Why is employee communication so important?

Staff communication, it is a subject that we hear a great deal about but why do we experience it so rarely? What is the importance of effective communication in the workplace and how can we set about achieving it? Here is a brief overview drawn from 20 years of experience in successful business management.

Why is communication important?

What is effective employee communication? The first point to note is that it is a two way process. Many internal communication problems in the workplace begin because managers filter information down but are not prepared to receive it. This can be a fatal flaw as it makes those you work with feel ignored and undervalued. The ease with which this demotivates the workforce cannot be stressed highly enough. Once the damage is done, it is extremely difficult to repair. The huge gains to be had from good workplace communication cannot be
over-estimated. The staff who does the job "at the sharp end" are those best placed to inject new ideas into your business. You only have to look at the attitudes of today's greatest success stories to see the benefits. Companies like Google thrive on the input of their staff and thus engender a feeling of team spirit and a desire to grow. Such involvement makes people feel valued and part of a whole instead of just a cog in a machine.

How do you achieve it?

The primary rule is to treat others the way you want to be treated. Make sure you have documented internal company communications plans in a place where all staff have access to. Ensure regular, open meetings take place where all staff are free to voice their opinions. Consider a reward scheme for ideas which improve business performance or staff morale. The process does not have to finish in the workplace either. Social events are often a good forum for new innovation as people feel more free to discuss their thoughts and feelings. If you are struggling with your business communication skills, then you may wish to employ the services of a communication consultants agency. They will assist you in training management, putting a strategy in place and advising you as to which communication tools you should be using. Most of this may seem, in retrospect, to be simple common sense but it is not always easy to identify problems when you're in the middle of them. An independent point of view may be just what your business needs. Finally, remember how it felt when you were at the bottom of the ladder. Take the positives and negatives from your experiences and learn from them. All this will help to make your company a better place to work.