how to overcome communication problems in the workplace

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People Management

Major communication challenges in the workplace and how to fix them.

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

April 29, 2024

Despite technological advancements, workplace communication problems will always exist. These include time zone differences, language and cultural barriers, and a lack of standardized communication structures. They can significantly impact a company’s efficiency and productivity . This is particularly relevant in a globalized world where teams are often scattered across different time zones and continents. 🌐

Messages get lost in translation, while missed deadlines and delayed responses often occur due to time zone differences.

But there are proactive measures you can take to minimize communication challenges in the workplace. Let’s take a closer look at some practical strategies that will help you navigate and triumph over common obstacles.

The Importance of Effective Workplace Communication

Problem 1: information overload, problem 2: lack of feedback, problem 3: poor knowledge sharing, problem 4: one-way communication, problem 5: communication barriers, problem 6: no clear line of communication, problem 7: poor onboarding communication, problem 8: inconsistent communication channels, problem 9: misinformation, tips for effective remote communication, cross-cultural communication in the workplace, role of social media and email in workplace communication, 1. real-time collaboration, 2. screen sharing, 3. visual aids, 4. encouraging feedback.

At the core of every successful business, good communication is key. It holds everything together, helping people connect, share ideas, give and receive feedback, and track progress. When communication is strong, relationships flourish, new ideas spark, and the business grows. 🌱

Effective communication goes beyond sending emails, attending meetings, or writing reports. It’s about fostering an environment where everyone feels like their thoughts and opinions matter and where they feel connected to the organization. Employees who are being listened to and understood are more likely to stick around.

When communication thrives, so does innovation. It sparks creative ideas that can propel your business forward. It helps quickly identify and solve problems, saving time and resources.

Plus, effective communication boosts morale and productivity. When you communicate expectations and goals clearly, your team knows what to aim for, reducing confusion and enhancing efficiency. Acknowledging and appreciating your team’s efforts motivates them to do better.

Common Workplace Communication Problems and Their Solutions

You’ve likely encountered poor communication at your workplace, such as overwhelming information overload, lack of feedback, insufficient knowledge sharing, or one-way communication.

Understanding and dealing with these challenges is essential for fostering smoother collaboration and ensuring timely project completion. Here are the most common workplace communication problems and their solutions.

Work can feel like a flood of information coming from different places, like emails, chat messages, social media, and company websites. When faced with this, it’s easy to miss important information.

Here are four communication strategies to help you manage the information overload:

• Prioritize: Not all information is of equal priority. Learn to distinguish between urgent, important, and trivial information
• Organize: Keep your workspace, emails, and files organized. Use tools to help manage your inbox and other information sources
• Delegate: If possible, delegate tasks that involve processing less critical information
• Disconnect: It’s okay to disconnect sometimes. Taking short breaks from constant information influx can help you maintain your sanity and productivity

Pro tip: Task management tools can help you prioritize work. With ClickUp Tasks , you can set priority levels and work on the most pressing issues. Organize your workspace , files, and folders to manage information effectively.

Feedback is like a roadmap for improvement, outlining areas of strength and opportunities for growth so you can continue developing professionally. If you’re feeling unsure, you should:

• Encourage your team to discuss giving constructive feedback
• Ask your manager for regular check-ins on how you’re doing

Pro tip: The ClickUp Employee Feedback and Check-In Survey Template simplifies evaluating employee satisfaction, identifying improvement areas, and boosting morale through efficient feedback processes.

When different parts of a company don’t cooperate, people might end up doing the same work, miss opportunities to help each other, or make mistakes because they don’t have all the right information. If important information is scattered around, it’s hard for everyone to find what they need quickly.

To fix this issue at the workplace, ensure everyone shares what they know, facilitate their work together, and put all the information in one easy-to-find place. 📚

One good way to do this is to set up a system inside the company that helps employees communicate with each other and keep track of valuable data.

When communication at work only goes one way, collaboration becomes challenging and employees may feel disengaged. You might feel like nobody listens to you or cares about your ideas, making you feel like you don’t belong. It’s crucial to break out of the pattern of poor communication.

Talk openly

Share ideas

Make sure everyone can join in

Leaders, you’re not merely broadcasters but active listeners. Implement regular team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and suggestion boxes—you’ll see the difference.

Pro tip:  Keep everyone in the loop using ClickUp Dashboards . Get clear insights on each team member’s productivity and workload, identifying potential bottlenecks. Have all data neatly presented through graphs, charts, cards, lists, and more. 📊

Just as one-way communication can negatively impact productivity and employee engagement, communication barriers hinder effective collaboration in diverse workplaces. These barriers typically include:

• Language and cultural differences: Promoting cultural awareness and respecting diversity helps reduce misunderstandings
• Over-reliance on digital communication: While technology can enhance communication, over-reliance can lead to misinterpretation. Balance it with face-to-face conversations
• Physical barriers: Open office layouts can encourage interaction and remove physical obstructions to communication
• Emotional barriers: Negative emotions like fear or resentment can inhibit open communication. Foster a positive work environment to break down these barriers

Not having a clear communication line means not knowing who to report to , who to ask for help, or even where your work fits into the bigger picture. This can lead to confusion, delays, and even mistakes. 💢

The solutions are simple!

Establish a clear communication hierarchy and stick to it.

Make sure everyone knows who they’re reporting to and how information should flow.

Encourage open dialogue, and don’t shut down communication channels.

When a new person joins a company, it’s of great value to assist them in settling into their roles effectively. This means giving them clear instructions and training, especially if they’re working from home. Remote work can make it difficult for new employees to feel connected to the team as they don’t have as many chances to chat with their coworkers.

To make the process easier, managers can use communication tools for all the onboarding information and introduce new employees gradually instead of all at once.

How we communicate can significantly affect productivity, collaboration, and company culture, regardless of whether it’s a small startup or a multinational corporation. One crucial yet sometimes neglected element of internal communication is maintaining consistency across channels.

Unobstructed communication channels, both internally within teams and externally across departments, can improve efficiency and yield positive results.

Constantly switching between different tools and platforms can confuse employees, waste their time, and ultimately impede productivity. It’s crucial to establish a reliable communication channel that everyone uses. 💬

Pro tip: Use ClickUp’s @mentions feature to tag individuals or entire teams and promote transparent and effective workplace communication .

Misinformation isn’t harmless gossip or disagreement. The term refers to the deliberate attempt to portray false information as true. Many individuals express concerns regarding the potential occurrence of this phenomenon.

To combat misinformation, you can:

• Establish clear communication channels within companies to promptly share accurate information
• Provide training sessions on fact-checking and critical thinking skills to assist employees in distinguishing reliable sources from false ones
• Encourage leaders to set an example by consistently offering truthful and transparent communication

Common Communication Challenges with Remote Work

Remote work offers flexibility and convenience, but it also presents unique challenges to effective communication in the workplace.

Let’s compare these benefits and challenges and how they impact remote teams. Refer to the table below:

Here are some easy tips to overcome challenges and improve your remote communication:

• Get tech-savvy: Familiarize yourself with tools like Zoom, Slack, or Microsoft Teams to stay connected with your team
• Consider time zones: Coordinate meetings and deadlines with everyone’s working hours in mind, using a shared online calendar
• Be clear and concise: Avoid misunderstandings by being specific and concise in your messages, and don’t hesitate to over-communicate when needed
• Use visual communication: Enhance your messages with screenshots, diagrams, and emojis to convey information more effectively
• Create feedback channels: Encourage your team to share their thoughts and concerns, fostering a culture of openness and inclusivity

Bonus read: Check out the top communication skills books .

By respecting and learning from each other’s cultures, we bring together different perspectives and talents, which is useful for diplomacy, business, and getting along peacefully. ☮️

There are steps you can take to improve cross-cultural communication: 

• Try to learn the basics of other languages spoken by your colleagues
• Treat everyone’s way of doing things with respect. It helps build trust and understanding
• Tell everyone to share their thoughts openly. It stops problems before they happen
• Use apps or programs that instantly translate languages. They make it easier for everyone to understand each other, even if they speak a different language

The role of social media and email in workplace communication is multifaceted, each serving distinct purposes and presenting unique advantages and disadvantages.

Social media communication fosters a sense of community and belonging among employees. It provides a platform to celebrate achievements and share company news, thus promoting a positive company culture. 📱

Still, the informality of social media can sometimes blur professional boundaries, leading to potential miscommunication or reputational harm due to inappropriate posts or comments.

On the other hand, email communication offers a formal and professional channel for interaction, facilitating dependable record-keeping of discussions and contracts. Its asynchronous nature allows for flexibility in response timing.

But, emails can be overlooked or ignored, resulting in missed information or delayed responses. Moreover, an over-reliance on email may decrease face-to-face interactions, leading to a sense of isolation among team members.

When it comes to email communication, here are four simple tips:

• Keep it clear and concise to grab attention
• Use simple language and keep your message short
• Keep your tone respectful and avoid slang
• Always check for errors before sending

Pro tip: Email ClickApp brings together work management and email functionalities within ClickUp, letting you easily send and receive emails directly within a task you’re working on.

Ways to Overcome Communication Challenges in the Workplace

Overcoming challenges to effective communication in the workplace is within your grasp. You can integrate strategies such as:

• Real-time collaboration
• Screen-sharing
• Visual aids
• Encouraging feedback

Business tools like ClickUp can help you achieve these objectives. With extensive features like assigning tasks, leaving comments, and getting real-time updates, ClickUp makes it simple for teams to communicate seamlessly, solve problems, and reach their targets.

So, let’s see it in action! 🎬

Using tools that allow real-time communication with your team members creates an environment where people feel comfortable asking for help, reduces delays, and helps everyone work together to find solutions.

ClickUp’s Chat view offers a variety of features to enhance team communication, including:

• Organized channels : Set up distinct channels tailored to various projects or subjects, like Creative Ideas Hub or Customer Service Corner
• Tagging : Quickly grab someone’s attention by tagging them with @username
• Comments and reactions : Add comments or react with emojis to make conversations more engaging and personalized
• Quick communication : Use Chat view for fast questions, clarifications, and feedback, reducing reliance on emails or comments

When it comes to creating documents, presentations, or brainstorming, ClickUp Docs is your go-to real-time text editor and document management tool. You can link your Docs to tasks, checklists, and workflows to bring ideas to life, even if your team is remote or hybrid. And with ClickUp’s Collaboration Detection , you can see when others are commenting, editing, or viewing the same document as you. 

