It is a given that business owners and executives must be good at communicating with their colleagues, partners, and clients. No matter how commendable their business skills or organizational plans are, if their subordinates are not able to translate the organizational plans into actions, then it means that they’re not effective communicators, and that can lead to serious business problems.
Communicating well can have a huge impact in the corporate setting as it can prevent misunderstandings that can endanger work. Furthermore, it improves the employees’ respect and receptiveness towards the management. Being an effective communicator can also elevate your business development as more companies would be interested in partnering with you, and clients would want to always renew a supplier that knows what they’re talking about.
If you’re new in business or have been existing for a while but are still struggling with communicating well, here are five strategies for effective communication that would definitely make you better:
1. Regular general assembly.
The best way to cascade new internal protocols, introduce new employees, communicate business changes or problems, and launch plans is via face-to-face meetings. A general assembly is also the best avenue for your subordinates to air their concerns, and doing this regularly will prevent issues to remain unresolved for a long time, making the workplace more harmonious and open.
This kind of forum will enable employees to not only hear what you are saying but also see and feel it. This approach still remains one of the best approaches to communicate effectively with a team.
Another benefit of regular general assemblies is that employees will be able to take time off work and have a chance to get to know their other colleagues.
This is one of the best strategies for effective communication that impacts everyone in the team.
2. Use a visual or audio visual presentations.
Medium is as influential as the message.
With the decreasing attention span of new generation workers, long lectures and overly formal emails will bore them, and hinder you from delivering the message across. Some people grasp memos easily when pictures and sounds are involved. Thus, using office software such as Microsoft Power Point, Adobe Player, and Windows Movie Maker in creating bite-sized and insightful information to communicate with your team will be a guarantee of their attention and comprehension.
If this is too complicated for you, you may also place visuals at strategic positions around the work stations of your team. They would not just hear the message; they will be constantly reminded about it. This gives room for better command and gives a longer time to process procedures.
3. Avoid using jargons and highfalutin terms.
Not everyone is at the same level as you when it comes to vocabulary richness. Therefore, when in doubt, use words that can be easily understood and universally regarded as common. When ambiguous words are used, you can be misunderstood, thus, you might have to even explain yourself and lose your precious time doing so. Difficult words will also require longer processing from your employees.
4. Create a receptive atmosphere.
The mood is as important as the content. One of the more effective strategies for effective communication is creating a receptive atmosphere. To effectively communicate with your team, you must create an atmosphere that promotes openness and approachability. A tense or fearful environment or manner of speaking can make your employees feel scared while you’re communicating something, or even before you do so, thus, the message you are trying to share might not be well understood or retained.
5. Encourage feedback.
An important aspect of communication is receiving and translating feedback. Don’t just talk and expect them to understand immediately or assume that implementations will be made. Giving room for feedback enables you to measure the effectiveness of your style of communication, and if your message was well understood. Feedback is also a good way for you to know what to improve and retain.
These strategies for effective communication will definitely improve your workplace and client relationship in no time.
