Communication is best described as the means of sending and receiving information. Communication is important in everyday life from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. It is one of the most important parts of our lives. 

Not only is communication vital to our personal lives, but also in the workplace. 

Do you think you’re good at communication? Could you and your team use more help clearing up those communication boundaries? Do you want to push the limits when it comes to sharing information back and forth? 

Communication is not just about giving information. It’s also about being able to receive it in the most useful, practical way. 

How are your communication skills?

By learning communication best practices, you can take advantage of a number of benefits you wouldn’t otherwise enjoy- even if you think you’re already really good at communicating. Life is always about improving, and communication is ever-changing. Its changing nature makes communication a valuable skill to work on regularly. 

Types of Workplace Communication

There are a number of workplace communication types. The method of communication that you rely on will determine how to deliver the message and how to phrase your information for the best result. 

The most common forms of workplace communication include, but are not limited to:

• Written
• Verbal
• Non-Verbal ie: gestures, head nods, etc. 

In the workplace, these three main forms of communication are generally used:

• In company emails, newsletters, announcements, etc. 
• Voicemails 
• Video conferencing 
• In-person meetings 
• Marketing [digital, in-person]

Every method of communication has a purpose, and each is equally important. Understanding the best way to provide feedback and offer information to colleagues is even vitally important because transferring information is how most business is conducted.

Communication Aligning with Company Values

Having clear communication, company communication channels, expectations and internal as well as external communications should all be aligned with the company’s values. Communicating these core values to employees so they’re able to act upon them in the clearest, truest form of communication will build a better company all around. 

Consider the values in your company. What do you hold close?

• Integrity
• Honesty
• Accountability 
• Fairness
• Teamwork 
• Customer Relations 

By communicating effectively, both with clients and customers, but also employees you’re expanding your business. 

Working Remotely Doesn’t Have to Hinder the Communication Channel

As times change and more and more businesses are turning to remote working models, this still does not have to hinder or dilute the communication channel. Opening up communication channels remotely and using what has been effective for previous companies in the past can greatly help your company excel. 

1. Use a project management tool that helps align teams and keep them better organized 
2. Build a strong, stable feedback culture for your team

1. Rethink employee performance metrics 
2. Always have time for small talk 
3. Gamify employee feedback
4. Set healthy norms for effective communication

1. Use purposes for each communication tool 
2. Cater to employees in different time zones 
3. Determine what types of communication are appropriate, and which are not
4. Provide encouragement 

Organizing and having clear expectations that align with your company’s values will help the communication not just do better, but excel. This, in turn, helps your team grow and provide value to the company.

The Best Method of Transferring Information in the Workplace

There are a number of methods of transferring information between the different levels of a workplace. Employees and employers must communicate regularly, and they’ll have to do so using different techniques.  The right method depends on your specific workplace, as well as the information being transferred. 

Depending on what information you’re sharing, there are positive ways to transfer information, and there are ways that should not be considered. For example, you wouldn’t let go of an employee over an email. That’s far too impersonal and uncaring for such an emotional task! Instead, you should bring them into the office and break the news to them as gently as possible.

There are many other best practices that should be followed for workplace communication. The tactic that you use should change for different situations and environments. 

Communication in the workplace should be face-to-face whenever possible. This creates lasting bonds that emails can’t replicate. 

During the communication process, provide clear, simple information that allows the listener to easily digest what information you’re giving. Remember to listen to what they have to say, as well and that their feelings matter too. However, they are just that… feelings. 

Hearing the individual is a good start, but you want to actually listen to what they are saying and engage them in the conversation by asking questions. This is the only way to effectively communicate. 

Any conflicts should be handled with professionalism and diplomacy. The relationship style that you choose to use is what will make or break your professionalism, track record, and relationships with your employees. 

It is important to note that there are communication styles that can kill any relationship – even well-maintained relationships are at risk.

1. Criticism – verbally attacking the personality or character of someone.
2. Contempt – attacking a sense of self with the intention to insult and psychology abuse the person. 
3. Defensiveness – playing the victim to ward off the perceived attach and reversing the blame from them to someone else. 
4. Stonewalling – withdrawing as a way to avoid conflict in an effort to convey disapproval, distance, and separation. 

These communication styles cause more harm than good, and they are not an effective way to communicate – both in and outside of the workplace. 

Let’s take a look at some examples of harder-to-manage conversations… 

What if the conversation is difficult, tense, or sensitive? 

• Ground yourself
• Take control of the situation 
• Stay calm, clear, and effective – know your end game
• Listen intently and focus on the employee’s emotions 
• Utilize your problem-solving skills to resolve any conflict effectively  

What if you, yourself become triggered or upset during a conversation? 

• Check-in with yourself 
• Pause before speaking to maintain clarity and poise 
• Walk away if you have to 
• Keep yourself under control during this time, remain level-headed, and know that your feelings are validated (so are those of the other person)

Releasing these negative feelings on your own time is healthy, but unraveling and unleashing them on someone else is not. 

