Do you want to know how to improve communication in an organization?
If you do, then come with us.
Every organization needs communication to function properly and effectively.
Hence, if communication is poor in an organization, it needs to be fixed.
So, in this article, we will share essential information that can be used to improve communication in an organization.
We will begin by looking at what communication is…
What is Communication? – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
Communication is the process of sending and receiving information through different means such as speaking, writing, etc.
It allows one to share information, feelings, opinions, etc with other people.
Communication is needed in organizations because it is only with communication that instruction and information can be shared with every individual in an organization.
Importance of Good Communication In an Organization – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
Is good communication needed in an organization?
The answer to that is yes.
We would be looking at some importance of good communication in an organization to answer that question better.
Also, knowing the importance of good communication in an organization will encourage you to work harder to improve communication in your organization.
It Promotes Motivation
One major tool used for motivation is communication.
You cannot improve people’s morale if you cannot effectively pass your thoughts, feelings, information, or ideas.
This is why good communication is needed in an organization.
It facilities the free flow of information.
In other words, good communication allows you to clearly inform people of what their tasks are, how to get them done, and also how to improve performance.
This way, everybody knows what to do and nobody is left behind.
As a result, it boosts people’s morale to do better in their tasks.
Also, good communication will allow the employees of an organization to freely share their ideas.
This will help them to build good working relationships and increase their morale to effectively work together.
It Increases Productivity – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
As good communication promotes motivation, it also increases productivity.
We earlier said that good communication enables everyone to have the right information on what their task is and how to get it done.
As a result, this makes work easier for the employees to do perform their tasks better.
It will also make the do their work faster.
Instead of trying to understand what they are supposed to do, they will get on with their work with the right information and finish faster.
This will help to increase productivity in that organization.
It Builds a Conducive Work Environment
Good communication can help build a conducive work environment in an organization.
This is because people will not be afraid to speak to their colleagues.
They will speak freely with themselves and understand one another.
This in turn will help them to birth healthy and respectful relationships with one another.
When this happens, it builds a conducive work environment.
As a result, they will feel more motivated to work, and more motivation will lead to increase productivity.
This will enable the organization to attain its goals and vision.
It Builds Good Relationships Throughout The Organization – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
As we have said, good communication allows for free communication in an organization.
People in lower positions will receive clear information from their superiors without any issues.
This way their superior will not come off as rude or condescending to their subordinates when they communicate with them.
Furthermore, good communication will ensure that the superiors are open to listening to their subordinates
This will make the subordinates happy and comfortable with their superiors and vice versa
As a result of this, good relationships and rapport will be built between them.
Hence, good relationships will be built throughout the organization.
It Helps to Avoid Conflict
Good communication ensures that one’s message is effectively passed and received.
This helps to avoid misunderstanding or misinterpretation that often leads to conflicts.
An organization that rarely experiences conflict will have motivated workers and a good productivity rate.
However, when there is continuous conflict in an organization, morale will be low, and productivity will reduce.
This can eventually make such an organization lose its reputation, money, time, and effort.
So, good communication is needed in an organization to avoid conflicts,
It Helps in Decision-Making Process – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
In an organization that has stakeholders, decisions that would affect the organization cannot be made alone by the owner of the organization.
The stakeholders have to discuss to make decisions.
They will exchange ideas, consider and understand the different factors before they make a decision.
For this to happen, communication has to take place.
When communication is poor in an organization, decision-making will drag on for a long time, or the decision made will not be the right one.
However, when there is good communication in such an organization, the decision-making process will be easy.
Right decisions that will help make the organization grow will be made.
Also, when any decision is made, all the parties involved will be properly informed.
This will make them know the right things to do to execute the decision made.
Barriers to Good and Effective Communication In an Organization – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
Communication can be poor in your organization when there are things that negate good communication in your organization.
We refer to these things as Barriers to good communication.
If you want to improve communication in your organization, you would need to deal with these barriers first.
This way, when you start practicing the tips we will share; your effort towards improvement will not be discouraged.
Let us see these barriers:
Lack Of Clarity
When you do not communicate with clarity, you are discouraging good communication.
This is because your listeners will not understand what you are saying.
Hence, you are negating the main purpose of communication
Until you can share your message clearly and your listeners understand, then you are not communicating.
So, ensure that you deliver clear messages, and encourage people in your organization to do the same.
Not Listening – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
As we earlier said, communication is not good or effective until the message is received and understood.
So, you might be clear with your message, but when your listener is not listening, they will not get your message.
If they manage to get your message they might misunderstand it or get the message incomplete.
Hence, to avoid this in your organization, you have to listen actively, also teach and encourage your employees to do the same.
Language and Cultural Differences
You and your employees need to understand that everybody is from different backgrounds.
In other words, language and culture are different.
When people in your organization do not speak the same language, then you should provide an alternative.
For example, you could have means of interpreting what you say in other languages to your employees and among themselves.
You should not take this lightly if your organization is a global one.
When you deal with language issues, communication will improve in your organization.
As for culture, understand that what you see as nothing can be something serious to another person.
So, you should be careful about how to communicate with people in your organization to avoid getting people offended.
Understand that when people feel offended, it can make communication break down with them.
So, recognize and respect the cultural differences in your organization to avoid breaking communication down.
Wrong Body Language Signs – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
Understand that communication is not only verbal.
There is non-verbal communication.
One major component of non-verbal communication is your body language sign.
People can read your body language and match it with what you are saying.
So, when you give out the wrong body signs when communicating it can negate effective and good communication.
Workplace Conflicts
Good communication can reduce conflicts in an organization.
However, conflict can occur due to different reasons.
When they occur and are not immediately resolved they grow, and this destroys good working relationships among people and impedes good communication.