Sharing content on-screen during meetings allows you to guide participants, ensuring everyone is looking at the same information. This grants you better control over collaborative sessions .

With ClickUp Clip , internal communication is a breeze. You can record your screen or video messages directly in your web browser (Chrome or Firefox) without any hassle.

Whether you need to explain a complicated work process or save important details from a client meeting, ClickUp’s got you covered. No need to stress about taking notes during meetings anymore—hit record and let ClickUp Clip do the work for you.

Plus, you can choose the preferred type of recording:

• Capture your entire screen
• A specific app window
• A browser tab

When it comes to tackling communication hurdles, visuals are your best friend. They make tricky concepts much easier to wrap your head around.

ClickUp Whiteboards are an excellent way for teams to work together creatively. They provide a visual space where everyone can share ideas and brainstorm.

Sticky notes are another game-changer. You can jot down ideas and move them around like pieces on a board game. They’re excellent for getting everyone’s input and overcoming communication roadblocks.

With ClickUp Mind Maps , you can visually organize your thoughts and ideas, making it easier to see connections and the big picture.

Bonus read: Learn how to use communication plan templates to improve collaboration and streamline processes without feeling overwhelmed.

By making your team feel like their opinions matter, you can create a place where everyone can share their thoughts openly, and feedback isn’t just okay—it’s encouraged.

For example, if you need feedback on images, videos, or PDFs, you can introduce ClickUp’s Proofing feature to your team. It lets them leave comments directly on the attachments, making it simple for team members to give their thoughts and make suggestions.

Conquer Communication Hurdles with ClickUp

Overcoming common communication challenges requires the right tools, strategies, and methods. With a solid communication plan, everyone can work together towards common goals.

Join ClickUp now to use the right tools for teamwork, encourage everyone to participate in project meetings, and create a safe and open workplace. Help your team get ready to face challenges together. 💪

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Work Life is Atlassian’s flagship publication dedicated to unleashing the potential of every team through real-life advice, inspiring stories, and thoughtful perspectives from leaders around the world.

Contributing Writer

Work Futurist

Senior Quantitative Researcher, People Insights

Principal Writer

9 immediate ways to improve communication in the workplace

Whether you’re all together, or all working from home, good communication is key to working together best.

Writer, Editor, Beard Puller

5-second summary

• Better communication increases understanding, fosters trust, and stands out as the essential ingredient for getting things done.
• But how you choose to improve your communication makes all the difference when helping people understand you, your ideas, and your message.
• We’ve gathered nine ways that you can improve communication at work right away.

Better communication at work is the answer. Ok, maybe not THE answer…but it’s close. Fact is, it’s almost always the first step when addressing persistent issues that hold you back, as well as what helps you move from good to great. Better communication increases understanding, fosters trust, and stands out as the essential ingredient for getting things done.

It’s not a silver bullet – it’s silver buckshot.

But how do you improve communication in the workplace? What steps can you take right now? Read on to find out about technology’s role, what practices to start (or recommit to), and how certain approaches for communicating in meetings and in person make all the difference when helping people understand you, your ideas, and your message.

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1. Understand your communication channels

If we’re talking workplace communication (and we are) we’ve gotta talk about all the ways we can communicate today. Chat, email, face-to-face, video…the list is long. The cool thing is, each channel has its benefits. But there’s a not-so-cool thing, too: not everyone understands how to use each channel to the best of its (and their) abilities. For example, chat is a boon to working together as a team, especially as a remote and hybrid workplace becomes the norm. It’s a powerful, immediate, and effective communication channel. But there are times when chat isn’t the best way to communicate, like when written text is wonky and gets misunderstood, or getting pinged at a bad (and often off-hours) time.

And sometimes, it’s just better to talk to someone. Imagine that – one of the best tactical devices for better communication in the workplace is the oldest there is: talking to someone face-to-face and getting a sense of their body language (if that’s not possible, based on geographies, jump on a video chat).

Different channels should be used for different situations. Get together with your team and communicate the various methods you use. Here’s a great place to start: we’ve got a list of how to choose the right channel and use it to its full advantage. The better you and your team understand your channels, the better your overall communication.

The guide to workplace communication channels you didn’t know you needed

2. how do you work with me.

This is a particular favorite of ours, and it comes highly recommended to you. It’s a play from the Atlassian Playbook called My User Manual . Essentially, it’s an operating manual for… YOU. It’s a fun and informative exercise to do, especially as a group, and can serve as an ice-breaking and bonding team experience to boot.

The My User Manual play helps you connect better with other team members by letting them know how to work best with you. It’s quite eye-opening and informative. Maybe your body language and non-verbal cues mean something different among your co-workers – let them know in your user manual. Maybe eye contact makes someone feel uncomfortable. Maybe someone loves a good rambling chat thread, but someone else gets driven up the wall by it.

This tip links directly to “seek first to understand.” That is, it’s about learning more before making assumptions. Because more effective communication comes through transparency. With a willingness to share more about yourself and accept what others share about themselves, you’ll understand more (like about diverse communication styles ), and you’ll work better together.

3. Keep communication Open

How to work with me

Create a personal “user manual” to share your individual preferences for how you like to collaborate and communicate.

Many of these tactical ideas pivot on a broader philosophical base: Open . Open is an approach to teamwork emphasizing a free – but thoughtful – flow of information. We believe all teams can do amazing things when they approach teamwork emphasizing empathetic transparency, and embrace open tools and practices. Working Open enables continuous improvement and increases an organization’s ability to adapt, innovate, and grow while at the same time deepening employee engagement.

Working Open requires effort, though. And not just effort, courage and vulnerability to boot. This is especially true when communication isn’t going well, when there’s tension and indecision. But when communication is the hardest, better communication skills shine through. Rather than retreat to separate corners, step into the difficulty and attempt to work things through with the help of these tactical ideas.

Even if these concepts resonate with you, you still might be thinking: I’m not sure how to start. I want good communication, but how do I practice openness and champion open thinking, working, being? It’s not a simple matter, but we got you. There are many things to try and think about, and one place to start is this resource with examples of ways to practice open communication .

4. Seek first to understand

Here’s something that blocks better workplace communication: assumptions. If you’ve already decided what someone meant by something they said, especially in a confusing or tense exchange, you’re already coming to the interaction with a POV – your point of view. We’re proud of our values at Atlassian, and that includes an “unofficial” sixth to our core five: seek first to understand. This is something that’s easy to say, but hard to practice. Try to:

• Ask open-ended questions. They will help you understand where someone’s coming from, or what they really meant.
• Make sure you have all the information. This is essential before giving feedback, offering opinions, or making recommendations.
• Assume positive intent. This saves you from the negative feelings that can come from being on the defensive.

Again, it’s a practice. But it’s a fundamental mindset for better communication in the workplace.

5. Listen – really listen

Here’s the thing: we’re all in need of this advice, in our professional and personal lives. The sad reality is people just don’t place enough emphasis on the power of really listening to each other. We spend a lot of time working on being better communicators – which usually means (to most people) being better talkers . Since we’re talking practical and tactical here, let’s say it straight: work on your listening. Really observe the times when you’re not listening – when someone’s talking to you, do you look away in distraction? Look down at your laptop or suddenly pull out your phone? Why?

Better communication in the workplace starts with better listening – in all your interactions. This is a practice guaranteed to work. And if you’re on a distributed team and interacting with a remote teammate, double down on conveying that you’re listening by staying focused (on video, people can see when you’re multitasking).

Think of it like this: if better communication is the key to almost everything that you’re working on, better active listening is the first solid step to get there. The benefits of this simple, yet all too challenging, aspect of improved and effective communication can’t be overstated. It’s fundamental. Best of all: it’s immediately available to practice. Did you get that, or were you just thinking about something else?

6. Focus on feedback

A conversation about improving communication in the workplace would be sorely incomplete without mentioning feedback. In fact, constructive feedback could top this list. (A pattern is emerging here.)

How to get feedback? How to give feedback? We have lots of guidance and discussion about feedback, including practical ways to get feedback , and how to give better feedback .

But just how important is feedback? In a word: very. Like listening is fundamental to improving straight-up understanding and interpersonal communication, feedback is fundamental to better communication while working together with other team members on projects and boosting employee engagement. You must pay attention to how you offer critiques, especially those that can be perceived negatively or possibly as attacks.

Like different communication channels, there are different avenues for feedback. If you’re offering a comment for all to see on a page, be tactful. The same goes for a piece of feedback in an open Slack channel or reply-all email. If you’re aware of many eyes seeing the feedback, make sure whatever you say isn’t potentially embarrassing for someone. Always err on the side of caution. This doesn’t mean to be less explicit or candid, necessarily, it means to be mindful of the where and when. Quality feedback makes the work better, and feedback sincerely given should be sincerely received. But to that end, make sure the feedback focuses on the work (not the person) and offers suggestions and alternatives. This last bit is key and often overlooked. Why overlooked? It’s harder. It’s very easy to say, “I don’t like that.” (Not very helpful feedback, either.) It’s another thing to say, “I don’t think this part is striking the right tone, and here’s why. Maybe try this instead?” (And offer suggestions.)

Feedback like that is gold.

There are also feedback situations that you’re probably uncertain about because it involves offering criticism up the chain, so to speak. If you’re curious about ways to give a manager feedback , we’ve got you covered there too. In short, feedback is a major currency in working life, and improving how you get and give feedback, and how you engage in things like feedback loops , will undoubtedly improve your overall communication in the workplace.

7. Take a good, hard look at your meetings

Ritual Reset

Reflect on and re-evaluate your team meetings and processes to create more space for what matters.

Ever had a meeting to discuss another meeting? Or a meeting to go through everything on a page, step by painful step, as if you couldn’t just read the page yourself? Of course you have. And many other boring, pointless meetings, too. There are many, many different types of meetings . Sure, some are very important.

But many aren’t.

If you want to improve communication, look at your calendar and do some serious pruning. Get rid of meetings that are merely status updates. Decline meetings that aren’t actually relevant to you. Stop the habit of scheduling meetings as a mere show of working, when more important work could get done.

