Workplace communication

Workplace communication is the process of communicating and exchanging information (both verbal
and non-verbal) between one person/group and another person/group within an organization. It includes
e-mails, text messages, notes, calls, etc.[1] Effective communication is critical in getting the job done, as
well as building a sense of trust and increasing the productivity of employees. These may have different
cultures and backgrounds, and can be used to different norms. To unite activities of all employees and
restrain from any missed deadline or activity that could affect the company negatively, communication is
crucial. Effective workplace communication ensures that all the organizational objectives are achieved.
Workplace communication is tremendously important to organizations because it increases productivity
and efficiency. Ineffective workplace communication leads to communication gaps between employees,
which causes confusion, wastes time, and reduces productivity. Misunderstandings that cause friction
between people can be avoided by effective workplace communication. Effective communication, also
called open communication, prevents barriers from forming among individuals within companies that
might impede progress in striving to reach a common goal. For businesses to function as desired,
managers and lower-level employees must be able to interact clearly and effectively with each other
through verbal communication and non-verbal communication to achieve specific business goals.
Effective communication with clients plays a vital role in development of an organization and success of
any business. When communicating, nonverbal communication must also be taken into consideration.
How a person delivers a message has a lot of influence on the meaning of this one.

Another important aspect to have effective workplace communication is taking into consideration the
different backgrounds of employees. "While diversity enriches the environment, it can also cause
communication barriers."[2] Difficulties arise when a coworker's cultural background leads him or her to
think differently than another. It is for this reason that knowing about intercultural communication at
work and learning how to treat others without offending them can bring several benefits to the company.

Method of communication
Different people absorb information in different ways. To make sure that the information conveyed is
understood by all, the method used for communication must be simple, clear, and precise. When
presenting vital information, using pictures will make way for easy understanding. The presence of trust
inside a corporation will also simplify the use of communication. Relationships must be established
between coworkers to create a tension-free workplace. Messages should be sent and received with no
alterations. To achieve healthy relationships in the workplace, behaviors such as bullying, taking credit
for someone else's work and free riding should be avoided. These will create toxic relationships that will,
in the long run, impact negatively a company and the productivity.[3] Furthermore, recent studies have
shown that fostering a culture of trust within an organization enhances communication effectiveness and
promotes a collaborative environment.[4] Preferring two-way communication is considered best for
communicating. Adequate importance can be given for discussion, questions and clarifications.[5]
Content
The content of the information plays a major role in workplace communication. The level of detail must
be according to the grasping capacity of the audience. Giving too much detail may get the audience bored
and too little detail won't make them involved. Use of jargon while communicating is not considered
good for effective workplace communication.[6]

Frequency
While formal workplace communication that is done too rarely or too often is not good for an
organization, frequent informal workplace communication has its benefits.[7] A perfect balance is
required for the proper functioning of an organization. Information must be communicated as and when
required rather than holding unnecessary meetings frequently. At the same time crucial information must
not be held till the last hour or day, instead they must be communicated early to engage employees in the
objectives of the organization.[8]

Skills
Getting the message across efficiently depends on the skills of the communicator such as presentation
skills, group facilitation skills, negotiation and written communication skills. Successful communication
also depends upon the capacity of the employees to understand the information. This requires providing
the employees some basic financial literacy like financial statements, sales, profitability, etc.[9]

When selecting a candidate, most employers seek for those who have strong speaking and writing skills.
Problem solving and self- motivation are also highly necessary skills among the workplace. These allow
rapidly changing environments to become less of a challenge.[10]

Tools
With the fast evolution of technology, companies have to stay up to date with communication tools that
facilitate the workplace communication. Some of these include email, blogs, instant messaging and even
social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. It is important to keep in mind that sending an email, a
fax or a letter does not necessarily mean that communication has taken place. Only when a message has
been sent, received and understood by the intended receiver, it can be said that communication has
occurred.[11]
Effective communication of bad news
Bad news communication involves delivering unfavorable information to parties who are both internal
and external to the organization. Effective communication must be clear, understandable, maintain trust
and reduce the anxiety associated with the negative news[12]

Approaches to offering bad news

Direct approach
In this approach, the negative news is communicated immediately. It is suitable when there is a large
audience to reduce misinterpretations.

Indirect approach
In this approach, the bad news is communicated in a structured way which could soften strong negative
reactions and maintain good relationship. It involves four steps they are,

1.Buffer

Start the communication with a supportive tone and a statement of appreciation to neutral and positive
environment.

2.Reason

Give the reason behind the bad news so that the audience understands it and accept it.

3.Bad news

A clear and understandable statement of the bad news which may include alternatives and compromises.

