7 Ways to Be a Good Communicator at Work


Communication is an important aspect of every business, being a great communicator can increase overall company performance. Building an effective and cohesive team requires good communication skills. It is essential in management and can minimize potential risk in the workplace when everyone is clear about their role and the company’s vision. It is particularly important in times of high stress such as when a company downsizes or when there are management changes to be forthright in what is going on, who will be affected, and how the company will transition. Good communication is crucial in building and maintaining customer relations, it is important when dealing with complaints and effective when creating marketing campaigns. The 7 Ways to be a good communicator at work are concepts for those wishing to improve their corporate environment through listening, open dialogue, regularity of communication, using simplicity plus repetition to equal retention, practicing good communication, symbiotic relationships, and acting as a gatekeeper.

1. Listen to Team’s Suggestions

Listening seems like a simple enough concept, it is something few people are actually adept at and it is a crucial part of communication. A good manager will consult with their team and listen to their suggestions to be the most effective with assigned tasks. Effective listening is based on trust of the people being spoken to, if one is comfortable with their audience they are likely to honestly state what it is they are thinking and feeling. People are sensitive to how others will react to what they are saying, if they do not trust the person they are talking to they will not divulge how they really feel. Winning trust creates a work environment where people are open and respect each other, this will create a bond between them. When one is a good listener they can effectively resolve a customer’s needs and increase sales of their product without saying much at all. Being a good listener is an art and a very effective tool in business.

2. Encourage Open Dialogue

It is created when leaders build trust and credibility in a corporate environment. Being approachable and visible is part of it, as is keeping messages simple to understand as well as being clear. Inviting feedback, being good listeners, and opening avenues for communication to flow are marks of a good leader. Open dialogue also needs to be practiced by management in that it is important to keep everyone up to date on issues such as performance against safety benchmarks and health, important contracts, finance, and production issues. Both good and bad news should be shared. A good example is a company meeting where the leader of the company builds trust with employees by sharing information about what is going on and inviting questions so that everyone feels they are part of the solution. Listening to employees at all levels is a powerful skill that succcessful corporations employ which builds relationships and offers management a chance to hear what people at all levels are feeling and even hearing from their clients and in the marketplace.

3. Regularity of Communication

It is key, the employee’s value being told what is going on in a company. Motivated employees are engaged and well-informed, they help a company to attain objectives and this results in financial successes. It brings a willingness to embrace changes, high levels of loyalty, employee satisfaction, and a culture that makes one feel they work for a great company. Communication helps an organization to keep on course with business objectives and helps influence employees to achieve goals. An example of this is weekly company meetings. This type of forum gives management a chance to state a message that they would like everyone to comply with as well as it gives employees a chance to feel like they know what is going on.

4. Simplicity and Repetition

One cannot assume that a message is understood or even heard. The concept of simplicity plus repetition to equal retention is very effective in the workplace. Regular communication, even if it is the same message, will sink in as it is consistently stated so that it will be understood and employed by everyone who hears it. What this means is that in order to create a team where everyone is working from the same vision, the message needs to be restated so that it is clear to everyone that they maintain the same goal. 

5. The Tone of the Company

It is set by the senior management team, the team leads by their example. When enthusiastically presented by company leaders, a message has more impact, it will be more convincing, and is more effective. Many successful leaders are impressive, engaging, and charismatic people who are great communicators. Practicing good communication cannot be delegated, it must be managed.

6. Publicity

It is understood with senior management that there is a need to communicate better and more often. They understand there is a need for experts to assist them to direct their efforts in the most effective way possible. Corporate strategies need to be translated into communication strategies, this relationship is symbiotic. Maximum publicity is the goal, employees need to understand the core messages that are being translated. Internal communications in an organization that has the task of translating senior management messages so that everyone will be excited by them and understand the message clearly.

7. Update the Information

Communication is not only about ensuring that a message is understood, it is also about editing it at times to make sure that confidential information is not released. Therefore the communications department must act as a gatekeeper to get the correct information out in the most compelling manner while knowing what should and should not be said to the audience being addressed. Sometimes confidentiality agreements are needed when distributing sensitive information. Information flows faster and saves time and money when presented properly. Private companies will state less information about what they do than a public company will. Excellent public relation skills are required to know when and how information is released while understanding the importance of image, the market, and the client.

Benefits of the Established Employee-Manager Communication

Employee-Manager Communication

The people who know most about a retailer’s business are usually frontline employees. A retailer’s salespeople see and experience situations managers rarely or never encounter, and often these situations provide valuable insight into the customer’s buying decision and ultimately the volume of sales.

In order to collect this valuable information from sales teams, retailers need to establish a policy on how and when front-line employees should communicate what they experience so management can evaluate and adjust aspects of the store, product offerings, or general customer experience.

Without these communication policies in place, retailers’ employees could potentially put the company’s business in jeopardy.

What the Employee-Manager Communication Policy Should Cover

Retailers need to establish lines of communication-from employee to management to upper management-of the things they discover that would make the business better. The policy should inform employees of situations that warrant sharing information with management and how to appropriately respond to or handle customers in certain scenarios.

Management should spend time training employees on the communication policy to ensure they fully understand how to handle various scenarios and the importance of doing so.

In the case of our mystery shopping experience, why didn’t the salesman make his company aware of the product and price discrepancy between their store and their competitor?

The salesman was probably never trained to communicate this information. Even if the store had a communication policy, he was not aware of it enough–or taught its value enough–to communicate the information to management. His intentions were good; he thought he was offering great customer service by saving us money. However, good customer service should never come at the expense of the retailer; what’s good for the customer should also be good for the retailer.

If the store had trained the salesman on how to respond to our particular situation, he could have simultaneously avoided losing a big sale and maintained excellent customer service.

Another time in a different store, we went to the register to make our purchase, and we asked the salesperson if they offered educational classes on how to use the product. She responded, “No, but we should.” What a missed opportunity. She should be telling her manager she believes the store should offer classes, not us.

A Retailers Best Safeguard Against Competitors

One of the biggest mistakes retailers make is that they don’t go shopping enough. Part of a good retailer’s job is to shop the competition, which is easier now more than ever because of the internet. Shopping the competition is one of the most effective ways retailers can win customers–and prevent from losing them.

Succeed in Communicating

These 7 Ways to be a good communicator at work are meant to serve as a guideline for corporations to use to assist them in achieving their goals. There are many ways one can be a good communicator, but these examples are meant to provide a core understanding of what should be implemented.

Author Bio:

Daniel T Anderson, a writer at the essay helpOpens in a new tab. service. He keeps up with advancing technologies so as to get acquainted with latest technological tendencies. Besides, Daniel is keen on reading modern literature and traveling.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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