Meeting time is precious. When you find yourself in a meeting disengaged, bored, or thinking of all the ways you could be spending your time better… this is a bad meeting. More, this is a bad communication practice . It reinforces the notion that when you get together as a team, not all team members’ time is valuable, and not everything talked about is important. Pay attention to when meetings boost alignment and motivation and creativity, and to when they become proxies for soul-sucking alien lifeforms. The healthier the organization, the fewer unnecessary meetings.

Start right now with better habits.

• Always have a meeting agenda , and share it before the meeting.
• Let people decide for themselves whether they need to attend.
• Carefully decide how long the meeting should be, and stick to it.
• Avoid time-wasting practices like ’round-the-room introductions – unless essential.
• For in-person meetings, ask that attendees focus and close laptops and avoid phones.

Remember this: meetings are essential to effective communication. In fact, aside from conversations around the office (or via a communication tool – remember, this applies to remote work too) meetings are the main way we actually communicate. In other words, meetings are a constant and consistent opportunity to practice better communication skills.

8. Use one-on-one meetings

If the first step is to look at your overall meetings, and the habits and practices you’ve developed around them, step two is to establish a healthy practice of at least one specific type of meeting: the 1-on-1 meeting .

You want tactical? This is it.

1-on-1 meetings are especially important for managers and leaders. They help keep the lines of communication open and consistent with each member of your team. They help people feel heard and understood as individuals, and allow for opportunities to touch on topics that might not have any other outlet. These meetings are a practice that establishes trust, which naturally encourages more overall (and open) communication. Virtuous cycle FTW.

Set up your 1-on-1 meetings with care. Find a cadence that works (weekly, biweekly, monthly), decide on a length of time that works for both schedules (30 minutes to an hour) and continue to check in about how everything is working and make adjustments as needed. Don’t be afraid to reschedule or cancel if it works better for both parties. These meetings, ideally, are not meant to be mere status updates. But don’t be too rigid about it. If project status issues are top of mind and you need to use some time to discuss them, do it. At the same time, don’t let things that can be communicated at other times rob you of what can often be the only time you have with this colleague. Connect and learn together how to communicate – and work – together better.

9. Ask me anything

Related to feedback, there’s the idea of having the ability to offer feedback, thoughts, ideas, or critiques to the company at large. Organizations that provide ways – anonymously, when needed – for employees to voice concerns, fears, and burning questions create more trusting and invested company cultures. Consider having all-hands meetings or what we at Atlassian call “town hall” with a time dedicated for Q&A and AMAs (ask-me-anythings). Consider an open Slack channel or another place for submitting questions. And again, make them anonymous if needed so people don’t feel reluctant to be honest, or fear reprisal.

Providing more and different opportunities for candor, clarification, and camaraderie is not only an essential element of working Open, it opens the door for people to feel more comfortable with bringing their whole selves to work. And you want this. You want your team members to be themselves, because they’ll bring so much more of their talent and passion to everything they do. Which includes communicating with more openness, and less hesitation or worry about something like office politics.

There’s a bit of a paradox here. It’s simpler than it sounds, but the onus is on you. If you want to improve communication, you have to put those communication skills to use. When there are breakdowns in the system, it often means that people aren’t communicating. They’re opting for silence. More opportunities for open communication – to express and question and relate – in a variety of forums, increases the chances of issues being aired and not bottled up.

As leaders and managers, you want this. The opposite means you’re not in the know, and we know you don’t want that.

One last thing: in the context of the practical, opportunities must be used . It’s one thing to offer, it’s another to take up the offer. Encourage the use of opportunities to engage with the community. That is, improve your communication skills by actively communicating. If your team or organization is mired in a bout of poor or infrequent communication, there’s really only one solution: start doing it. When done well, the “rules” around it will begin to become more evident.

If you really want good communication in the workplace, there must be a willingness to do things to improve. It won’t just “happen.” Better communication requires effort, it involves buy-in and action on the part of everyone. But if done in earnest, and with the right mindset, the results will come. Lead by example, walk the talk, and reward courage. Practice these methods, inspire others to try them, and reward the effort. Because these tactical suggestions work.

You’ll be delighted by the results.

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• 12 tips for effective communication in ...

12 tips for effective communication in the workplace

Effective communication transcends simple information exchanges. Understanding the emotions and motives behind the given information is essential. In addition to successfully conveying messages, it's important to actively listen and fully understand the conversation, making the speaker feel heard and understood.

Today, we’re in almost constant contact with our coworkers. You might not put a lot of thought into saying “hi” to your coworker, grabbing virtual coffee with a remote team member, or sending a gif of a cat wearing pajamas to your team—and that’s ok. Even though you’re communicating at work, there’s a difference between these types of messages and communication in the workplace.

Communication in the workplace refers to the communication you do at work about work. Knowing when and how to effectively communicate at work can help you reduce miscommunication, increase team happiness, bolster collaboration, and foster trust. Teams that know how to communicate effectively about work are better prepared for difficult situations. But building good communication habits takes time and effort—and that’s where we come in. Here are 12 ways to take your workplace communication skills to the next level.

What is effective communication?

Effective communication is the exchange of ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and information so that the message is received and comprehended clearly and purposefully. When we communicate effectively, all stakeholders are fulfilled.

Developing effective communication skills requires a delicate balance of active listening, verbal communication, nonverbal cues, body language, and emotional intelligence to ensure messages are clearly transmitted and understood.

It's about more than just talking; effective communication involves listening skills and a deep understanding of interpersonal dynamics. Individuals can use these communication skills to bridge gaps, make informed decisions, and strengthen relationships. 

What does “workplace communication” mean?

Communication in the workplace can happen face-to-face, in writing, over a video conferencing platform, on social media, or in a group meeting. It can also happen in real time or asynchronously , which happens when you’re communicating about work over email, with recorded video, or on a platform like a project management tool . Some examples of workplace communication include:

Team meetings

1:1 feedback sessions

Receiving information

Communicating about project status or progress

Collaboration on cross-functional tasks

Nonverbal communication

Collaboration Report: How the most effective teams in the world collaborate

Explore key traits that have made the most effective teams in the world successful: their strategies, techniques, and tips for working well together.

What makes communication effective?

Now that you know what type of communication can be included in workplace communication, how do you start getting better at it? There are a few key tenets of effective communication that you can use, no matter what type of communication it is. In particular, good communication:

Aims for clarity. Whether you’re sending a Slack message, drafting an email, or giving an off-the-cuff reply, aim to be clear and concise with your communication.

Seeks to solve conflicts, not create them. In the workplace, we're often involved in problem solving and collaborating on projects or tasks. Good communication in the workplace can involve bringing up blockers or providing feedback—but make sure the goal is to get to a better place than where you are now.

Goes both ways. Every instance of effective communication in the workplace represents an exchange of information—even when the information is communicated solely through nonverbal cues.

Benefits of effective communication in the workplace

Clear, effective workplace communication can:

Boost employee engagement and belonging

Improve interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence

Encourage team buy-in

Increase productivity

Build a healthy workplace and organizational culture

Reduce conflict

Increase retention

7 tips for more effective communication in the workplace

Effective communication in the workplace is all about where, how, and when you’re communicating. Try these seven tips to develop better communication skills.

1. Know where to communicate—and about what

Communication happens in many different forms—face-to-face, over email, via instant messages, and in work management platforms. To be most effective, make sure you’re following communication guidelines and messaging about the right things in the right places.

Sometimes, knowing where to communicate is half the battle. Your company may have different communication tools , which makes knowing which tool to use all the more important. Which tool is appropriate for your question or comment? Do you need to communicate in real time, or is it ok to send an asynchronous message? If you’re not sure, ask a team member or manager where you should be sending different types of messages. It is important for everyone to be on the same page. For example, at Asana, we use:

2. Build collaboration skills

Collaboration is the bedrock of effective teamwork. In order to build strong team collaboration skills , you need to practice open and honest communication. This doesn’t necessarily mean always agreeing on things—knowing how to disagree and work through those differences is a key part of collaboration, too.

Collaboration and communication skills are kind of a “chicken and egg” scenario. You can build good collaboration by communicating effectively, but knowing how to collaborate is a key component of strong communication. Essentially, this just means you’ll have to practice improving both collaboration and communication skills over time. As you improve team collaboration, you’ll get better at conveying information and opinions in a work environment—and as a result, that honest communication will make collaboration feel more effortless.

3. Talk face-to-face when you can

Perhaps the most tried-and-true way to avoid miscommunication is to talk face-to-face. If your team is virtual, speaking via video conferencing also works. Eye contact is particularly important if you know a conversation is going to be hard. Tone can be difficult to communicate through writing so ideally, you want your team member to be able to see your facial expressions and body language.

If your team is remote or distributed, communicating via a phone call instead of a video conference could work as well. Video conferencing fatigue is real, and it can make collaboration and communication particularly difficult for remote teams. Communicating over the phone reduces some of the visual strain, while still giving you the ability to hear your team member’s voice and tone.

4. Watch your body language and tone of voice

Communication isn’t just about what you say—it’s also about how you say it. Make sure you aren’t crossing your arms or coming off as curt. Oftentimes, your body language may have nothing to do with the current situation—maybe you’re tired or stressed about something in your personal life. But your team members, who might not have that context, could see your actions and assume you’re angry or upset about something. Particularly for hard conversations, try to relax your body language and facial expressions to avoid giving off any unintentional cues.

5. Prioritize two-way communication

Listening skills are just as important to communication in the workplace as talking. Part of being a collaborative team member is listening to other people’s ideas instead of just trying to put your own ideas out there.

There are two common types of listening : listening to reply and listening to understand. When you listen to reply, you’re focusing on what you’re going to say next, rather than what the other person is saying. With this type of listening, you risk missing key information or even repeating what the other person just said.

Instead, try active listening—that is, listen to what the other person has to say without thinking about how you’re going to reply. If you do think of something you want to say, jot it down so you can go back to listening to understand , instead of trying to remember the thing you want to say next.

6. Stick to facts, not stories

“Facts vs. stories” is a technique recommended by the co-founder of the Conscious Leadership Group, Diana Chapman. In this case, “facts” are things that have actually happened—things that everyone in the room would easily agree on. A “story,” on the other hand, is your interpretation of the situation.

