Great communication is important for a company to thrive, but it’s also a quality that’s hard to maintain. Upholding clear, consistent communication requires a lot of thought, effort, and training to get an entire department or company on board. The opposite is even more costly though, with the average company of 100 companies or more losing approximately $420,000 per year due to miscommunication. But as difficult as it is to implement, is great communication truly worthwhile? We think so. And to prove it, here are the top four advantages of great communication in a workplace.
1. Resolving Conflict Before It Starts
Conflict is one of the unavoidable issues in any work environment. Conflicts are a natural part of working with humans. When different personalities meet or when tensions arise over a difficult situation, conflict is often the easiest direction for the conversation to go. However, when you engender good communication in advance of these circumstances, conflicts can be identified and dealt with before they arise.
Good communication encourages transparency, meaning any growing problems will be easily identified early and without coercion. Even if conflicts appear suddenly, a good communication strategy will quickly diffuse the tension. By communicating clearly, everyone will be happier with their coworkers and at their jobs.
2. Increasing Productivity
When disorganization and confusing language are the norms, there are a lot of questions. Where did that email go? What exactly is expected of me? What exactly do you mean? However, with good communication, these questions can be avoided because they will never need to be asked.
Enabling people to do their jobs starts with proper communication. The back and forth of feedback and corrections can even be avoided if you effectively tell your team what it is that’s expected of them! With the time you would usually spend on clarifying, explaining, and refocusing, you and your coworkers can get more done.
3. Adapting to Different Situations
In any industry, things will change and grow. New challenges will come or you’ll need to suddenly change course, and you’ll need to lead your team in rising to the occasion. One way you can prepare your workplace for the unexpected is by practicing great communication. If everyone is already used to working together and sharing ideas, adapting to a new situation will be much easier.
4. Bettering External Relationships
Communication goes beyond what’s happening internally… it also affects your external relationships. The first people to truly suffer when your communication fails are your clients, customers, and vendors. Your brand’s image is at stake when your customer satisfaction goes down as a result of poor communication.
But when internal communication is good, external communication will reflect it. Your product or service will shine and those outside your company will take note of your professionalism and reliability. Communication is the #1 way those outside your company can get to know your company, so don’t take it lightly! Good communication is a worthwhile endeavor for anyone in any industry, and we’ve seen firsthand how it can radically improve an entire workplace. In fact, 90% of employees believe that good communication is essential to having a healthy work environment.