Workplace Communication – How To Make The Best Use of It

In its simplest form, communication is a system for sending and receiving messages. And when we do any of that within the workplace, as we do every day, we have “workplace communication”. How do we make the best use of it?

To understand what workplace communication is, one needs to first understand what communication itself is. Communication is a giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc., to give information and messages.

Communication is a process we use to have and keep a meaningful relationship. It is a system for sending and receiving messages as by telephone, telegraph, radio, etc… It is a system of routing for moving things from one place to another. It is the art of expressing ideas, especially in speech and writing. It is the science of transmitting information in symbol. It is all of these things and more.

Like all other basic communication, it needs to be developed, practiced and improved on a continuing basis. In the workplace, because we spend a large part of our daily lives at work, we first need the ability to communicate with others.

Within workplace communication we need to manage ourselves, our co-workers, our bosses, our suppliers and customers. We need to establish, cultivate and nurture business and personal relationships effectively and successfully.

How do we do that? For many, it does not come naturally. We get irritated by things and by people around us. We get frustrated if we cannot express ourselves properly. Many folks find it very hard to have any kind of relationship, let alone one at work. We often hear of conflicts, sometimes ending with tragic results.

One thing we all have in common: we all have to work at workplace communication. Some of us come into the workplace more equipped than others, some less. We decide what we need and initiate ourselves in the learning process. We may have to learn to communicate with diplomacy for example.

We may need to learn to become more persuasive communicators. We may need to learn to become better leaders in our own lives and in our own departments. We may need to learn to reduce stress in difficult situations, or in our overloaded responsibilities.

Whether we deal with our co-workers or our employees, we can improve workplace communication by learning to give and get constructive feedback. But first, we need to learn to be assertive. We need to be able to make contact with others and open up a conversation. We need to be interesting by reading interesting things that we can talk about, relating to our business. We need to smile more.

Workplace communication should flow from one person to another, from one department to another, from top management to bottom management.

Workplace communication takes many forms. It is verbal, nonverbal, written. It uses many means such as telephone, letters, memos, computers, Internet. Email has become the most common forms of workplace communication.

All of the above have one thing in common. It can all be learned. Whatever we are missing in workplace communication we can learn. We only need to be aware of it, be mindful of it and take the initiative to learn it and make the best use of it to our successful advantage. /dmh

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off

Creating Great Workplace Communication With Fire Pits

Did you know that the most successful businesses often have great workplace communication? This makes up the foundation of any business that runs efficiently and is profitable. With great communication, employees do not get sidetracked by drama or harmful gossip. Instead, with honest communication you will find that employees work together to solve problems and enjoy one another’s company.

Workplaces that have open communication between all people do not just randomly stumble upon this great attribute. It takes hard work to achieve a culture of communication and transparency in any business. If your workplace could use a boost in its workplace communication, then there are a few steps you can take to improve this important part of your business.

Sometimes businesses work best when a subtle approach is taken to things like communication. Instead of hosting an intense meeting about workplace communication, try hosting a laid back social event. It may seem counter-intuitive to approach workplace communication with a casual level of attention, but this can be one of the best ways to make your point to your employees. Employees do not usually benefit when a boss lectures them or yells at them, especially in areas like workplace communication.

Instead, try hosting a social hour at your own home for employees. This can be the only subtle cue you need to use to show employees that you care about creating a good social environment in the business place. A social hour only has to last for a couple of hours and it is a good time for employees to relax and be honest about how they feel about the business. Lighting a fire pit can add to the comfortable ambience of the social hour. A fire pit has an inviting warmth that will make every employee feel welcome to the event, regardless of any circulating gossip of rumors going around the office. Hosting a social hour can almost create the fresh start your business may need in its workplace communication department.

If you want your business to better serve customers, then having great workplace communication is a must. You simply must care about this part of your business, in order to have a professional environment that is honest and filled with people always willing to work their hardest. Hosting a social hour at your home is a great way to make peace with your employees and get them to bond with one another.

Geoffrey F. Moore

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off