For example, say your manager gives you live feedback during a small team meeting. That is a fact. You weren’t expecting the feedback, and you feel like your manager shared the feedback—instead of saving it for your 1:1—because they’re dissatisfied with your work. This is a “story” because you have no way of knowing if it is true or not.

Stories are inevitable—we all create stories from facts. But try to separate stories from facts, and avoid acting on stories until you’re able to validate them. For example, in this case, you might want to talk to your manager during your next 1:1 and ask why they shared feedback in a team meeting.

7. Make sure you’re speaking to the right person

Effective workplace communication is as much about who you’re talking to as it is about what you’re saying. Poor communication often occurs when you’re talking to the wrong people or trying to share information in the wrong setting.

To avoid this, make sure the right people are in the room or receiving the message. If you aren’t sure who that would be, go through an exercise to identify any important project stakeholders who might be missing.

5 tips to build effective communication skills in the workplace

If you’re a leader, you have the power to set and establish communication conventions on your team. Effective communication skills can build healthy company culture , foster trust among your employees, and break down silos between cross-functional teams. Here’s how:

1. Address any underlying changes

Before you start improving your team’s communication skills, ensure there are no underlying issues that keep everyone from communicating honestly. Does everyone feel comfortable talking openly? Is there anything that might make a team member feel like they can’t be their full selves?

One of the most valuable things you can do as a leader is to make sure your employees feel comfortable showing up to work as their whole selves (or as much of themselves as they want to bring). Whether that means voicing disagreements, talking about their passions outside of work, or being honest about what type of communication works best for them, make sure to understand each team member’s needs and ensure they’re being met in the team environment.

One theme that kept coming up in our employee engagement surveys was that we could improve information sharing and communication across the organization, so we looked for a way to do that.”

2. Frequently ask for feedback

If you don’t ask for feedback on your communication style, you may never get it. Even though communication in the workplace impacts every other interaction, team members might not immediately think of it as something to provide feedback on. By asking your employees for feedback on your communication style, you can continue to improve and develop clear communication strategies for your team.

3. Understand team communication styles

Another effective way to communicate with your team is to ask them how they want to communicate. Communication preferences shouldn’t be a secret—or a guessing game—and knowing off the bat if your team members prefer video conferences or phone calls, early morning meetings, or afternoon jam sessions can help you create an environment where they can thrive.

Important questions to ask include:

Are they an early bird or a night owl?

Do they like structured meetings or prefer free-flow brainstorming sessions?

Do they do their best thinking out loud, on the spot, or on paper?

What personality type do they identify with: introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Do they feel like they know their team members, or would they prefer more team bonding activities?

What types of meetings or tasks are most energizing for them?

4. Make time for team building or icebreakers

Getting to know your team is critical to developing good communication skills. It’s particularly important to make time to get to know your team outside of a workplace setting. Icebreaker questions can help bring an element of personality and fun to every meeting, so consider starting with a light chat before diving into your meeting agenda.

5. Set the tone

Remember: the way you communicate and collaborate will impact your entire team. It’s up to you to set the standard for open and clear communication in the workplace. Once you establish this standard, your team will follow suit.

Every few months, make a note to follow up with how everyone is feeling about team communication. Are there any habits that have cropped up in the last few months that you want to cull or encourage? Regularly thinking about how your team communicates—instead of “setting and forgetting” your team practices—can help you be more intentional about your communication methods.

As an organization grows, communication starts to bottleneck. At Hope for Haiti, we’ve seen those inefficiencies hurt us: when we can’t run like a well-oiled machine, we’re not serving as many people as we could be—and it’s our responsibility to improve upon that.”

More types of workplace communication

Most discussions about communication in the workplace assume the “workplace” is in person. But there are various forms of communication across different locations—from global offices to remote teams. Most effective communication best practices still apply to any type of team, but there are a few additional considerations and best practices you can use to help team members truly connect.

Distributed teams

Distributed teams work across multiple national or global offices. These teams might span different time zones and languages, and each office will have its own culture and habits. Don’t expect each distributed team to communicate in the same way—in fact, one of the advantages of distributed teams is the variety of thought you’re exposed to by working with teammates from all over the world.

If you work on a distributed team, it’s critical to over-communicate so that team members in different time zones and offices stay in the loop. Make sure to document everything in a central source of truth that team members can access when they’re online, and look for a tool that updates in real-time so no one has to slow down due to information lag.

Keep in mind that time zones might affect how people come to a conversation. Try to schedule meetings when everyone is available, or offer recordings and notes if team members can’t make it. It’s also critical to double check that the right people are in the loop, and that they aren’t just being left out because they’re in a different office than the majority of your team.

Online coworkers

If you’re working with a virtual team, it’s critical to establish where you’re going to communicate and how frequently. Knowing exactly what each communication tool should be used for can help team members feel connected—even while they’re remote.

While working remotely, we’ve had to re-learn how to communicate in many ways. Slack, Asana, and integrations between these tools has replaced or supplemented a lot of in-person ways we used to communicate.”

Remote team members can feel isolated and disconnected from one another, so consider doing an exercise with your entire team about preferred business communication habits. Some team members might love cold calls, while others might prefer scheduled meetings with concise agendas. Because team members have fewer chances to interact in person, it’s critical to establish these forms of communication as a team so you can keep the communication channels open.

Finally, make sure to bring team members in for regular team bonding events. Whether you’re doing icebreaker activities at the beginning of every meeting or scheduling some time to just chat at the end of each week, dedicated team time can help team members connect, no matter where they’re dialing in from.

The cherry on top of effective workplace communication

The last component of great communication is having a central source of truth for all of your communication and work information. Using a centralized system like a work management tool can help you coordinate work across all levels of your team. Learn more about how work management makes project coordination and communication easier in our introduction to work management article .

FAQ: Effective communication in the workplace

What are the best ways of communicating with your work colleagues.

The best ways of communicating with your work colleagues involve concise, respectful, and timely exchanges. This can be achieved through various channels, such as emails, instant messaging, face-to-face meetings, and video calls. Selecting the right medium based on the context of your communication (e.g., using emails for formal requests or Slack for quick queries) and ensuring you're concise and to the point can enhance the effectiveness of your communication.

Why is effective communication important?

Effective communication ensures that information is accurately conveyed and understood, resulting in improved efficiency, fewer misunderstandings, and better working relationships. It promotes teamwork, decision-making, and problem solving, which makes effective communication a cornerstone of successful operations and a positive work environment.

What constitutes effective communication?

Effective communication is characterized by clarity, conciseness, coherence, and considerateness, also known as the 5 Cs of communication. It means the message is delivered in a clear and understandable manner, is direct and to the point, logically organized, and sensitive to the receiver's needs and perspectives. It also involves active listening, openness to feedback, and the ability to adjust or paraphrase the message according to the audience and context.

How can you become an effective communicator?

To become an effective communicator, focus on clarity and brevity in your messages, actively listen to others, and provide constructive feedback. Pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues, such as body language and tone, to ensure your message is received as intended. Practice empathy by considering the receiver's perspective, and be open to feedback to continuously improve your public speaking skills.

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Barriers to Effective Communication & How to Overcome Them

Dec 1, 2021

9 min. read

Good internal communication is one of the most valuable assets in your business. With open, clear, and frequent communication, your team can work toward specific goals and objectives. You share ideas more easily and leave nothing to misinterpretation.

That said, good communication isn't natural for everyone. It's a skill that each person must develop and hone. Even then, barriers in communication can arise and unravel your plans, create confusion, and turn progress on its head.

To improve communication, identify the barriers standing between you and a clear message. Understand what barriers in communication look like, where they come from, and most importantly, how to get rid of them.

Here’s your guide to effective communication in the workplace.

Table of Contents:

What Causes Communication Problems in the Workplace?

Why communication barriers are bad for business, what are the main types of communication barriers, common communication problems in business, how to overcome barriers to communication.

Poor communication causes  $62.4 million in losses each year , according to an SHRM survey. There are many reasons it’s such a pervasive problem.

First, humans are a unique breed. We speak the same language and express ourselves in various ways in all aspects of life. But still, we each communicate differently.

We have preferences for how we send and receive messages. We respond to different stimuli. Some of us are more forgetful or easily distracted than others, which leads to communication mistakes.

There’s also the matter of personal experience and perspective. We each set different expectations for communicating with others. One person might think it’s acceptable to check email once a day, but another may check email every hour, for example.

Different people may receive things like tone and clarity in different ways. An exclamation point used to express excitement might be misinterpreted as anger or urgency. A person in a hurry might make a blunt statement to save time, but the person receiving the message might feel inferior or chastised as a result.

Even the definition of a good interpersonal relationship can vary from person to person. Some people take issue with a person talking too much, while others might talk a lot because they think it's their strong suit.

For these reasons, being a great communicator is a skill to learn and develop; it doesn't happen overnight. It requires a focus on nuance and a depth of knowledge in all the types of ways people communicate to overcome barriers. But many will agree that taking the time to develop this skill will always be worth the investment.

The financial losses caused by poor communication can be astronomical. Why?

I nternal communication issues hinder productivity and progress. When teams don’t communicate well, it can cause a ripple effect that increases project costs. Teams may have to rework tasks because someone misunderstood the directions. They may miss project deadlines. That can lead to client dissatisfaction and problems with your organization's reputation.

Another way poor communication impacts business is in team morale. Poor communication leads to job dissatisfaction and a hostile work environment.

Co-workers might question their abilities to do their job when they don’t understand what to do. They might get reprimanded for making mistakes or passed over for promotions. Teams that don’t handle conflict well are more likely to let it affect their work.

Communication barriers are bad for business. They lead to over-complicated conversations and thwart progress. The inverse to this is also true. Fostering good communication skills can help you avoid mistakes. It leads to better outcomes for the company, its employees, and its customers.

Are you facing communication barriers at work? Let’s take a closer look at the different types of barriers to communication:

Physical Barriers

The shift to remote work has created new physical barriers that diminish communication. Co-workers that once preferred face-to-face, real-time contact now have to rely more heavily on technology for interactions.