They are just feelings, not facts. Don’t allow your feelings to derail a conversation or injure your workplace relationships. Having your feelings under control during a tense conversation is the only way to resolve conflicts and come to a mutual understanding with your colleagues and employees. 

Listening generously is one of the best ways to create more meaningful communication. Listen completely, with empathy and understanding. Listen for what the person really wants and needs. 

Consider This…

What opportunities are generated from this conversation? What steps should you take next after carefully listening to the other person? 

Use this information while listening to lead the individual and help resolve the problem that you and the other person are facing.  There are several techniques available that you can use to have a strong conversation. These will be discussed below in practical strategies for technical communication. 

There are also many positive communication tools that you can use to boost your team’s morale, while also making you into a stronger leader overall. 

Resolving Conflicts in the Most Professional Manner

Any conflicts should be handled with professionalism and diplomacy. The relationship style that you choose to use is what will make or break your professionalism, track record, and relationships with your employees. 

It is important to note that there are communication styles that can kill any relationship – even well-maintained relationships are at risk. Dr. John Gottman shows us the following…

1. Criticism – verbally attacking the personality or character of someone.
2. Contempt – attacking a sense of self with the intention to insult and psychologically abuse the person. 
3. Defensiveness – playing the victim to ward off the perceived attach and reversing the blame from them to someone else. 
4. Stonewalling – withdrawing as a way to avoid conflict in an effort to convey disapproval, distance, and separation. 

These communication styles cause more harm than good, and they are not an effective way to communicate – both in and outside of the workplace. 

Benefits of Great Communication Practices in the Workplace 

There are numerous benefits of great communication in the workplace. To be considered as a diverse space, it is imperative that you know how to communicate with everyone in the workplace, especially if you hold an important position in the company. 

Even if you don’t think you’re clearly, accurately, and helpfully communicating; this is a skill that can be cultivated. 

The benefits of enhancing communication in your office include, but are not limited to:

• Powering productivity throughout the workplace
• Mitigating conflict early on
• Increasing overall loyalty and job satisfaction among employees
• Improving overall public relations
• Fueling creativity and performance 
• Building on existing skills 
• Encouraging teamwork and trust between all collaborators 

Practical Strategies for Workplace Communication

There are a number of practical strategies for communication that should be considered. By harnessing the power of both listening and positive communication practices; you’re building your team up for success. You’re giving them the power they need to excel in the company and elevating your team. 

Start with Powerful Questions That Reframe Your Game

Start off on the right foot by showing that you’re an effective leader. Asking strong questions is the best way to show that you’re capable and to keep your business running efficiently. Good questions show that you were listening intently while showing your stance on important subjects. When asked well, high-quality questions are the most efficient way to resolve issues in your business and to keep your employees and colleagues moving forward with what needs to be done.  

Some strong questions include, but are not limited to:

Problem-focused: What is the problem?

Solutions focused: What would you like to do about this? What can I do about this? 

Problem-focused: Why do you do that?

Solutions Focused:  What made you decide this was the right step?

Problem-focused: Why is this an issue for you?

Solutions focused: What do you suggest we do differently? 

Problem-focused: Why didn’t you do this? 

Solutions focused: What additional information can I provide to complete this task?  

Problem-focused: Who is to blame?

Solutions focused: How can help?

High-quality questions validate the other person’s feelings while maintaining a positive solution-focused mindset. 

Good questions ensure that everyone is effectively communicating while leaving you in complete control of the situation. 

Listening to what they say and then validating (not just agreeing) their feelings and empathizing with them is the most effective form of communication in the business world and in everyday life in most situations. 

Making an effort to relate with the individual is another useful way to build trust and understanding.

Tip: Use stories explaining similar situations that you’ve been through to relate and to show that their current feelings are valid and you’ll create a bond with the person at the same time. 

Be careful to avoid spending too much time on stories about your past experiences though. While it’s good to relate with the individual, the conversation should still focus on their problems the majority of the time. 

Maintain a solution-focused dialogue with the other person, and spend most of the time addressing their feelings and the current situation. This is all a part of effective communication in the workplace.

Other Phrases That Help with Effective Communication

Choosing the right phrases or how to say something is important. We will go over some examples of positive communication and the phrases you could use in your everyday dialogue with your team. 

Picking the right moment phrases: 

• You asked me to look at ____, is now a good moment to talk about it?
• Are you interested in some feedback on …?
• Would you like a few pointers on your … ?
• Are you open to talking about this right now? 
• Are you available for a conversation about….? 
• Are you up for a chat about…..? 

Talking about improvements

After you’ve delivered your feedback the question is: Where does it go from here? Here are some phrases that you can use to ask for ideas or make suggestions: “Powerful Questions will get you there!!!”

• Have you got any ideas on how could you do this differently in future?
• How do you suggest improving on this next time?
• What could you do to … ?
• How else could you … ?
• Can you think of any alternatives … ? 
• Have you considered…?
• What do you think about…?

5 powerful phrases for work

“I see where you’re going with this … “

“Here’s what I need you to improve.”

“We are off to a great start.”

“This is really creative. Let’s look if we can fine tune your approach.”

