Communication and its impact on Work Flow in Organizations

By: Max Indah Wang

1- What is Work-related communication.

Work Communication refers to the exchange of work-related information, instructions, and ideas between one person/ group and another person/ group; It usually takes place within an organization. But, in certain cases, Work communication can be between someone within an organization and an external member.

Workplace Communications is a diverse subject. Contrary to what many think, Communication isn't simply about exchanging words or sentences between groups. It actually can also involve active listening, Patience, being indifferent, planning, and much more.??Communication can be performed either verbally, non-verbally, or via a combination of both.

A- Verbal Communication:

Verbal communication involves using words to express ourselves, our ideas, our feelings, and more. While we typically associate verbal communication with speech, it is far more than just spoken audible dialogues. Verbal communication includes letter exchanges, emails, texts, phone calls/ video calls, and any other communication channel where words are communicated either in printed or spoken form.

B- Non-Verbal Communication:

Nonverbal Communication - also referred to as Manual Language- is the exchange of messages or signals without using either spoken or written words. Common examples would be eye contact, gestures, body language, voices (grunts, sighs…etc), touch, and at times even using certain objects can be considered non-verbal communication.

C- Verbal plus non-verbal combination:

Spoken conversation whether done in person (face-to-face) or remotely is considered a combination of both verbal and non-verbal at the same time. It is verbal because we are exchanging words as we are communicating with each other; It is also non-verbal because it involves eye contact, body language, gestures, and in some instances even touch.

Although phone communication might seem verbal at first (especially since it does not involve any use of sight), it actually is a combination of both. This is because most if not all phone communications involve the use of some form of non-verbal communication cues (i.e. raising voice, sighing..etc). For example, when someone raises their voice during a phone conversation, it is safe to assume that they are in a negative mood; they can be angry, frustrated, or going through a rough experience.

Yet another form of verbal/ non-verbal communication is sign language. Although no audible words are exchanged, those who use sign language can produce letters, words, and grammatical sentences. Furthermore, much like on-site and phone conversation, members engaged in sign language also utilize non-verbal cues to further express themselves.

2- Effective Communication at the Workplace:

Effective communication in the Workplace is highly important; it plays a major role in creating an efficient work environment and is central to reaching most if not all business goals. In addition to that, communication defines organizational goals and helps employees/coworkers better engage and work more efficiently as a team/group.

Research shows that employees who are heard at work are almost five times more likely to feel empowered to perform at their best capacity. When communication is poor within an organization, it can lead to various conflicts, frustration, confusion, and even demotivation. As such, it is important for businesses to ensure the facilitation of all needed Communication mediums (channels), ensure that their staff is trained to handle communication issues effectively, and have an established blueprint/ plan for communication methods/ frequencies in hand, especially before commencing a new project.

3- Communication Flow:

The flow of communication refers to the pattern of how information moves within an organization, and it can be classified by the direction of interaction. There are five types of communication flow within an organization and those are downward, upward, lateral, diagonal, and external.

A- Downward Communication is when the communication flows from a higher hierarchy level in an organization down to a lower level of employment ( down the chain of command) For example, when a manager (superior) assigns new daily tasks to their employees (subordinates).

B-Upward Communication (also known as bottom-up or vertical communication) is still communication between superiors and subordinates. However, unlike downward communication, it flows from employees (subordinates to their superiors). Project reports, Project proposals, and Complaints/Grievances (in person or written) are all accurate representations of upward communication.

C-lateral communication (also known as Horizontal Communication) occurs between people at the same hierarchical level within an organization. Email exchanges between co-workers working within the same department are an example of Lateral communication.

D-diagonal communication is considered by many professionals to be a hybrid, combining both Downward and Upward communications. It occurs when individuals from different hierarchical levels and different departments get together to communicate Unlike upward and downward, Diagonal communication crosses the line of hierarchy. For example, a junior customer service representative can provide feedback to a senior member of the product development team.

E-External Communication is communications that occur between an Internal member (within the organization) and someone outside the organization. Press conferences and communication with various third-party vendors are good representations of External communication.

4- Benefits of Effective Communication in a Workplace:

Effective communication of information is integral to the success of an organization. It helps ensure that all staff are working in unison to achieve a shared goal. It also facilitates collaboration between various people/groups both internally and externally. Below is a list of some of the key benefits of effective communication:

A- It reduces or prevents work-related conflicts.