Too much physical distance can contribute to poor workplace communication, but so can being too close in proximity. For example, the once-hailed open office layout has now been pegged as a productivity killer.  One in three workers  says the distractions and sensory overload slow down their work.

Personal Barriers

A person’s own mindset can influence how they communicate with others. For example, someone who is in a bad mood might not positively accept criticism from a supervisor. People who say “You caught me on a bad day” aren’t just blowing smoke.

Likewise, someone who just received a promotion or earned a lofty achievement might come off as being too proud or bragging, when in reality they are simply sharing their happiness. Emotional intelligence is critical when sharing information so that messages are properly received regardless of individual perceptions.

Cultural Barriers

We live in an ever-expanding global business environment. It’s essential to take culture into account when communicating. Cultural differences can affect how we receive and understand messages. What might be acceptable in one cultural climate might not translate to another. This can apply to everything from non-verbal communication (e.g., how a person dresses, their body language, etc.) to a person’s comfort level in sharing their ideas openly and honestly.

Attitudinal Barriers

We each have our own ideas of what good communication looks like to us. But we must also be mindful of how our perceptions come across to others. This is what experts refer to as attitudinal barriers. For example, a person standing in a meeting with their arms crossed and looking at their feet might appear to be disengaged or bored. But to that person, that might be their best way to focus on the conversation.

How you communicate can be influenced by your own preconceived ideas. Be mindful of how your communication styles might impact others.

Semantic Barriers

Semantic barriers (also called language barriers) are one of the most noticeable barriers in communication. When working with a colleague whose second language is your first language, there’s bound to be miscommunication. Maybe they don’t have a word in their language for what you’re trying to explain.

Also, generational differences, regional dialects, and industry-specific jargon can affect people who speak the same language. Good communicators know when to ask for clarity, even when it means admitting they don’t understand something.

A lack of a clearly defined communications plan can also be the cause of communications issues, so be sure to write a communications plan .

Communication problems in the workplace have many faces. Each one can have a different impact on outcomes, and each one takes a different approach to overcome.

According to MIT , the top seven communication problems in the workplace are:

The use of jargon

Complex language assumes that everyone knows the same terms you do, but this isn’t always the case. This can make a person feel alienated and confused.

The opening

How you begin your message can have a direct impact on how well it’s received. It’s best practice to set the stage, explain terms that aren’t well-known, and give an overview of your agenda before diving into the details.

Emotional barriers and taboos

Topics that are believed to be off-limits can reduce effective communication. Examples include racism, politics, sexuality, or any unpopular opinion. With these types of ideas, it can be hard for a person to express their ideas or emotions while also taking others’ sensitivity into account.

Physical barriers that lead to non-communication

Without the advantage of non-verbal cues, communication as a whole can be less effective. In fact, non-visual communication is often looked at as being less effective than face-to-face communication.

Expectations and prejudices

Our own expectations can create false assumptions about a person or situation. We tend to hear what we want, which can lead us to the wrong conclusions. (There's a word for this: selective perception.)

Cultural differences

As previously mentioned, cross-cultural norms can vary widely, even within the same country. This may include everything from work styles to how personal space is treated, for example.

Information overload

Too much information can lessen the effects of information sharing. Ideas and sentiments become lost in the free flow jumble.

Other communication problems to anticipate

One of the most damaging is simply a lack of communication. This happens most often when teams or individuals work in silos with little or no idea of the “big picture.” Instead, they work independently so often they don’t know where or how to reach out to others when the need arises.

And then there are external communication problems that happen between the company and its customer base.

For example, the company might have phone lines, live chat queues, and email forms set up for customers to get in touch. But customers might prefer reaching out on social media instead. If companies are not  monitoring social media  for customer outreach, they might miss key messages or opportunities to grow their business.

The first step in overcoming barriers in communication is to understand how and why these barriers exist. Once you know this, the next step is to practice being a great communicator.

This means mastering the art of active listening. When you're the sender, be understanding of how the receiver might feel about your message and vice versa.

Improving the communication process can take time, patience, and a lot of trial and error. Your methods in overcoming barriers in communication might also vary, depending on your communication channels .

For example, if you are building a  digital transformation strategy , you may suddenly have many new channels where your teams will share ideas. Consider each of these new channels, their unique features, and how they can be best utilized.

If social media is part of your mix, then you might have certain guidelines for your  social influencers  to follow when communicating to your audience. This ensures everyone receives information in a way that supports your brand image.

And if your organization doesn't have an intranet or internal newsletter , then you may want to consider creating one to share company news and updates more widely within your business to improve transparency.

The big takeaway: communication barriers affect everyone – internally and externally. Overcoming them starts with being able to identify all possible opportunities to improve, and then letting the nuances of each opportunity guide your strategy.

Continue Reading

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The Best Communication Channels for Businesses

How to Write a Communication Plan

Internal Communications Best Practices to Drive Your Business Forward

• Benefits of Whole Brain® Thinking
• HBDI and Other Assessments
• Team Effectiveness
• Innovation, Creativity and Change Management
• Management and Leadership Development
• Herrmann Platform Overview
• The Whole Brain® Methodology
• Work at Herrmann
• In the News
• Resource Library
• Whole Brain® Champions
• Whole Brain® Certified Practitioners
• Consultants, Coaches & Integrations

Overcoming Communication Challenges in the Workplace

Every team invariably runs into communication issues in the workplace. No matter the cause — a language barrier, different communication styles, or simply a misunderstanding — effective teams must diagnose and overcome these communication challenges.

If you're struggling for effective ways to improve in-person and virtual communication on your team, you're not alone. The workplace has evolved dramatically in recent years. Teams are no longer confined to the office, with many organizations adopting hybrid or remote workforces. Flexible work and improved workplace technology enable teams to collaborate across great distances, but the methods of communication haven’t always kept up. 

These workplace communication challenges can impact every level of your organization. According to research from Gallup , only 7% of U.S. workers feel strongly that their workplace’s communication is accurate, timely, and open.  

Effective communication requires you to understand the root causes, remove barriers, and leverage the different thinking and communication preferences of your people. Learn more about common communication challenges, how your teams can overcome them, and how Whole Brain® Thinking can help.

4 Common Communication Challenges in the Workplace

There are a lot of reasons for communication problems at work. People’s backgrounds, experiences, and work styles influence how they express ideas, ask questions and the formats in which they prefer to communicate. Your people might also have different levels of communication skills. All of these factors can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication. 

One of the most frustrating things about work is trying to communicate with someone who just doesn't seem to understand you. Whether it's a colleague, client, or manager, problems with internal communications make it difficult to complete your work effectively and can hurt your job satisfaction and productivity. Teams that struggle to communicate will struggle to resolve conflict, innovate, and meet business goals.

Let’s explore common internal communications issues.

Misunderstandings

One of the primary reasons misunderstandings occur at work is because people have different assumptions, perspectives, and experiences. This can lead to miscommunication when people assume that others know what they are talking about or that others have the same perspective. 

Misunderstandings also happen because of language barriers or because one person uses technical language, jargon, or slang that the other person isn’t familiar with. Another cause of misunderstandings is failing to recognize people’s different communication styles. If you prefer to communicate through written notes but someone else prefers to interact with verbal instructions, you might have trouble getting on the same page.

Lack of Clarity

Confusion and conflict arise when teams aren’t clear about what they are supposed to be doing or what’s expected of them. What creates a lack of clarity? Things like missing details, insufficient information, or unclear goals. Lack of clarity also makes feedback more difficult, affecting people’s quality of work and ability to improve.

Lack of Attention

There are a few reasons why lack of attention leads to internal communication challenges. First, when people don’t pay attention, they don’t fully listen to what’s being said. This can lead to them missing pertinent information or details. At best, this leads to workflow problems, but acting without the right information can be catastrophic — for example, if inattention leads to product defects or unsecured work environments with physical risks, such as construction sites.

When people don’t pay attention or struggle to do so because of outside factors, they’re less likely to complete tasks correctly or make timely, sound decisions. Lack of attention also complicates relationships with co-workers. If people don’t pay attention to each other, they can’t connect and build trust, much less get to understand how other people think.

Cultural Differences

Your cultural background, family experiences, and other factors can influence how you communicate, including what you consider as norms, what’s polite, and what’s not to be communicated. For example, some cultures are more direct than others, and some may emphasize body language in communication more than others. 

What one culture may consider rude or inappropriate could be normal to another, so it’s important to stay open-minded and avoid assumptions. Cultural differences also include differences between norms at companies, industries, and job roles, which can affect communication within cross-functional teams or with external clients.

7 Effective Tips for Overcoming Communication Challenges in the Workplace

Whether you struggle to communicate with your boss, team, or clients, effective communication is essential to the success of any workplace. Communication issues can lead to misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and a general feeling of frustration.

Here are seven tips for workplace communication that aligns and empowers your people.

Set Clear Expectations and Goals

Setting clear expectations is vital to overcoming workplace communication barriers. When people know their roles and what’s expected of them, they can focus on what they do best and avoid misunderstandings or confusion.

One way to do this is by sharing your Whole Brain® Thinking preferences to help team members better understand how everyone thinks and how they work best. With that baseline of understanding and trust, you can move through goal-setting exercises more effectively and use people’s preferred communication styles to confirm they understand the expectations.

Seek Feedback and Address Concerns

By seeking feedback and addressing concerns, employees can more effectively identify potential areas of misunderstanding and correct them before they cause problems. Addressing concerns early on can help prevent them from becoming larger issues that are more difficult to resolve.

When using Whole Brain® Thinking to do a walk-around , you can address concerns in multiple ways based on people’s thinking preferences. For example, C Quadrant (Red) thinkers are concerned about interpersonal issues — wanting to know how the work will affect people. The D Quadrant (Yellow) is a great opportunity to talk about “big picture” concerns.

Ask for Clarification When Needed 

A major cause of workplace communication issues is when people are afraid to seek clarification. This can happen in workplaces where people don't want to appear uninformed or rock the boat. But when people don’t ask for clarification and push forward with their work, your organization can suffer from much bigger problems down the road.

When you feel unclear about something, ask for clarification. Encourage your teams to do the same by emphasizing the value of questions, curiosity, and cognitive diversity instead of promoting a culture where people pretend to know everything. 

