4 Steps to Effective Business Communication

Communication is perhaps one of the most important skills within the business. Leaders need it to communicate their vision to employees, create a culture of shared growth and provide clarity to shareholders. Employees need it to share ideas, collaborate on projects and grow their careers. It is, says the Harvard Business Review, a skill that is absolutely critical in the current, modern world because every form of communication – written, instant message, call, meeting – can affect a person’s reputation and success story.

So how can companies create a culture of communication? How can business communication skills be embedded within the business so people can communicate more clearly and function efficiently? Well, here are four things that every business, leader or employee can do to communicate effectively with intention.

01: Listen, really listen

Digital lives, digital entertainment, digital tools – these have all affected the ability to listen, really listen, to other people. In a world of endless distractions, paying attention to what another person is saying has become a core skill that makes other people more inclined to listen to you, and respect what you have to say. Effective communication is as much about hearing what people say as it is about saying something. Listening actively, responding thoughtfully and showing an understanding of the message goes a long way toward minimising misunderstandings and building solid teams.

02: Clarity and brevity unlock understanding

Communicating over digital platforms or within a hybrid or remote working framework can lead to misunderstandings. One person’s pear emoji is another generation’s flirtatious text. There are plenty of opportunities for people to take offence or not understand a message because the written word can be misinterpreted. Clarity and brevity are the core tools here – communicate precisely what your team needs to know using simple language and short messages that are easily understood. Anything else should be a call…

03: Prompt like an AI

Everyone is learning how to create smart prompts for their artificial intelligence tools so they get clearer answers and use their time more effectively. Now, as Harvard Business Review points out, you should do the same for your business writing. Think about exactly what answers or results you want from your team mates or teams and then create communications that get those results. Learn how to use the skills of brevity and clarity within messages that convey a very precise meaning. This will help you create stronger threads of communication while limiting the opportunity for misunderstanding.

04: Kindness can transform communication

Authenticity and kindness should form two of the most important pillars of any business communication. This will not only reflect in the overall culture of the business, but it will make difficult conversations easier, improve engagement and allow for people to have differing opinions without conflict and anger. Leaders should consider stepping away from multi-tasking within conversations or moving from one situation to another at high speed and instead pause, listen and engage. The Edelman Trust Barometer found that only 30% of people would help another person if they had a differing point of view – polarisation has become commonplace and can significantly disrupt the office if not managed with careful communication.

Achieving this asks that leadership is gracious in the face of defensiveness, recognises where people have done hard work (often the quiet ones are overlooked), holds a space for open communication, and develops clear communication policies and best practices.

The right lines of communication and a commitment to clarity, transparency, and authenticity can build a culture that’s engaging and inspiring, and that can handle conflict and diversity with maturity.