Effective communication is key to our success in the workplace. We have written many blogs on this topic and the benefits of having good communication skills in place, but now let’s look at the opposite side of the coin...
How poor communication directly affects the productivity within your organisation.
What would be considered "poor communication"?
Simply put, it would be a
lack of- or ineffective communication.
Let's look at an example:
Poor/Ineffective: "Hi (insert name here). Please can you look at document A and report back."
Why is this ineffective?
Well, for starters, what is it you want them to do with document A? What is the goal? There is no clear context or instruction paired with your request. This could lead to said team-member spending time doing the wrong thing or scratching their head trying to ascertain the desired end-result, which just wastes unnecessary time. We could take this even further and mention the frustration that will most definitely be present on both sides.
How can this be improved?
Good/Effective: "Hi (insert name here). Please can you look at document A and report back whether it is still accurate and contains the most recent information? We are hoping to send it to client X as they have requested this information. Please can you confirm the above or edit it as necessary as soon as possible?"
You have now let your team-member know what it is you need/the desired end-result, why you need it and that you would like them to report back as soon as possible. The person you have the requested this task of now has a clear idea of what to do and how to prioritise it.
To further explore this topic, let's look at
the result of poor or ineffective communication in the workplace:
- Increased stress and frustration levels.
- Decreased productivity, missed deadlines, projects or tasks not completed as desired.
- Conflict and low morale.
- Poor quality of work and low job satisfaction.
Effective communication helps us have a clear understanding of the work we are doing; it aligns our goals with that of the organisation and it helps us work more efficiently. Knowing what is expected of you and having context and clarity for the tasks/projects you are working on not only helps you determine
how to approach these tasks, but it also helps you manage your time better... And better planning and time management leads to increased productivity.
To conclude, good communication is not a "nice to have",
it is a necessary skill that empowers your team and allows everyone to move forward together!
At
Staff Training we are passionate about helping
individuals and teams evaluate, develop and implement these skills. From Communication Excellence to Team Development with the Enneagram, explore your options
here or get in touch with our team to discuss your team's training needs.
Staff Training is a South African soft skills training provider with more than 60 workshops on offer. Email us at
info@StaffTraining.co.za for more info or give us a call at 0861 996 660.