Likewise, train your managers to watch for signs that their message isn’t being received effectively. People sometimes telegraph their confusion or frustration, but not always. A lack of engagement or reduced productivity, for example, may indicate that your team isn’t understanding or aligned with company objectives. 

Implement the Right Communication Tools

Having the right tools in place is an important step in improving workplace communication issues. When employees communicate with each other easily and quickly, they can resolve misunderstandings or disagreements while getting to understand each other’s thinking preferences better. 

The right tools help improve productivity and encourage healthier workplace communication. They include communication resources such as software, project management tools, and the hardware required for a webinar or phone call. 

Communication tools can also include methods that help you better understand your team and its needs. When you have insights into how your employees think and share ideas, you can adapt your style to help foster good communication. Activities such as regular one-on-one and team meetings, constructive and positive feedback, individual and team assessments, and performance reviews are great opportunities to learn more about your team.  

Be Clear and Listen Actively

When communicating with others, it's important to be clear and concise. This means being respectful and avoiding jargon. Make sure that your message is clear and that you're not overwhelming the other person with too much information.

Active listening is a key communication skill to combat poor communication. When somebody else is speaking, make an effort to listen to what they're saying. This means paying attention, asking questions, and offering feedback.

Avoid Assumptions

The Whole Brain® Thinking model can help you overcome your assumptions and grow beyond what you know. Try something new and push the boundaries of what you know. Flip your assumptions: What if the opposite happens? Ask questions: Instead of assuming you have the answers, ask questions. Be a curious learner seeking the truth rather than a “knower” who doesn’t inquire further.

Use Nonverbal Cues

Nonverbal cues such as body language and tone of voice can be just as important as the words we use when communicating with others. Pay attention to your nonverbal cues and how the other person might interpret them. For example, people who are introverted and with a preference for C Quadrant (Red) thinking are particularly likely to express themselves through nonverbal communication.

The Impact of Technology on Communication in the Workplace

More than ever, businesses use technology to improve communication across teams, regardless of their location.

Asynchronous communication can help provide flexibility and more time for effective workplace communication, and many modern tools and communication channels are built with this in mind. For example, email enables colleagues to communicate with clear and concise messaging without the need for an immediate response. Project management tools also can be a great fit for this type of communication. 

Instant messaging and video conferencing are effective communication tools with a more instantaneous approach to response and engagement. Social media platforms are a way to communicate with the world at large. Virtual reality and other emerging technologies will continue to influence how, where, and why we communicate.

Remote and hybrid work also pushed businesses to focus on effective virtual communications in recent years. Organizations can hire top talent regardless of location, time zone, and other considerations. With seemingly unlimited tools to help share your message, remember to provide context and set expectations for your communication. Even the best technology requires people who understand how to use it and are engaged with the tools.

The Key to Successful Communication in the Workplace

Communication isn’t easy, and it’s an ongoing challenge for teams and organizations alike. But communicating effectively is a skill your teams and leaders can learn. Start by setting clear expectations, seeking feedback, and asking for clarification. Then, make sure you use the right technology.

When you address communication issues in the workplace and empower your people, you’ll see the results in improved communication, workflows, thinking, and results. 

An effective communication strategy is essential for success, but it can be a challenge for businesses of all sizes. Discover how to improve communication at work . 

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How to Navigate Conflict with a Coworker

Seven strategies to help you make progress with even the most difficult people

Interpersonal conflicts are common in the workplace, and it’s easy to get caught up in them. But that can lead to reduced creativity, slower and worse decision-making, and even fatal mistakes. So how can we return to our best selves? Having studied conflict management and resolution over the past several years, the author outlines seven principles to help you work more effectively with difficult colleagues: (1) Understand that your perspective is not the only one possible. (2) Be aware of and question any unconscious biases you may be harboring. (3) View the conflict not as me-versus-them but as a problem to be jointly solved. (4) Understand what outcome you’re aiming for. (5) Be very judicious in discussing the issue with others. (6) Experiment with behavior change to find out what will improve the situation. (7) Make sure to stay curious about the other person and how you can more effectively work together.

Early in my career I took a job reporting to someone who had a reputation for being difficult. I’ll call her Elise. Plenty of people warned me that she would be hard to work with, but I thought I could handle it. I prided myself on being able to get along with anyone. I didn’t let people get under my skin. I could see the best in everyone.

• Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, cohost of the Women at Work podcast , and the author of two books: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict . She writes and speaks about workplace dynamics. Watch her TEDx talk on conflict and follow her on LinkedIn . amyegallo

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5 Strategies for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

• 07 Sep 2023

Any scenario in which you live, work, and collaborate with others is susceptible to conflict. Because workplaces are made up of employees with different backgrounds, personalities, opinions, and daily lives, discord is bound to occur. To navigate it, it’s crucial to understand why it arises and your options for resolving it.

Common reasons for workplace conflict include:

• Misunderstandings or poor communication skills
• Differing opinions, viewpoints, or personalities
• Biases or stereotypes
• Variations in learning or processing styles
• Perceptions of unfairness

Although conflict is common, many don’t feel comfortable handling it—especially with colleagues. As a business leader, you’ll likely clash with other managers and need to help your team work through disputes.

Here’s why conflict resolution is important and five strategies for approaching it.

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Why Is Addressing Workplace Conflict Important?

Pretending conflict doesn’t exist doesn’t make it go away. Ignoring issues can lead to missed deadlines, festering resentment, and unsuccessful initiatives.

Yet, according to coaching and training firm Bravely , 53 percent of employees handle “toxic” situations by avoiding them. Worse still, averting a difficult conversation can cost an organization $7,500 and more than seven workdays.

That adds up quickly: American businesses lose $359 billion yearly due to the impact of unresolved conflict.

As a leader, you have a responsibility to foster healthy conflict resolution and create a safe, productive work environment for employees.

“Some rights, such as the right to safe working conditions or the right against sexual harassment, are fundamental to the employment relationship,” says Harvard Business School Professor Nien-hê Hsieh in the course Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “These rights are things that employees should be entitled to no matter what. They’re often written into the law, but even when they aren’t, they’re central to the ethical treatment of others, which involves respecting the inherent dignity and intrinsic worth of each individual.”

Effectively resolving disputes as they arise benefits your employees’ well-being and your company’s financial health. The first step is learning about five conflict resolution strategies at your disposal.

Related: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Employees

While there are several approaches to conflict, some can be more effective than others. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model —developed by Dr. Kenneth W. Thomas and Dr. Ralph H. Kilmann—outlines five strategies for conflict resolution:

• Accommodating
• Compromising
• Collaborating

These fall on a graph, with assertiveness on the y-axis and cooperativeness on the x-axis. In the Thomas-Kilmann model, “assertiveness” refers to the extent to which you try to reach your own goal, and “cooperativeness” is the extent to which you try to satisfy the other party’s goal.

Alternatively, you can think of these axis labels as the “importance of my goal” and the “importance of this relationship.” If your assertiveness is high, you aim to achieve your own goal. If your cooperativeness is high, you strive to help the other person reach theirs to maintain the relationship.

Here’s a breakdown of the five strategies and when to use each.

1. Avoiding

Avoiding is a strategy best suited for situations in which the relationship’s importance and goal are both low.

While you’re unlikely to encounter these scenarios at work, they may occur in daily life. For instance, imagine you’re on a public bus and the passenger next to you is loudly playing music. You’ll likely never bump into that person again, and your goal of a pleasant bus ride isn’t extremely pressing. Avoiding conflict by ignoring the music is a valid option.

In workplace conflicts—where your goals are typically important and you care about maintaining a lasting relationship with colleagues—avoidance can be detrimental.

Remember: Some situations require avoiding conflict, but you’re unlikely to encounter them in the workplace.

2. Competing

Competing is another strategy that, while not often suited for workplace conflict, can be useful in some situations.

This conflict style is for scenarios in which you place high importance on your goal and low importance on your relationships with others. It’s high in assertiveness and low in cooperation.

You may choose a competing style in a crisis. For instance, if someone is unconscious and people are arguing about what to do, asserting yourself and taking charge can help the person get medical attention quicker.

You can also use it when standing up for yourself and in instances where you feel unsafe. In those cases, asserting yourself and reaching safety is more critical than your relationships with others.

When using a competing style in situations where your relationships do matter (for instance, with a colleague), you risk impeding trust—along with collaboration, creativity, and productivity.

3. Accommodating

The third conflict resolution strategy is accommodation, in which you acquiesce to the other party’s needs. Use accommodating in instances where the relationship matters more than your goal.

For example, if you pitch an idea for a future project in a meeting, and one of your colleagues says they believe it will have a negative impact, you could resolve the conflict by rescinding your original thought.

This is useful if the other person is angry or hostile or you don’t have a strong opinion on the matter. It immediately deescalates conflict by removing your goal from the equation.

While accommodation has its place within organizational settings, question whether you use it to avoid conflict. If someone disagrees with you, simply acquiescing can snuff out opportunities for innovation and creative problem-solving .

As a leader, notice whether your employees frequently fall back on accommodation. If the setting is safe, encouraging healthy debate can lead to greater collaboration.

Related: How to Create a Culture of Ethics and Accountability in the Workplace

4. Compromising

Compromising is a conflict resolution strategy in which you and the other party willingly forfeit some of your needs to reach an agreement. It’s known as a “lose-lose” strategy, since neither of you achieve your full goal.

This strategy works well when your care for your goal and the relationship are both moderate. You value the relationship, but not so much that you abandon your goal, like in accommodation.

For example, maybe you and a peer express interest in leading an upcoming project. You could compromise by co-leading it or deciding one of you leads this one and the other the next one.

Compromising requires big-picture thinking and swallowing your pride, knowing you won’t get all your needs fulfilled. The benefits are that you and the other party value your relationship and make sacrifices to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.

5. Collaborating

Where compromise is a lose-lose strategy, collaboration is a win-win. In instances of collaboration, your goal and the relationship are equally important, motivating both you and the other party to work together to find an outcome that meets all needs.

An example of a situation where collaboration is necessary is if one of your employees isn’t performing well in their role—to the point that they’re negatively impacting the business. While maintaining a strong, positive relationship is important, so is finding a solution to their poor performance. Framing the conflict as a collaboration can open doors to help each other discover its cause and what you can do to improve performance and the business’s health.

