Can you imagine a world where we didn't communicate? Sharing our thoughts and connecting with other people is how the world turns, but it can get more difficult in the workplace. When done correctly, effective communication in the office can foster a positive and productive work environment that encourages learning and creativity. When done poorly, internal conflicts can arise that can adversely affect employee morale, lower productivity, and effect your bottom line.

Why Communication is Important

Good communication is one of the most effective ways to ensure your team members understand what is expected of them, and what they can expect from you. Apart from making sure everyone is working towards a shared goal, clear communication can also help to build trust among employees and create a more enjoyable place to work at. It's important that in the workplace, listening is just as important as speaking, and being an active listener is 50 percent of communicating effectively.

5 Best Practices for better Communication in the Workplace

Schedule One-to-Ones

Your company may have already established an open-door policy (or the remote equivalent), but some employees may feel more comfortable voicing their thoughts and opinions in a private setting. Find a cadence that works for you and your co-worker and do your best to stick to it. You may miss a meeting here and there, but it’s important to create a space to give and receive feedback regularly. Doing so will encourage growth and connection with your people.

Schedule Weekly Team Meetings

Just as one-to-one sessions are important for individuals, team meetings are important for small groups or departments to connect. During a weekly team meeting, co-workers can find out about what each other is working on, any updates they have regarding an ongoing project, and other concerns they may like to voice out. It also helps create a line of collaboration and can help increase creativity and connections. Making sure there’s communication between all moving parts of a project and team will help to streamline overall performance!

Follow-Up with Notes

Taking notes during every meeting isn’t always necessary, but it can provide essential information later during one-to-one sessions and weekly meetings. Jot down a few notes on what you talked about and any action items, you can send it to participants later or just keep it for your own records to track progress. This will help prevent discussing the same topic twice during meetings as well as remove any unnecessary questions following. At the end of the day, it’s all about being on the same page as your colleagues.

Create a Safe Place

For a meeting to be truly productive, employees need to feel secure. It is pointless to hold one-to-one sessions or weekly meetings where team members feel restricted or even afraid to voice their opinions and thoughts. Communication will also lack value when team members find it hard to communicate on their own terms. Remind your colleagues that there is no judgement, and they are free to express their thoughts. Doing this will only improve employee retention and morale.

Provide Clear Explanation

Whenever you provide a set of instructions, always be sure to accompany it with a clear explanation. This can help your team to better understand what is expected of them and how they can better contribute to reaching a certain goal. Sharing your expectations will only go so far if you don’t explain exactly what you’re looking for; with lack-of, instructions will present the same.

Creating an employee experience where communication is the number one priority will bring your company more benefits than you think is even possible. Allow your people to feel valued and appreciated, no matter the circumstance. Bundle can help your remote, hybrid or in-person team communicate and collaborate more effectively with our virtual sessions! We have a variety of professional, personal, and team development sessions that are designed to improve your employee’s engagement and overall productivity. Contact us today so you can book your FREE trial session and we can answer any questions you may have!