4.Polite ending

End the conversation with a personalized and forward-looking pleasant statement to redirect the impact of
bad news.[13]

Barriers
Common barriers to effective communication at workplace:

Physical barriers: Physical structure, location and construction of the workplace acts as a
barrier to effective communication. Employees seated remotely from each other hinders
effective interaction.[14]
Language barriers: Employees with different native languages will be working in an
organization. As everyone in organization are not comfortable with native language of the
other person, language acts as a barrier for effective workplace communication. Language
 barriers, such as differences in slang or register among second language speakers, within a
workplace can create issues impeding proper work task completion.[15]
Cultural barriers: Employees from different cultures, following different practices will be
working in an organization. This cultural diversity among the employees can act as barrier
for effective communication at workplace. The workplace significantly influences working
women's language use, with solidarity and professionalism being key factors driving
changes in their language across different settings.[16]
Emotional barriers: Emotional barriers like fear, inferiority, shyness, lack of self confidence
and skills will stop an employee in communicating effectively with his colleagues.
Perception barriers: Employees will have different experiences, values, preferences and
attitudes. These may lead to a variety of assumptions and can act as a communication
barrier.

See also
Business communication
Intercultural communication
Communication

References
1. Faizal, Fesmina (19 November 2018). "What is Workplace Communication? (& Why Does It
Matter)" (https://www.feedough.com/what-is-workplace-communication-why-does-it-matter/).
Feedough. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
2. Guo, Kristina L.; Sanchez, Yesenia; Borkowski, Nancy (Dec 23, 2009). Organizational
Behavior in Workplace. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
3. DeIuliis, David (2016). "Workplace Communication". Communication Research Trends. 35
(1).
4. "4 Ways HR Can Build Trust and Communication in the Workplace" (https://www.pathways.c
om/pathways-at-work/blog/trust-and-communication-in-the-workplace). www.pathways.com.
Retrieved 2024-03-12.
5. Henson, Baden (2007). Communication in the workplace. Milton, Old: Wiley. ISBN 978-0-
7314-0650-0.
6. Sudden, Marsha (2007). Effective workplace communication : skills for success in life and
on the job (3rd ed.). Indianapolis, Ind.: JUST Works. ISBN 978-1-59357-433-8.
7. Whitaker, Steve; David Frolic; Owen Day-Jones (April 24–28, 1994). "Informal workplace
communication: what is it like and how might we support it?". CHI '94 Proceedings of the
SIGHS Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Celebrating
Interdependence: 131–137.
8. Picardi, Richard P. (2001). Skills of workplace communication : a handbook for T & D
specialists and their organizations (https://archive.org/details/skillsofworkplac00pica_0)
([Online-Gauss.] ed.). West port, Conn.: Quorum Books. ISBN 978-1-56720-362-2.
9. Person, Sharon J. Person, Steven M. (2007). Workplace communication : process and
product. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-228808-8.
10. Stevens, B (March 2005). "What communication skills do employers want? Silicon Valley
Recruiters Respond". Journal of Employment Counseling. 42 (1): 2–9. doi:10.1002/j.2161-
1920.2005.tb00893.x (https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fj.2161-1920.2005.tb00893.x).
11. Guo, Kristina L.; Sanchez, Yesenia; Borkowski, Nancy (Dec 23, 2009). Organizational
Behavior in Workplace. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
12. https://www.forbes.com/sites/shephyken/2024/01/28/how-to-communicate-bad-news-
effectively/
13. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-esc-communicationforprofessionals/chapter/bad-
news/
14. Hargie, Owen (2021-10-11), "A conceptual model of skilled interpersonal communication" (h
ttps://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003182269-2), Skilled Interpersonal Communication, London:
Routledge, pp. 17–41, doi:10.4324/9781003182269-2 (https://doi.org/10.4324%2F97810031
82269-2), ISBN 978-1-003-18226-9, retrieved 2024-09-07
15. Tweedie, Gregory; Johnson, Robert. "Listening instruction and patient safety: Exploring
medical English as a lingua franca (MELF) for nursing education" (http://bild-lida.ca/journal/v
olume_2_1_2018/tweedie_johnson/). Retrieved 6 January 2018.
16. Musmar, Ola; Alghazo, Sharif; Jarrah, Marwan; AlTakhaineh, Abdel Rahman (2023-12-31).
"The effect of the workplace on women's language: A view from Jordan" (https://doi.org/10.1
080%2F23311983.2023.2239001). Cogent Arts & Humanities. 10 (1).
doi:10.1080/23311983.2023.2239001 (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F23311983.2023.223900
1). ISSN 2331-1983 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2331-1983).

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