If You Don’t Communicate You Will Fail

What is Workplace Communication?

“It is the transmitting of information between one person or group and another person or group in the organization.” There are two forms of communication in an organization, upward and downward communication. Upward communication is the flow up of information from an employee to a superior whereas downward communication is the flow down of information from a superior to an employee.

Workplace Communication is important to organizations because it ensures everyone is on the same page thus increasing clarity and productivity.

Why Lack of Communication Leads to Organizational Failure

1. Uncertainty

Lack of communication in an organization creates uncertainty as employees won’t be aware of business goals and objectives thus resulting in some goals not being met on time, leading to organizational failure.

2. Poor Teamwork

Most organizations rely heavily on teams to meet their objectives. However, if there is no communication between team members there might be ambiguity with regards to goals and responsibilities of the team members. This might create conflict and confusion, leading to the organization not completing certain tasks on time and meeting its objectives.

3. Snowball Effect in Worker Actions

Lack of communication at work e.g. managers not taking time to address employee concerns and not listening to employee suggestions can result in resentment, leading to employees talking to each other about their concerns. If one employee quits, usually many more will follow suit due to shared thoughts about management and the company

How to Improve Workplace Communication

Workplace Communication can improve and lead to organizational success if managers make an effort to listen to, inform and educate employees on corporate news, events and problems. Managers also need to empower employees to ask questions, suggest solutions and offer different points of views. This improves the flow of information between employees and management thus increasing clarity and productivity in the organization. Use of various communication tools e.g. email, text, in person meetings and posters also caters for different types of employees thus improving their understanding and in turn productivity. Most importantly communication fosters a continuous learning culture.

Benefits of Workplace Communication

Workplace communication allows flow of information between management and employees. This makes employees engaged, feel acknowledged and appreciated, motivating them to work better thus resulting in an increase in productivity. Employees also feel empowered when their concerns and suggestions are heard and acted upon thus leading to job satisfaction, good attendance records and low turnover.

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