Organizations that encourage all their staff to focus on improving or learning new effective communication skills contribute towards the facilitation of a comfortable, professional, and friendly work environment. When communication is poor, on the other hand, and an employee fails to understand what the other is trying to convey, it can lead them to misinterpret the message. This can lead to a variety of issues; some employees might start to harbor negative emotions towards others and misjudge them. Likewise, it can lead to overwork or underwork all the same. For example, if a manager asks one of his subordinates to complete a certain task and they both understand. The issue in the example is that there was no mention of any deadlines and this can lead to the subordinate unnecessarily overwork or under deliver.

B- It enhances Employee Engagement and productivity.

Effective communication contributes towards forming a stronger bond/ connection between all employees of an organization. Moreover, It enables employees to understand their roles and responsibilities better which ultimately can result in a visibly more satisfied, motivated, and engaged employee. This is very advantageous as research has proved that the more engaged an employee is, the more productive they are; An article by First Up states “Engaged employees are more productive because they are motivated to go above and beyond to complete tasks and achieve goals.

From a managerial viewpoint, it helps management to better understand the needs of their employees and it ensures recognition of skilled and talented employees which also all contribute to better engagement and productivity.

C- It inspires loyalty and reduces turnover

Effective Communication plays a critical role in fostering a positive work environment and driving employee retention. When employees feel heard, understood, and valued, they are more likely to become engaged, more pleasant, and loyal to their organization. Similarly, Employees who are not engaged due to poor communication are more likely to be less loyal and likely to leave an organization without hesitation.

As mentioned previously, effective communication can be completely internal or between an internal person/ group and an external person/group. When it is the latter, it directly impacts client relations. Organizations that Communicate effectively with their customers/ clients are more likely to build solid long-lasting relationships and retain clients. As an added bonus, Customers usually look forward to engaging with businesses that value their relationship and keep them updated on all matters big and small.

5- Improving Effective Communication

It is important for businesses to actively look for ways to improve their communication. Proper communication makes it easier for the whole team to work together and increases overall trust and efficiency within an organization. Below are several methods to improve communication that are being commonly adopted by Professionals worldwide nowadays:

A- Active Listening

Active listening refers to focusing on what the other person is saying by committing to listen without interrupting or rushing. Active listening requires your direct attention. This may include maintaining eye contact, nodding, or confirming that you understand.

B- Asking questions

Effective business communication involving questions- that can help understand perspectives - leads to improved participation in problem-solving processes and further opportunities for growth. The main principle that governs this method is not very different from active listening; it involves asking questions in place of giving orders and active listening together.

C- Be Mindful of differences in people.

It is important to remember that everyone is different and comes from different backgrounds. As such, one must always remember to exhibit empathy and see things from the other person’s point of view. Being mindful of differences can lead to an overall better workplace performance.

D- Training modules:

Keeping employees up to date with training pertaining to communication is important; This can range from Cultural sensitivity modules and effective listening to training on the Use of certain communication channel(s) demanded by the project. This will allow for a standard for communication to be established.

E- Have a Plan ready beforehand.

Ideally, An organization should envision how communication would function before engaging in a new project. By creating an outline or map of the project at hand, one can prepare by planning for each project phase. For example, divide teams into smaller groups, determine which communication channel to use, and/or create a standard for communication for that particular project.

F- Selecting the right timing and Communication Channel

In order to ensure proper communication one must balance between what medium to use and how frequent the communication will be. Provided that different people will always have different preferences for medium and frequency, finding an answer and utilizing the right channel will require a strategic balancing of preferences while simultaneously incorporating what will work best for the scenario at hand.

6- Personal Experience

I have personally been involved in a scenario where I had to select one communication channel in favor of another. My last job involved checking in patients, updating their medical records, scanning documents, and coordinating. When I first started at the last location, I was instructed to call the nurses whenever patients arrived and when they completed their imaging and/or lab appointments. I discovered that communication via phone was not effective, as more often than not, I had to announce the patients’ names audibly to the nurses to update them; I viewed this as problematic because it was in clear violation of HIPAA. Furthermore, a lot of times, nurses fail to pick up on time or forget to pick up altogether. Instead, I suggested the use of Mircosoft Teams as a means of communicating patient information. I would simply message the nurses the patient information and the time they have arrived/ were done and they would acknowledge receipt by giving my message a thumbs up. This has improved the workflow noticeably:

• Patient check-in was noticeably quicker.

• I was left with plenty of downtime which I utilized productively on other tasks.

• Less confusion and stress when communicating with the nurse as we were all aware of each other’s preferences.

7- Conclusion:

To summarize, everyone has the capacity to be a good communicator and it’s up to leaders, management, and executives to ensure that training opportunities are readily available. Like all skills, It takes consistent practice to be good at communicating effectively and opportunities such as courses and webinars can help establish good communication habits in the workplace and guide an employee towards the right path.

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