How to Foster Positive Communication in the Workplace

Good communication in the workplace is important as it helps improve employee morale and create healthy working relationships amongst the staff. This explains why many employers put a premium on good communication skills in hiring workers. In today’s demanding corporate world, it is now more important for an employee to be able to communicate well with his colleagues, bosses, and customers.

Ineffective communication in the workplace can prevent a unit or even a company from achieving its set goals. One survey showed that 86 percent of the respondents saying that ineffective communication led to workplace failures. The survey, conducted in 2011, had more than 1,400 executives, employees, and educators across various sectors as respondents.

This finding only underlines the need to foster positive communication in the workplace. The following are some tips to promote positive communication in the office:

1. Be careful with email messages.

Email is perhaps the most widely used communication tool in the business world. However, the use of it isn’t always fool-proof. In 2013, a survey showed that the wrong use of email can cause confusion and tension for 64 percent of working professionals.

Email isn’t also always effective in delivering messages. After all, an average office worker receives roughly 80 emails a day. So there’s the chance or risk that an email message may be unopened.

Worse, a message may also be misinterpreted.

To avoid this, don’t forget to use subject lines in writing e-mails.

You should also keep your messages clear and brief. Be polite. Proofread your message before clicking “send.” You don’t want the receiver to read an email with many spelling and grammar mistakes.

Reviewing your message can also let you to make corrections, particularly on the tone of your message. You don’t want to be misconstrued as being insensitive or angry.

2. Learn how to manage your emotions.

Another way to cultivate positive communication in the workplace is teaching employees how to manage their emotions. Anger and anxiety are commonly experienced in the workplace. After all, there are lots of deadlines to beat and targets to meet that an employee who doesn’t know how to put his emotions in check can react explosively to a stressful situation.

Managing emotions well can enable a worker to maintain calm and stability and work better with colleagues even in stressful situations. One effective way for employees to manage their emotions is to practice relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, playing relaxing or soothing music, and excusing himself to take a breather are some ways that a person under stress can do.

3. Open meetings.

Still one of the best ways to foster positive communication in the workplace, open meetings allow employees to air concerns and grievances they may have with their colleagues or with their bosses. In an open meeting, employees will be able to communicate what they feel about their co-workers.

The advantage of open meetings over other communication tools is that it is easier to see and feel what an employee or boss has to say. It’s a lot different from sending an email, which can be too formal.

4. Give good feedback.

Giving good feedback is another way to nurture positive communication in the workplace. Employers should recognize and appreciate the efforts of their workers. Giving recognition doesn’t always mean giving a plaque or giving a promotion. Even simple things like taking the time out to lunch should be enough to deliver a positive message to the rest of the team.

Communication in the office will always be a work in progress. But following these tips should help in fostering a positive communication in the workplace.