Collaboration is ideal for most workplace conflicts. Goals are important, but so is maintaining positive relationships with co-workers. Promote collaboration whenever possible to find creative solutions to problems . If you can’t generate a win-win idea, you can always fall back on compromise.

Considering Your Responsibilities as a Leader

As a leader, not only must you address your own conflicts but help your employees work through theirs. When doing so, remember your responsibilities to your employees—whether ethical, legal, or economic.

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability groups your ethical responsibilities to employees into five categories:

• Well-being: What’s ultimately good for the person
• Rights: Entitlement to receive certain treatment
• Duties: A moral obligation to behave in a specific way
• Best practices: Aspirational standards not required by law or cultural norms
• Fairness: Impartial and just treatment

In the course, Hsieh outlines three types of fairness you can use when helping employees solve conflicts:

• Legitimate expectations: Employees reasonably expect certain practices or behaviors to continue based on experiences with the organization and explicit promises.
• Procedural fairness: Managers must resolve issues impartially and consistently.
• Distributive fairness: Your company equitably allocates opportunities, benefits, and burdens.

Particularly with procedural fairness, ensure you don’t take sides when mediating conflict. Treat both parties equally, allowing them time to speak and share their perspectives. Guide your team toward collaboration or compromise, and work toward a solution that achieves the goal while maintaining—and even strengthening—relationships.

Are you interested in learning how to navigate difficult decisions as a leader? Explore Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability —one of our online leadership and management courses —and download our free guide to becoming a more effective leader.

About the Author

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Lack of communication mechanism, irregularity in communication, proximity bias in hybrid teams, hesitation among team members.

Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.

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How to Overcome 14 Common Communication Challenges in the Workplace

Table of Contents

Quality communication is the lifeblood of collaboration and productivity. Good communication ensures that we understand our professional surroundings and our individual responsibilities, and provides all the necessary information to perform our tasks effectively. 

However, now and then, there are bound to be some hiccups in communication. Communication challenges are any difficulties that hinder effective communication. 

Namely, team communication involves a varying number of participants, performs a variety of functions, and takes place in a variety of directions. With so many moving parts, there is a nearly infinite number of potential challenges that can cause communication breakdowns and disruptions. 

In this article, we will examine some of the most common communication challenges in the workplace and provide suggestions on how to overcome them.

Challenge #1: Lack of communication

This one seems obvious, doesn’t it? Many organizations, however, struggle with providing a sufficient amount of information, whether it’s work-related info, available knowledge resources, news updates, or simply room for active discussion. 

🔸 Why is the lack of communication a problem in the workplace?

Lack of communication creates a sense of isolation which, over time, can lead to a sense of disassociation from the organization and decrease the engagement and the emotional investment into their work. Furthermore, lack of communication can lead to important information being lost or delayed and create a vacuum in which rumors and hearsay can further disrupt the environment. Most critically, lack of communication can lead to misunderstandings and breakdowns in individual and collaborative work. 

🔸 How to overcome lack of communication: 

Primarily, organizations need to provide a comprehensive communication platform that enables both active discussion and effective distribution of information. The role of organizations, however, is not limited to providing the means of communication. Instead, organizations need to make communication a habit , keeping everyone in the loop through company-wide emails and messages, newsletters, intranet updates, all-hands meetings, etc. 

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Challenge #2: Information overload

Contemporary workplace communication requires a substantial body of information. However, organizations can easily cross the line between providing team members with all the necessary information and overwhelming them with excessive information. This leads to information overload — more emails, more company-wide memos, more meetings, more shared files, and questionably useful links. 

🔸 Why is information overload a problem in the workplace?

Team members need space for focused work, and constant distractions disrupt the individual work process. Requiring team members to process more information than is necessary is not only wasteful to their time and mental capacities but also leads to disengagement and demotivation, which in turn result in decreased productivity and general disconnection.

🔸 How to overcome information overload:

Finding the right balance between enough and too much information is an empirical process that’s different for every team. As organizations strive to establish the optimal communication and information flow, they should prioritize quality over quantity, limit their content distribution channels, filter information for increased clarity, and continually assess the ratio of time spent on processing information and the value it provides. 

💡 Information overload and overcommunication are often considered synonymous, but the practices are quite different. Read on to learn more about the importance of overcommunication !

Challenge #3: Lack of formal communication structure

Professional communication includes not only active discussion but also effective distribution of information. A clear structure of communication and information channels ensures that everyone has quick and efficient access to all relevant information. This includes everything from news and updates, across policies, work tools, and knowledge resources, all the way to direct communication lines. The absence of structure leads to confusion and ineffectiveness. 

🔸 Why is the lack of formal communication structure a problem in the workplace? 

Unstructured communication can create a variety of communication breakdowns. Important information gets lost, delayed, or overlooked, time is wasted seeking information, relevant connections aren’t established, and so on. All of these issues impact not only the quality of communication but the performance itself. 

🔸 How to overcome the lack of formal communication structure:

The organization of clear and efficient communication and information lines needs to be one of the top communication priorities for all organizations. 

The goal is to provide access to all relevant information, resources, and people as practically and efficiently as possible. This can be achieved by any combination of team chat apps, Intranets, newsletters, bulletin boards, cross-department workgroups, open-door policies , and other means and resources. 

The choice of these means and resources will depend on the preferences of an organization, and it is important to note that organizations don’t need to utilize all of them. Instead, they need to focus on covering all the necessities with as few tools as possible, in order to avoid information and technology overload.

Challenge #4: Self-censoring due to social status

Status consciousness represents the awareness of team members of their status within the organization’s hierarchy, which dictates their behavior towards those in lower or higher positions.

🔸 Why is self-censoring due to social status a problem in the workplace?

Status consciousness can discourage team members from expressing their concerns, discussing the issues they experience, and communicating negative information to their superiors. Conversely, it can also prevent team leaders and upper management from considering the input of their subordinates. Both scenarios represent a strong communication barrier . 

🔸 How to overcome self-censoring due to social status: 

In order to prevent the negative manifestations of status consciousness, organizations need to encourage open and honest communication on all levels. This is achieved systematically, by installing open and transparent channels of communication that enable upward communication , as well as individually, by seeking and encouraging input from subordinates. 

Challenge #5: Concealing or softening negative information

The practice of concealing or softening negative information is called message filtering . This practice arises from fear of repercussions or a desire to present oneself more favorably. Message filtering can take place both upwards, from subordinates reporting to their superiors, and in downwards communication from the management to the employees .

🔸 Why is concealing or softening negative information a problem in the workplace?

Filtering messages in order to conceal negative information can result in greater damages further down the road, as existing issues remain unresolved and critical information that can help identify and correct those issues is withheld. 

🔸 How to overcome concealing or softening negative information:

Message filtering can be decreased or eliminated by fostering an open and safe environment where team members can address negative situations and admit mistakes without fear of punishment.

Challenge #6: Lack of cross-team coordination

Communication and coordination are the two essential elements of collaboration . 

Lack of coordination takes place when different parties involved in a collaboration fail to fully communicate all relevant aspects of their shared work. 

Whether between members of the same team, between different teams, or different organizations, poor coordination results in a lack of understanding of how the collaboration is supposed to work and how the individual pieces fit together in this plan. 

🔸 Why is the lack of cross-team coordination a problem in the workplace? 

Poor coordination can have damaging effects on the collaborative process. Different parties work in varying degrees of isolation without fully understanding what the other sides are doing and how it all comes together. This leads to ineffective work, repeat activities, and can cause dissatisfaction and conflicts. Coordination is necessary to maximize the time and skills of individual collaborators.

🔸 How to overcome the lack of cross-team coordination:

Lack of coordination essentially represents a failure to communicate. Coordination starts by clearly communicating the purpose and the mechanics of the collaboration from its very inception. This includes clearly defining the team goals, the individual roles and responsibilities, and the plan that binds the individual contributions into a team effort. 

Furthermore, organizations need to establish clear lines of communication between the collaborators and maintain them throughout the course of the collaboration. 

If coordination breakdowns do take place, organizations need to identify the root cause in team communication and adjust the communication lines. 

Challenge #7: Information silos

An information silo is a situation in which important information is not shared between all relevant parties. Instead, it remains exclusive to certain teams or individuals within the organization. It is caused by a combination of poor communication practices, absence of trust, lack of transparency, and low collaboration between different parts of an organization. 

🔸 Why are information silos a problem in the workplace? 

Information silos can have many damaging effects on the work process. They lead to wasting time, as relevant information is not readily available. Furthermore, they can result in duplicate work, ineffectiveness, and delays. Additionally, they cause mistrust, friction, and rivalry between different teams. 

🔸 How to overcome information silos:

There are no quick-fix solutions for breaking down information silos . It requires a comprehensive approach that includes improving cross-team communication, increasing transparency and visibility of the efforts of teams and individuals, encouraging an open culture of knowledge-sharing, and establishing and promoting collaboration between different parts of an organization. 

Challenge #8: Lack of feedback

Effective two-way communication is one of the pillars of modern collaborative work. Two-way feedback is one of the most important aspects of work communication, as it not only informs team members of their work, but also helps identify any emerging issues, increases employee engagement, and helps shape and improve the work process. The lack of feedback robs organizations of these valuable insights. 

🔸 Why is the lack of feedback a problem in the workplace?

Irregular and inadequate feedback can cause both immediate and long-term issues. Without feedback, team members lack clarity and directions regarding their work, which can negatively impact their performance. Feedback can provide team members with a sense of visibility and recognition of their work, while lack of feedback can lead to demotivation and disengagement with the work and the organization. Lack of employee feedback prevents organizations from recognizing existing internal challenges and thus improving the processes. 

🔸 How to overcome the lack of feedback:

Lack of feedback is resolved by systematically providing and seeking out feedback. It starts with establishing channels that enable and encourage upward communication. Furthermore, team leaders and managers need to regularly provide and encourage feedback through 1-on-1 interviews, team meetings, and employee surveys. In this process, it is important that organizations don’t stop at providing and gathering information, but to follow through and act upon it when necessary.