Helpful Examples how to communicate feelings: A productive way to use “I” statements

“I” feel [emotion] when [situation/context/challenge]  ” 

For example: 

Situation

 “You always make me late because you never tell me our plans in advance”

 “I” Statement

 “I feel stressed out when you don’t update me about our plans.” 

Situation

 “You always talk about your amazing weekend when you know I have no days off.” 

“I” Statement

 “I feel left out when I can’t join in your weekend plans.”

By utilizing these statements and reframing the way you communicate, everyone will be in a healthier workplace because of it. 

Feedback is a Powerful Tool in Itself

Remember, do not use negativity during any conversations, as this hinders open communication between you and your employees. 

Always provide positive feedback during the conversation when possible. By focusing on the positive you’ll make your employees feel more confident and improve productivity. Here are some positive examples that can really help you grow as a team…

• It feels like you are being very generous with your time
• It seems like you are very happy about this
• It sounds like this makes you feel very seen

Always provide positive feedback, which is the next step to effective communication. You need to offer something beneficial or uplifting to the communicator that is relevant to what you’re talking about. 

If you can make the individual feel good, your interaction will be significantly more productive.

 Here is the best way to provide positive affirmation while having a conversation and providing feedback to the person.

1. Positives –  Start the conversation by focusing on any positives you notice for a given situation. Try and explain that you see their overall contribution and that you value them as a person. 
2. Situation – When delivering feedback, outline the situation you are referring to clearly. Offer specific details so that the other person understands what you’re explaining and ask questions that verify that your information makes sense to them.
3. Behavior – Then, you must be specific about the behavior you are addressing. Again, be very specific. Do not make assumptions about a person’s behavior and only remark about specific observations that you’ve made yourself. 
4. Impact – To sum up your feedback, carefully explain how the behavior in the situation is affecting you as a person, the people around you, or your team. (It’s often helpful to acknowledge intention even if the unintended consequences or impact was possibly different and potentially negative. Someone can have good intentions and still cause issues, and it’s important to acknowledge those intentions before addressing the problem.) 
5. Solution – Give possible solutions, At the end of giving feedback, it’s important to offer a clear way forward to resolve the issue. Teach, don’t criticize. Make it into a teachable moment. It’s important to suggest improvements for the future in a motivating, respectful, and positive way.

Examples of providing positive feedback, even in situations where it might not be as positive as you’d like:

Start by mentioning the positives

You can use phrases such as the following to introduce praise, to talk about strong points and aspects which you feel the recipient handled well.

• I thought … was very effective.
• I really like the way you …
• I appreciate it when you….
• I can see you’ve put a lot of work into …
• What I liked most about …

Describing negative points you observed when you describe the situation and behavior

To avoid sounding reproachful, accusatory, or even aggressive use neutral language and describe what you observed as specifically as possible.

• When you did X…., I noticed that …
• At several points during the conversation, I noticed that you …
• When I read your email, I didn’t quite understand …
• It seems to me that …
• It seems you feel  …

Explaining the (possible) impact

You can use the following phrases to explain what effect the behavior mentioned had on you or what effect you fear it may have had or will have on others.

• This meant that I …
• For me, this came across as being …
• This annoyed/surprised / confused me, because …
• I’m worried that this will lead to /result in …
• I think there’s a risk that …

Talking about improvements

After you’ve delivered your feedback the question is: Where does it go from here? Here are some phrases that you can use to ask for ideas or make suggestions: “Powerful Questions will get you there!!!”

• Have you got any ideas on how could you do this differently in the future?
• How do you suggest improving on this next time?
• What could you do to … ?
• How else could you … ?
• Can you think of any alternatives … ? 
• Have you considered…?
• What do you think about…?

Remember, in most situations, the other person has nothing wrong with them and that most problems arise from poor communication, not from poor intentions. 

Improving the communication channels throughout your workplace will alleviate most issues you’re experiencing and should bolster productivity. 

The Art of Positive Communication

Communication best practices aren’t just simple actions or things you’re supposed to be doing. Effective communication is an art. There is a specific way that things should be said or conveyed to others, both in and out of the workplace. 

It is important that positive communication is always used, even when giving negative information. The way you say things determines whether you’re an effective leader or not. Your communication skills impact how productive and profitable your team is too. 

Do you know how to lead a difficult conversation during tense or sensitive situations? 

You have to ground yourself and take control of the situation. No matter how tough the topic is, you must be calm, clear, and effective. Listen intently, focus on your colleague’s emotions and utilize your problem-solving skills to resolve conflicts effectively.   

What if you’re triggered or upset during a conversation? 

Conflicts will arise at work, and it’s common to be confronted by upsetting situations during some of your conversations. When this happens, check in with yourself and pause before speaking to maintain clarity and poise. Walk away if you have to. Keep yourself under control during this time, remain level-headed, and know that your feelings are validated (so are those of the other person).

Effective communication really comes down to delivering a clear, concise message in a positive way and being able to really listen when a person is speaking with you. As a leader, it is up to you to do this. Allow yourself the time to take a breath and to get a clear understanding of each new situation. From there, increase productivity in your team with open, honest, and trusting communication between everyone.