lack of listening and expression skills… Multiple factors can boycott good communication in the workplace.
To prevent them, it is often helpful to consider at least these three characteristics that help to improve communication in the workplace:
1. Clarity
To improve communication in the workplace, it is essential to construct easily understandable messages and express them directly and unambiguously to increase the likelihood that the receiver will understand them.
2. Precision
Informal exchanges tend to be unstructured and somewhat improvised in their content. However, improving communication in the workplace on strictly work-related issues includes communicating only what needs to be expressed without overloading the message with irrelevant information.
3. Kindness
When we work, the tone should be professional and, if necessary, firm. However, it does not need to be rude or unpleasant because it would generate a negative mood in the receiver that could distort their understanding of the message.
Suppose we add timeliness (choosing the right moment), frankness (speaking openly, sincerely, not manipulatively), and receptiveness to others’ points of view. In that case, we will surely enable constructive exchanges within the team, thus favoring its cohesion and the work environment.
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Investing in emotional well-being in organizations
At ifeel, improving communication in the workplace is the responsibility of everyone involved, and achieving this is in the best interest of the company as a whole.
To help them achieve this and establish good communication habits within the organization’s processes, our team of psychologists, experts in well-being at work, has created an emotional well-being service for companies that supports the entire team of a company, including those responsible for Human Resources.
These managers must ensure that the company’s final results are close to the objectives set. This is why it is essential to support them in guiding the relationship between the company and the employee and to ensure that it is as beneficial as possible for both.
That’s why, through our service, you can receive personalized, data-driven advice on improving your teams’ psychological well-being. Are you part of your organization’s Human Resources department? Try our program now and find out how it could help you.
In addition, this program offers all employees a complete mental health care service that they can access in different ways depending on their needs. Those who wish can access an online therapy service with one of our psychologists, specialized in cases like theirs, or interact with one of our professionals to receive emotional support in a more specific circumstance that concerns them.
Of course, in our Resources section, you can find different materials, such as podcasts, HR Guides on various topics (e.g., employee experience or how to design a good HR strategy), or interviews with important HR positions. In addition, we have a Psychosocial Risk Factors Template, which you can use to comply with the requirements of the Labor Inspectorate.
We hope you found this post on how to improve communication in the workplace interesting. If you would like more information about our emotional well-being program for companies, just ask us, and we will contact your team as soon as possible.