The whole point of communication is interaction, and this becomes all the more important at the work place. No one person can handle all jobs at the office. Communication between worker and worker and department and department is what ensures the smooth operation of the company. Even if you had you own company you would still need to use good communication skills to get the best out of your employees. If you work freelance, communication with clients becomes imperative. These are a few examples of communication at the work place:
1. Inter-office Communication: communication doesn't just mean speaking to one another. At offices, we often receive circulars and leaflets of announcements. These help the top brass handle their company better. For such communication, the person writing the circular needs to phrase it in such a manner as to be totally descriptive of what the circular needs to accomplish, so this calls for good communication skills at the managing level. However, the people receiving the circulars need to understand the message well to be able to follow instructions perfectly. If you were the boss at a company you would want effective communication to get the best out of the workers. If you were an employee you would want to tune your communication skills to be able to follow instructions precisely.
2. Non Professional Communication at the work place: Although many companies prefer to discourage interpersonal relations between the employees, it is only human to form friendships at the workplace. Communication plays a key role here as well. If you are good at your job, but nobody likes you at the workplace, it can get in the way of your success. Nobody likes working with unfriendly people. Many misunderstandings can come out of bad communication. Some companies go so far as to organize field trips and picnics for their employees, to encourage good communication between them.
3. Inter Company Communications: Every company needs to work along with, or for another company. That's what business is about. Corporate heads of companies often have get-together and meetings to put forth plans and developments. Such meetings are the highest level of communication at the workplace, and these meetings are generally at the CEO levels. A good communication between companies ensures a healthy growth of all concerned.
It is pretty obvious that communication at the work place is one of the key elements that can ensure success at a personal as well as a company level.
One of the most common complaints in today's workplace is lack of communication. This problem arises in many ways: poor meeting skills resulting in frustration and annoyance; poor writing skills resulting in long, rambling e-mail messages and reports that waste the time of both writer and reader; sales pitches that fail because the salesperson doesn't listen to what the client is saying; boring, unhelpful presentations that waste everyone's time and convey little information.
But an underlying problem in all of these situations is that we tend to cloak all our messages in language that obscures our meaning. It might be technical jargon we use inappropriately for people who shouldn't be expected to understand it, or it could be just longwinded, complicated explanations that are hard to follow. In either case, the result is that the message is lost.
So what's the answer? Keep it simple! In the workplace, where communication is essential, you'll never go wrong by tending towards simple explanations. In fact, the more complex the subject, the more important it is that you express your message in simple terms.
Have you ever bought something that used technology with which you were unfamiliar? Maybe it was a kitchen gadget, a complicated camera, a musical instrument or your first introduction to a new hobby. Think about the buying process you went through. Did the sales person take the trouble to explain things in simple language you could understand, or did he or she babble on in some unintelligible words and expressions that left you baffled and frustrated? Chances are that the approach the person took had an effect on whether or not you bought.
Think about the type of information you must convey to others at work in the course of your own job. Are you making your message clear and simple? Consider your jargon and the language you typically use, and see if you can come up with simpler ways of explaining things. Then make a practice of using them --- your colleagues and clients will thank you!
If you'd like to see the value of simple explanations of the complex, visit the children's section of your local bookshop or library and look for books on outer space or other highly complex subjects. Interestingly, even though these books are written for children, their simple explanations will not insult your adult intelligence, and you may well find you've learned something new by reading them.
So remember, for the most effective workplace communication, keep it simple!
Both Abhishek Agarwal & Helen Wilkie are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Abhishek Agarwal has sinced written about articles on various topics from Surveys, Camping and Camping. Abhishek is a self-proclaimed Personality Development Guru and has written several books on this topic! Visit his website and Download. Abhishek Agarwal's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.
Helen Wilkie has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, self improvement and motivation and Finances. Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker and author, specializing in workplace communication. Visit and. Helen Wilkie's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.