Communication is the foundation block of human civilization. We communicate in order to learn more about the world around us, we communicate when we want to share our thoughts and feelings with others, and we communicate when we work together as a team. And yet, oftentimes workplace communication can be the source of internal conflict, when it should be the solution.

At a time when remote and hybrid working models have necessitated new methods of communication, there’s rarely been a better time to reconsider the communication skills within your workplace. Ensuring that every employee has the necessary skills to ensure effective communication both within their own team, with your HR department, and with your leadership team, is at the cornerstone of any successful business strategy.

Why is Communication Important in the Workplace?

Good communication is one of the best ways to make sure everyone in your team understands what is expected of them. Not only does it keep everyone working towards the company and its overall goals, it helps to build trust and create a more enjoyable place to work.

Any member of an organization’s leadership team should understand how important communication—and in particular listening to employees—is. Every person in your business is on the payroll because they add value to the workplace. If they aren’t receiving information efficiently, or they’re confused by the day-to-day administration of their role, not only are their skills going to waste, they’re likely to become disengaged. Learn more about hybrid working defined.

When workplace communication isn’t working, it can cause confusion, frustration and a lack of trust between different levels of the organization. At its worst, poor communication skills can result in increased staff turnover, absenteeism and lower levels of customer satisfaction. Ensuring all communications channels are as clear as possible is essential to a business, no matter what scale you’re working at.

How Can you Improve Communication at Work?

The good news is there are countless ways you can improve communication in the workplace, none of which require a lot of money or time to implement. Some involve working on how you communicate information effectually and putting more formal processes in place, while others focus on creating an environment that allows people to communicate more openly.

1. Make Time for Regular One-to-Ones with Employees

Even if you have an “open-door” policy available to your team, some employees will always find it easier to communicate in a more private setting, especially at their job. Whether you decide on a weekly or monthly one-to-one, make sure it’s set up as a recurring event in your calendar.

It’s okay to miss the occasional meeting, but always let the other person know first. If you consistently reschedule or cancel your one-to-one it sends the message that you don’t value your employees’ time or opinions, which can erode trust and lead to a breakdown of communication. Once lost, rebuilding that level of trust and communication can be very difficult.

You don’t need to have a strict business agenda for your one-to-ones but it’s good to focus on current priorities, set short-term goals and find out if your team has enough time, resources, and information to accomplish their goals. It’s also important to create a safe space for each and every employee to voice any concerns they might be having (whether about their degree of involvement, their importance to the company, or their salary) and share new project ideas that could be valuable for the wider team.

If you’re faced with a team that’s mostly working remotely, communication can feel more fraught—but that’s fixable. Workplace communication doesn’t have to rely on sharing a workplace. In fact, scheduling a regular videoconference meeting is likely easier than arranging a regular time and physical location. Your employees will always appreciate that flexibility.

2. Schedule Weekly Work Team Meetings

One-to-ones are important to understanding individual concerns, but it’s equally important to make sure all of your employees are aligned across the business. Weekly team meetings are the perfect time for each employee to share their goals for the week, highlight blockers and find out key information on what other employees in the team are working on. The result is greater transparency, improved communication and more opportunity for collaboration.

Team meetings are also the perfect place for managers to announce new projects or programs, progress on team goals and anything else that might be relevant. Make time at the end of the meeting for an open Q&A where each employee can ask questions and voice concerns to the whole team. Open communications promote feelings of psychological safety, further positively impacting your company culture, and the business as a whole.

At Workday we start the week off with a team meeting where everyone shares the one goal they want to accomplish, along with any other projects they’re currently working on. Then at the end of the week, we all get together to share our successes and failures, followed by an open session where we can have a discussion and share our learnings with the team. That openness, in turn, forms the basis for all our workplace communication.

3. Follow up with Effective Notes and Clear Job Expectations

Taking notes isn’t necessary during every meeting, but it’s especially useful for one-to-ones and meetings focused on a specific project. Instead of agreeing deadlines and responsibilities verbally, it’s much more effective for someone to take notes and share them afterwards. Ensuring everyone is on the same page (or document) is important—especially when communication is occurring digitally and an unstable internet connection can leave an employee out of the loop.

The aim isn’t to call out anyone that falls short of their business objective or misses a deadline, it’s to make sure that everyone understands what’s expected of them. This ensures every employee has the information they need to execute and can prioritize accordingly. It’s also a great way to figure out when specific tasks need to be broken down further, or deadlines need to be adjusted.

To keep things fair, rotate the person who is taking notes and communicating them afterwards. Keep things brief as well: limit records of communication to what employee is doing what, and by when. For a bigger project, it might also be helpful to lay out contingencies and caveats. Do other employees in the company need to be involved, or are there any dependencies elsewhere in the business which could affect the completion date? Having clear records of your communications will make tapping resources from the rest of the business much easier.