Challenge #9: Lack of knowledge-sharing

Collective knowledge is the greatest resource of any organization. However, the knowledge of individuals and teams is not always made accessible to whole organizations, thus limiting their collective potential. Effective knowledge management is one of the most important tasks for organizations.

🔸 Why is the lack of knowledge-sharing a problem in the workplace?

Lack of knowledge-sharing significantly limits the overall potential of an organization. When valuable know-how isn’t shared effectively on an organization level, organizations run the risk of losing that know-how when individuals leave a company. This requires additional time and resources to recruit and train employees and provide them with the necessary experience that enriches their skill set. Furthermore, active knowledge-sharing increases the sense of recognition of individual team members, thus improving employee engagement and retention.

🔸 How to overcome the lack of knowledge-sharing:

In order to improve knowledge-sharing, organizations should strive to build and maintain a dedicated knowledge base that gathers its specialized know-how. Additionally, organizations need to actively incentivize knowledge-sharing by providing a platform, recognizing and rewarding individual efforts, and encouraging collaboration between disparate individuals and teams.  

Challenge #10: Lack of engagement

In the context of internal communications, organizations are essentially content hubs. If team members don’t engage with and respond to the content that the company produces, if they feel disassociated from its proclaimed vision and values, it can be a symptom of faulty communication practices. 

🔸 Why is the lack of engagement a problem in the workplace? 

Employees that are responsive to the organization’s messages and engaged with its guiding principles are more driven and motivated to contribute to the success of the whole. Conversely, disengaged employees are less motivated and invested in the shared work, which hinders their performance and their commitment. 

🔸 How to overcome the lack of engagement:

Lack of engagement is usually the result of a number of factors, not all of which are rooted in poor communication practices. However, communication is certainly a contributing factor. When formulating and distributing messages, organizations should consider the following aspects: the relevance of the message to the receiver, the optimal amount of information, clarity of information, the optimal channels of distribution, and the possibility of feedback. 

Challenge #11: Poor written communication

In a modern work setting, a large volume of communication takes place in writing. The quality of business writing represents the organization. While poor grammar, weak sentence structure, and general disregard for tidiness is acceptable in informal work communication, it has no place in company-wide communication and distribution of information. Poorly written communication also includes heavy use of professional jargon and slang, as well as disregard for language barriers. 

🔸 Why is poorly written communication a problem in the workplace? 

Official written communication, in its many forms, is a reflection of an organization. Grammatical errors, lack of clarity, structure, and order in written communication damages the perception of the organization in the eyes of employees, suggesting a lack of professionality and attention to detail. More importantly, it can also have practical consequences, as poorly worded messages (such as unclear directions, jargon-filled text, complex wording, etc.) can create confusion and uncertainty, which can have a negative effect on both employee performance and satisfaction.

🔸 How to overcome poorly written communication: 

The primary purpose of company-wide communication is to be clearly understood. Many organizations hire communications specialists to handle the creation and distribution of company-wide content. If that is not the case, content creators should at the very least use different grammar tools and involve others in the process to ensure the quality, clarity, and relevance of written communication. The language needs to be plain and easily understandable

Challenge #12: Negative attitudes

Workplace communication is often impeded by attitudinal barriers , defined as behaviors or perceptions that prevent people from communicating effectively. Negative attitudes are primarily influenced by common variables such as age, gender, education, experience, upbringing, lifestyle, or race, and are commonly expressed through behaviors such as prejudice, stereotyping, or emotionality.

🔸 Why are negative attitudes a problem in the workplace? 

Negative attitudes are divisive by nature, meaning that they tend to sow misunderstanding, disagreement, and conflict. They not only hinder effective communication but also disrupt team cohesion and collaboration.

🔸 How to overcome negative attitudes: 

Negative attitudes are rarely rooted in communication, but they can be either exacerbated or managed through communication. While negative attitudes are quite varied and (if needed) should be addressed by team leaders and HR professionals, organizations should tailor their communication to prevent the emergence or nourishment of negative attitudes by being respectful and inclusive to all team members, using affirmative tone and language that focuses on positives, and encouraging feedback. Negative attitudes can be further minimized by encouraging collaboration and eliminating team hierarchies to ensure that everyone has an equal say. 

💡 Pumble Pro Tip

Another way to overcome negative attitudes on a micro level is to learn how to navigate communication with difficult people at work. To learn how to achieve this, be sure to check our guide on the blog and get all the steps:

• How to Deal With Difficult Coworkers: 6 Steps to a Healthier Workspace

Challenge #13: Time zones

This challenge is specific to organizations and teams distributed across distant geographical locations. However, as remote work continues to gain a stronger foothold in the professional market, this challenge also continues to grow in importance. 

🔸 Why are different time zones a problem in the workplace? 

Team members working in different time zones present a specific set of practical operational challenges. As overlapping work hours between geographically dispersed team members are limited or non-existent, the communication unavoidably takes on a different shape. The primary challenge is inconsistent communication and collaboration which can result in unnecessary delays, overlooked messages, and productivity drops. Additional challenges include narrow meeting windows, lack of social interaction, and lack of opportunities for individual recognition. 

🔸 How to overcome different time zones: 

Organizations can overcome this communicational challenge by adhering to the best practices of working across time zones . These practices include prioritizing clear and effective written communication, embracing asynchronous communication rooted in clearly defined team roles and clear processes and guidelines, collective adoption of communication tools, and the respect of both professional boundaries and cultural differences. 

Challenge #14: Technology

In today’s day and age, communication is increasingly fueled by technology. For organizations with multiple offices, as well as the ever-growing number of organizations opting for a remote or a hybrid work model, technology is the only way to keep their disparate parts connected and engaged in shared work.

🔸 Why is technology a problem in the workplace? 

Organizations that struggle to accept digital communication tools provide their competitors with a clear competitive edge. Not only do they fail to capitalize on the obvious benefits of modern communication technology (immediacy, cost-effectiveness, bridging of geographies, etc.), but they also run the risk of missing out on talents now expecting a more flexible work environment.

🔸 How to overcome technology challenges: 

Organizations need to carefully consider their technological infrastructure for communication. Today’s work landscape requires a comprehensive communication platform that handles all communication needs of an organization — from direct communication to information and knowledge sharing. Properly assessing the communicational needs is the first step towards choosing the best team communication tools for their specific setting.  

In conclusion: A challenge is an opportunity to communicate better 

As the global workforce grows more physically distant and reliant on technology, effective internal communication becomes one of the crucial aspects of organizational structure. The emergence of different communication challenges needs to be perceived not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to reassess the communication structure and improve the information flow and professional interactions.

The scenarios highlighted in this blog post represent common occurrences in many workplaces. They are here to help you identify similar challenges in your own professional surroundings and manage them constructively. Rather than causing stress and dissatisfaction, identifying communication challenges should be seen as an opportunity to improve the way we interact with fellow professionals and communicate better for a more fulfilling and productive workplace.

Secure, real-time communication for professionals.

Dunja is a content manager at Pumble, leading a team of communication authors and researchers. She has been researching and writing about communication and psychology, especially in a professional setting, since her university days. As she works remotely herself, she likes helping others not only survive but also thrive in a virtual work environment.

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10 Good Communication Skills In The Workplace (Guide 2024)

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Introduction

Effective communication skills are essential in the modern workplace, regardless of your job level or industry. The ability to communicate information clearly, concisely and with impact can make the difference between success and failure.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore 10 key communication skills that can help you excel in your career. We’ll also discuss why communication skills are so important, the different types of communication, and how to highlight your communication abilities on your CV and in job interviews.

Why Communication Skills Are Important in the Workplace

Communication is one of the most sought-after skills by employers today. Strong communication abilities allow you to:

• Convey information, instructions and ideas effectively
• Build positive relationships with colleagues, managers and clients
• Collaborate productively on projects and solve problems efficiently
• Negotiate, persuade and influence others
• Provide excellent customer service
• Advance your career through effective self-promotion

When communication breaks down in the workplace, it can lead to misunderstandings, reduced productivity, low morale and even conflict. That’s why honing your communication skills is so crucial, no matter what your role or industry.

The 4 Types of Communication Skills

Effective communication is multi-faceted, involving a range of verbal, nonverbal, written and visual skills. The four main types of communication skills are:

Mastering each of these four communication skill types is essential for thriving in the modern workplace.

10 Good Communication Skills Examples for 2024

Here are 10 key communication skills that can help you excel in your career:

Developing these 10 communication skills takes time and practice, but the payoff can be significant for your career success. Regularly assess your communication strengths and weaknesses, and seek out opportunities to improve.

Which Jobs Require Strong Communication Skills?

Communication skills are crucial in virtually every job and industry. Some roles where excellent communication abilities are particularly important include:

• Customer service and sales positions
• Management and leadership roles
• Consultancy and advisory roles
• Public relations and marketing roles
• Teaching, training and coaching roles
• Creative roles like writing, journalism and public speaking

Even for highly technical or specialized jobs, the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and engaging way is invaluable. Strong communication skills can help you excel in your current role and open doors to new career opportunities.

Emphasizing Communication Skills on Your CV and in Interviews

When applying for jobs, it’s important to highlight your communication skills throughout your CV and in job interviews. Here are some tips:

On Your CV:

• Include communication-focused achievements and responsibilities in your work history
• Showcase written communication skills through well-structured, error-free writing
• List relevant communication-related skills and training (e.g. public speaking, negotiation, active listening)
• Provide examples of how you’ve used communication skills to benefit your employer

In Interviews:

• Prepare examples of times you’ve demonstrated strong communication abilities
• Use confident, clear and friendly body language and tone of voice
• Listen carefully to questions and respond concisely and directly
• Ask thoughtful questions that show your engagement and communication skills
• Emphasize your ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders

By emphasizing your communication prowess, you can demonstrate to employers that you have the essential skills to succeed in the role and contribute to the organization.

Effective communication skills are vital for career success in the modern workplace. By mastering the 10 communication skills outlined in this guide – including emotional intelligence, clarity, friendliness, confidence, empathy and more – you can set yourself up for professional advancement.

Remember that communication is a multi-faceted skill that can always be improved through regular practice and self-reflection. Consider taking a career test or psychometric test to better understand your communication strengths and development areas.

With commitment and the right strategies, you can become an exceptional communicator and unlock new opportunities for growth and success in your career.