Interpersonal communication in the workplace plays an important role in employee satisfaction, motivation, collaboration and business success. Show
In this blog, we will go over the definition and importance of interpersonal communication in the workplace. đĄBefore we dive deeper, check out 11 Reasons Why Business Communication is Critical to Business Success. What Is Interpersonal Communication?Interpersonal communication is the process of exchange of information, ideas and feelings between two or more people through verbal or non-verbal methods. It often includes face-to-face exchange of information, in a form of voice, facial expressions, body language and gestures. The level of oneâs interpersonal communication skills is measured through the effectiveness of transferring messages to others. Commonly used interpersonal communication within an organization include daily internal employee communication, client meetings, employee performance reviews and project discussions. In addition, online conversations today make a large portion of employeesâ interpersonal communication in the workplace. The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in the WorkplaceOn a scale from 1 to 5, managers rate the importance of having good interpersonal skills at 4.37, just below the âability to work in teams. There are many reasons why they are so valued; even though most workplace business is now conducted through online communication channels, it is still necessary to possess verbal skills in order to work effectively with your colleagues and bosses. Therefore, interpersonal skills are crucial for business success. Letâs now take a look into why interpersonal communication is crucial for your career development and productivity in the workplace. 1. Problem solvingInterpersonal communication skills are necessary because they allow people to discuss problems and weigh the pros and cons of alternatives before coming up with the final solution. For example, brainstorming exercises are situations in which interpersonal communication comes into play as it is very important that everyone feels respected and free to share their voice, ideas and views. 2. Alignment with business goalsPoor communication between employers and employees can harm the business in many ways. When managers and leaders are unable to clearly communicate tasks, workers can quickly become frustrated and disconnected with the business goals. Moreover, many employees say that their managers donât give them clear directions and goals for their work. Therefore, managers should be able to, with proper online and offline communication as well as the right internal communication tools, continuously align employees with the business strategy. 3. TrustAccording to the American Psychological Association, a quarter of employees in the US do not trust their employers, and only about 50% of them believe that their bosses are open with them. Lack of trust and transparency are some of the most common causes of poor workplace communication. Interpersonal communication skills are crucial for improving trust and workplace communication, and all employees, especially business leaders, should therefore improve communication with their employees. 4. Change managementGood interpersonal communication is very important during change management efforts within organizations. Effective employee communication helps employees better understand the change, align with it and collaboratively work towards implementing the change successfully. 5. Company cultureInterpersonal relationships, especially when executed well, are important for an organizational culture to thrive. When employees possess good interpersonal communication skills, organizational culture becomes more synergic and positive. With bad interpersonal relationships, on the other hand, negativity, confusion, and conflicts become inevitable. This ultimately ruins the work environment, reduces employee productivity, and adversely affects the companyâs bottom line. 6. Employee recognitionGood interpersonal communication drives more employee recognition. When employees have good interpersonal relationships with each other and their managers, they are more likely to recognize each othersâ good work and give constructive feedback. 7. Workplace miscommunicationManagers who maintain professionalism, open workplace communication and a positive attitude are more likely to be seen as approachable by their employees. When employees feel like they can speak openly with decision-makers, workplace miscommunication, gossip and rumors are much less likely to happen. 8. Personal relationshipsInterpersonal skills are extremely important for creating and maintaining meaningful personal relationships in the workplace. People with good interpersonal communication skills can, therefore, build healthy relationships with their colleagues and work much better as a team. 9. Effective management and leadershipThe ability to foster interpersonal relationships, establish trust and communicate clearly are all crucial skills for an effective leader. When a manager has poor interpersonal communication skills, they can expect to irritate and confuse employees. In fact, there is a greater need for managers to work on their interpersonal skills than there is for the average employee. 10. Employee successGood interpersonal communication skills are also necessary for managers to help their employees do their jobs successfully. Leaders need to be able to pass on the right skills to the employees that will enable them to perform their tasks and achieve business goals. Moreover, they should be the ones to teach their employees interpersonal communication skills. 11. Conflict managementConflict is normal in the workplace, and we canât always expect from our employees to resolve conflicts in a calm and timely manner. When conflicts like this arise, interpersonal communication becomes crucial for resolving them. Conflict management cannot happen without effective interpersonal communication. In fact, all conflict management strategies that use communication to soften situations in stressful environments are much more successful. 12. Career developmentAs many employers are looking for workers with good communication skills, continuous improvements of interpersonal communication skills can bring career progressions for many employees. Moreover, in a survey conducted by Workforce Solutions Group, it was revealed that more than 60% of employers say that applicants are not demonstrating sufficient communication and interpersonal skills to be considered for jobs. In addition, the increasing prevalence of communication technologies means that employees and communicators now have to adapt to the new employee communication trends. 13. Remote workThis year, we have all witnessed the importance of communication in the workplace. With the emergence of remote work, interpersonal communication among peers, colleagues, managers and leaders has been disrupted. Yet, it is more important than ever before. In order to keep their cultures open and transparent, employers need to continue to drive engaging workplace conversations even when employees are physically dispersed. 