Communication just might be the most important skill that we bring to work each day. Learning to express your ideas, feelings and thoughts, as well as making others feel seen and heard can mean the difference between a successful workplace culture versus an unsuccessful one.
Understanding the benefits of active listening and how we communicate, can ensure a productive workplace that builds relationships, breaks down barriers, and creates a culture of trust. This type of workplace environment makes everyone feel welcome and creates an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs.
Effective workplace communication can motivate teams and individuals to be their very best, while poor communication creates divides that alienate individuals, even pushing good employees to leave. Understanding the importance of effective communication can help you recruit, develop your talent, and retain them. Below are a few quick tips on how to communicate effectively at work:
- Check your attitude – approaching every conversation with openness and your undivided attention enhances the quality of workplace communication.
- Invite other perspectives – make a habit of actively seeking the opinions of others, and they will likely do the same.
- Be direct and concise – share the bottom-line up front, then get into the details and answer questions.
- Show as well as tell – if a picture’s worth a thousand words, a demo may be worth a million. Show them what to do, then follow up with written instructions.
- Use context to your advantage – use your awareness of your audience to simplify and tailor your message.
- When in doubt, repeat it back – When someone says something you’re unsure about, repeat it back to them in your own words to make sure you’re on the same page.
- Make meetings meaningful – Be purposeful about your meetings – everything from what you call the meeting, to the agenda, the participants. and the energy you bring to each meeting.
Download our checklist below to understand the who, what, when, where, why and how of effective communication.