Lack of Trust and Transparency – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
When trust and transparency are lacking among people, communication can be difficult.
For instance, if your employee feels like you are keeping something from them, they will feel anxious and might speculate.
This can make them find a hard time believing what you communicate to them.
So, you have to build trust with your employees and be transparent with them.
Check here to discover 12 ways managers can establish a trusting relationship with employees.
Disinterest or Dissatisfaction With One’s Duty or Job
If someone is unhappy with their job, communication with them can be futile.
They will not be interested in talking about their jobs since their minds are not on it anymore.
It is a barrier that can be quite tough to overcome.
This is because it requires a change of mindset.
So, if such a mindset cannot be changed, the barrier will not be overcome until such a person leaves your organization.
Communication Styles– How to Improve Communication In an Organization
People have different styles of communicating.
Some persons prefer an analytical style while some prefer a functional approach.
Hence, when you communicate functionally with someone used to analytical communication, they might not fully get your message.
This can hinder effective communication
Tips on How to Improve Communication In an Organization
We have discussed the importance of good communication in an organization and factors that can hinder it.
Now, we will be looking at how to improve communication in an organization.
We have prepared some great tips on how to do so.
So, we advise you to practice them and improve communication in your organization.
1. Select Mediums of Communication
Every organization should have its selected medium of communication.
Employees should know where and how information will be shared at all times.
This will make messages communicated within your organization easier to understand.
There are different mediums of communication which include:
- Face-to-face communication
- Remote Communication
- Written Communication
- Social Media Communication
- Nonverbal Communication
Among these mediums of communication, select the ones that will work best for your organization.
It should be something that will capture the hearts and eyes of your employees.
It should also effectively deliver messages.
Whatever mediums you choose, ensure that you inform your employees about them.
2. Understand Your Employees Communication Style – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
As we earlier said, communication styles can hinder effective communication.
Hence, you have to be careful with the way you communicate with your employees.
Understand your employees’ communication styles.
Ensure that you try your best to communicate with them in their style.
This will help them to understand you.
They will also freely share their thoughts and ideas with you.
However, understand that you cannot make use of only one style when communicating with your entire team of staff.
You can make use of the style you are comfortable with.
When you do this, encourage your employees’ to inform you when they do not understand you.
Then, you can explain better in the style that they communicate with.
Furthermore, encourage your employees to understand how each other communicate.
This will make communication easier between them.
Your employees will also build good relationships between themselves.
The different communication styles are:
Analytical – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
People who communicate analytical require specificity and data.
So, when communicating with this type of person, you need to give specific details without beating around the bush.
Your expectations have to be clear with them.
Also, avoid making use of excessive emotional language.
Functional
Functional communicators are purpose-driven and detail-oriented.
They work better by breaking down big projects into smaller steps.
When communicating with them, you should prepare to follow up with questions.
Those questions will help them to consider other factors and not just the next action or step to take.
Intuitive – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
Intuitive communicators are high-level thinkers; people interested in the big picture.
They are mostly concerned with broad overviews and not details.
So, when communicating with them, ensure that you send follow-up messages concerning key details.
Personal
Personal communicators are good with people.
This is because they make use of emotional language such as I feel/I think.
Also, they are great listeners and prioritize connections.
So, when communicating with them ensure you re-share details with them as they are more interested in feelings.
3. Encourage Inclusive Interactions
Communication needs to flow freely among the people in your organization for it to be effective.
Your organization should appreciate different views and ideas.
To ensure this, you should encourage inclusive interaction in your organization.
When communication is not interactive, it will not be effective.
This will not help your organization grow.
You never know where a great idea will come from.
So, encourage inclusive interaction at all times.
4. Respect Cultural Differences – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
As we earlier said, people in your organization come from different backgrounds.
We now live in a global world.
So, to ensure that you create a conducive, comfortable, and inclusive environment you need to respect cultural differences.
Avoid doing things that are culturally sensitive in your organization.
This will help communication stays strong and effective in your organization.
You should not be the only one respecting cultural differences in your organization.
Your employees should also respect cultural differences.
So, encourage them to respect one another.
Introduce and embed respect for cultural differences in your organization’s culture.
5. Provide Precise and Clear Feedback
Feedback is also communication.
Hence, you have to be careful when giving feedback to avoid making it unclear
In other words, you need to be precise and clear when giving feedback
Your feedback has to have an example of the situation.
Also, it has to be accompanied by an actionable item.
For instance, telling your employee “you have not been at your peak of late” can be confusing.
Your employee might start wondering how they have not been at their peak, and this will not help them to make the necessary adjustment.
However, if you say this “I have noticed that you have not been meeting the deadlines, and some inaccuracies keep showing in your report, what is the matter?”
This way, the employee will know the problem and what to do to solve it.
So, be precise and clear about what you want them to know
6. Plan – How to Improve Communication In an Organization
Some meetings have ended terribly because of bad organization or no plan.
Hence, when you have a meeting in your organization, there should be a plan on how the meeting will go.
The topic been tendered should be discussed and concluded, before seamlessly moving on to the next one.
Understand that an organized meeting will have good communication.
7. Leave Your Door Open
As you give your employees feedback, give them a chance to provide their feedback.
They should be able to approach you with what is on their mind concerning their job and the organization.
The best way to encourage this is to leave your door open.
When we say leave your door open we do not mean to have your office door open at all times.
However, that can be helpful.
What we mean is that you should let your employees know that you are open to listening and communicating with them.
Build a good rapport with them, be friendly, and appreciate them.
This will help to build trust with them.
Conclusion on How to Improve Communication In an Organization
Communication is important for your organization’s growth and success.
So, if communication is poor in your organization, you need to work on it.
In this article, we have shared great tips and information on how to improve communication in an organization.
We hope you find it helpful!