14. Crisis managementIn addition to remote work, many employers will remember 2020 as the year of crisis management. One of the characteristics of companies that manage crisis more successfully, is the ability to drive interpersonal communication within the workplace. When employees are connected and have the ability to collaborate efficiently, it is much easier for organizations to communicate the impact of the crisis on both personal and company-wide levels. Interpersonal Communication and Remote WorkThe fact that remote work is becoming the new normal for many organization, also rises many questions around how to adapt workplace communications to this new situation. Even though interpersonal communication is often considered as an in-person communication, we all know that remote work is completely reshaping the way our employees communicate. In order to adapt to this new trend, employers are now looking for new ways to keep their workforce connected, engaged and well informed. Also, as many employees are now experiencing extensive information overload, employers need to understand that, when it comes to internal communications, one size does not fit all. They need to have a very good understanding about how internal communications channels are used, and they need to have the knowledge around how to make communication more personalized based on employeesâ locations, languages spoken, titles and responsibilities and well as employees interests. Many are, therefore, implementing new modern employee communication solutions that serve as a central place for keeping remote, blue collar as well as in-office employees together, as well as for driving meaningful, two-way company conversations on a daily basis. 6 Elements of Interpersonal CommunicationIn communication theory, there are six key components of interpersonal communication. The communicatorsTerm communicator refers to both the sender of the information as well as the receiver. In interpersonal communication, there are at least two communicators involved in the conversation. The messageOne of the most important parts of interpersonal communication is the message. Message can be conveyed in many ways: speech, body language, tone of voice, gestures and other indicators.. NoiseNoise refers to the gap between the message that is received and what it sent. Examples of noise include jargon, language barriers, inattention and more. Noise is the problem that many companies face in the workplace, and the reason why internal communicators are struggling to get the necessary employeesâ attention. FeedbackFeedback is the response of the receiver. In other words, itâs the message sent back to the sender. Feedback is important because it allows the sender to know whether the message has been received and interpreted correctly. ContextWhether a message is received and interpreted correctly depends mostly on context. Therefore, interpersonal communication is contextual. Context is about the environmental factors that influence the outcomes of communication. These include time and place, as well as factors like family relationships, gender, culture, personal interest and the environment ChannelFinally, this interpersonal communication element refers to how the communication occurs. A message is sent and received through a specific channel, or medium. Besides face-to-face communication, some of the most common communication channels in the workplace include, emails and intranets. Identifying and understanding the performance of those communication channels is extremely important for employers. As the communication ecosystem in the workplace is becoming extremely complex, and communication channels such as email are becoming more and more inefficient, companies are now looking for ways to consolidate all those channels into a single communication platform. 10 Must-Have Interpersonal Communication SkillsResearch published in the Business Communication Quarterly journal explains that hard skills are the technical expertise needed for a job, while soft skills are interpersonal qualities, such as people skills. Employers across the world are becoming more aware of the importance of soft skills, with 77% of employers saying that soft skills are just as important as hard skills. These can often be harder to identify and measure, but are just as important for career progression, personal and team morale as well as business success. The research above outlines 10 key soft skills identified as crucial by business executives. These include:
The Lack of Interpersonal Communication Skills in the WorkplaceAs mentioned earlier, communication skills are the most demanded skills that employers look for in their employees. When there is a lack of interpersonal communication in the workplace, people feel disconnected and left out, they donât feel like they can freely share their voice and express their needs, wants and concerns. This can be a big problem especially among dispersed non-wired and remote employees in global organizations. Even when employees donât have the opportunity to have in-person conversations, they should always be able to reach their peers a matter of seconds. On the other side, employers and internal communicators should be able to send personalized, timely and relevant messages to the entire organization and drive more engagement with internal content. Skillset Map of a Modern Internal Communication DepartmentIn this blog, we have discussed the importance of developing interpersonal communication skills in the workplace. However, successful communicators, including leaders and internal communications departments, must possess more skills and knowledge to be able to engage, connect and keep employees informed. Today, internal communications professionals make one of the most important strategic business partners, and their role in keeping workplaces engaged, safe, informed and productive has been rising over the past few years. More specifically, communication professionals donât only need to posses good interpersonal communication skills, but they also need new knowledge in the areas of:
We have recently developed a map of skills modern IC departments should have. Make Internal Communications More Strategic with HaiiloInternal Communication should be considered as one of the most important strategic partners in todayâs world where workplace trends are continuously changing. In order to keep your employees informed, motivated, connected and productive, organizations need to adjust their internal communication strategy based on new trends and their employeesâ preferences. Haiilo employee communication solution enables leaders, managers and internal comms professionals to:
What type of communication is defined as information transmitted from one source or person to another comprised of a message a sender a receiver and understanding?Definition: In one-way communication, the sender transmits a message, the receiver gets it, and the process is complete. Example of one-way communication: An employee calls in to report she is ill and will be out for the day.
What type of process by which a person transmits information or message to another person?Communication refers to the process by which the information is transmitted and understood between two or more people. Transmitting the sender's intended meaning is the essence of effective communication.
What are the 4 types of communication?Every person has a unique communication style, a way in which they interact and exchange information with others. There are four basic communication styles: passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive. It's important to understand each communication style, and why individuals use them.
Which communication is the information being transmitted?Data Communications is the transfer of data or information between a source and a receiver. The source transmits the data and the receiver receives it.
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