5 Communication Strategies That Increase Productivity

Communication is the life wire of every relationship. Whether you’re dealing with your partner, children, employees or acquaintances, you need to learn the art of effective communication to achieve your goals and objectives.

“Every business thrives on effective workplace communication,” says Kola Balogun, a professor of Business Administration at Lagos Business School. “To boost creativity and productivity, create a positive corporate space and listen to the needs of your employees. The same rules apply to personal relationships. You build trust when you show attentiveness towards the special people in your life.”

What is effective communication?
Effective communication can be defined as the act of conveying information, where the envisaged message is effectively sent, acknowledged and understood. In other words, both speaker and listener both have the same unadulterated message. To achieve this, business executives have to strategize and work towards promoting a healthy corporate communication culture.

Effective communication strategies are worth implementing because they teach your workforce how to be more productive. Besides increasing productivity, these tactics have the following benefits:

• Ensuring speedy and successful completion of projects.
• Preventing avoidable and costly mistakes.
• Increasing the quality of work delivered in each project.
• Promoting the exchange of ideas and solutions.
• Increasing the level of innovation among employees.

If you’d like to motivate your staff, increase your profit margins and improve workplace productivity, you must implement tried-and-tested communication strategies. We have outlined and enumerated the top five strategies on our list. We have chosen effective tactics recommended by experts, supported by research studies and personal experience.

1. Forming an open and friendly corporate environment
Ensure that there is a good listening culture. This will encourage the development of a receptive corporate environment. These strategies will encourage openness among employees.

“When employees know that their views will be valued, they work harder to contribute to the growth of the organization,” says Prof Kola Balogun.

Create a friendly and amenable atmosphere in the workplace so that people can communicate without fear.

2. Organizing Training Courses and Seminars for Employees
 Organize training courses and seminars that highlight the importance of clear and succinct communication. The course can also include practice tests and other forms of evaluation that show how much the participants have learned.

More training courses can be conducted to help each employee clearly define their job description and role. Also, discuss the history and goals of the organization, and the roles the employee can play to increase the growth and productivity of the organization.

“Often, new employees have many questions that they are too scared to ask,” says Kola Balogun. “Organizing well-designed training courses help new employees to hit the ground running. They start work feeling motivated and eager to contribute to the growth of the company.”

Most workers and employees have a traditional mindset when it comes to communication in an organization. The expectation is that information should come from the top by the management downwards to the workers.

One huge disadvantage of this view is that workers who come across very important information that will benefit the organization do not speak up and thus productivity suffers. To overcome this, management should train their workers on effective communication skills and encourage them to use the communication systems available in the organization.

3. Regular, Well-structured Meetings
Organizing regular meetings between management and employees is one great way of ensuring that the goals and objectives of the organization are effectively communicated and reinforced. It’s the best way to ensure that everyone is being carried along.

In organizations where all the players are within the same geographical location, the meetings should always be physical face-to-face meetings as this increases focus and reduce distractions.

Where it is not possible to have physical face-to-face meetings, the alternative option is to connect the group through video conference calls. Minutes should be recorded and distributed after each meeting.

4.Organize Group Events
One great way of improving communication in an organization is by getting them involved in fun outdoor activities where they are encouraged to solve problems together. These relaxed activities improve communication between the workers. The camaraderie and trust formed during team outings linger long afterwards and promotes communication in the workplace.

“Employees learn how to be more productive in the workplace just by observing the colleagues and supervisors they admire,” says Prof Kola Balogun. “Problem-solving and critical thinking skills sometimes acquired during team-bonding office outings.”

5. Instant Messaging Software
Ensure that your employees are constantly connected via instant messaging software. Your IT End User support team can install Microsoft  Lync, Skype or Slack on all company electronic devices.
Instant messaging software promotes speedy and easy communication.

“Employees feel like they are part of a family even when they are working from remote locations,” says Kola Balogun. “Staff are often motivated when they know that someone can offer solutions to problems or provide a listening ear. It also promotes the company culture.”

Final words of effective communication strategies that improve productivity.

High productivity is hinged on effective communication between all the players in an organization. It is in the interest of everyone that information flows clearly and that everyone understands the goals, aims and expectation of the organization.