Ways to Ensure Effective Communication

A number of ways ensure effective communication in your workplace.

No matter what type of business you operate, effective communication will prove beneficial. Business
communication can take the form of written, face-to-face or group interaction, and it is vital to the
success of your small business. Effective communication can reduce confusion among your work force
and keep everybody on the same page. You can implement a variety of techniques to ensure the success
of your communications.

Develop Basic Skills

Effective communication begins with mastering basic skills like listening, speaking, asking questions and
providing feedback, according to the Free Management Library website. As a leader, by practicing and
implementing these skills on a regular basis, your employees will feel that the communication channels
are open and that they have input into their job roles as well as the direction of your organization.

Feedback

The completion of weekly written status reports by employees gives them the opportunity to provide
you with a summary of their activities for the week, as well as a plan for the week ahead. This keeps you
up-to-date on the status of projects and gives the employees the chance to express any concerns.
Follow up by conducting weekly one-on-one meetings to gain additional input.

Monthly Meetings

A monthly staff meeting allows you to address issues that affect your company as a whole, such as a
change in policies and procedures or to discuss overall company goals. Recognize any individual
achievements during the previous month, as well as team accomplishments. The Free Management
Library website suggests including a testimonial from a satisfied customer as a way to boost team
morale.

Clarity And Brevity

Effective communication needs to be clear and concise, especially when communicating to the group as
a whole. An ambiguously worded message can be interpreted in different ways by different people, so
choose your words carefully. For example, if a change in procedure only affects certain people or
departments, be sure that your message clearly indicates this to prevent your workers from thinking
that it affects the entire company.