Can you imagine a successful business that isn’t skilled at communication? I can’t. Communication is the cornerstone of all successful relationships including the ones a business forms with customers, clients, and its own staff. Yet being a skilled communicator doesn’t always come naturally. That’s why I’m offering these five tips on the importance of communication in business organization.
1. It Fosters Empathy
I happen to believe this is the secret to successful communication. When you’re looking at the importance of communication in a business organization, you can’t overlook empathy. Not everyone is naturally empathetic and it would be a bit ironic if you couldn’t relate to someone’s lack of empathy. So I would start by conducting team building exercises that promote this quality. This can include developing active listening skills by repeating back a coworker’s vacation story or presenting a summary of your conversation with them.
Empathy is about seeing a situation from someone else’s perspective. So if a customer is dissatisfied with a product or service, imagine how you’d feel in a similar situation. What action would you expect? Being empathetic toward staff is equally vital. No one wants to miss deadlines or deliver inferior work. So before berating, question. Be curious, not judgmental. You’ll likely discover an underlying cause like an overwhelming number of tasks or a personal issue. By communicating, you can help them deal with and even resolve their challenges.
2. It Builds Trust
Mean what you say. Say what you mean. This simple mantra is the lifeblood of positive communication. The importance of communication in business organization is that it helps everyone involved develop trust. Over time, you come to expect a level of service from suppliers and a level of performance from staff. Communication helps build trust when you are honest. If you are having trouble meeting a customer’s needs, acknowledge this. Assess where the problem is, address it, and let the customer know what steps you are taking. Overcoming a broken promise is very difficult. Avoid breaking promises but if something unexpected prevents you from keeping your word, then make sure you clearly communicate about the reason.
3.It Improves Customer Service
Amazon famously makes customer satisfaction their number one goal. As founder Jeff Bezos puts it, “We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” That means not only addressing concerns but anticipating needs. Using the Amazon example, the company has grown from a book-delivery service to one that meets numerous customer needs from groceries to web services to entertainment. They do that through effective communication.
4. It Fosters Innovation and Creativity
Staff members must not be terrified of failure. Open up meetings and other forums to ideas –– realizing they may come from unexpected sources. Just as a janitor solved a complex equation in Good Will Hunting, your IT team may have a game-changing marketing idea. You’ll never know if you don’t communicate.
5. It Creates Strong Teams
People who work alone are less concerned about communication than those whose job requires the assistance of coworkers. Teams are forged through honest, thoughtful communication. If your team has gotten off track or one member misunderstood another, it’s important to take the time to polish up everyone’s communication skills.
There are so many more ways to communicate today than there were a few decades ago. We not only talk face-to-face but through phone calls, video conferences, IM, texts, and many more. Yet all those added ways to communicate doesn’t make the process easier. Instead, learning each form is like learning a new language. Taking the time to improve your communication across multiple platforms and forums will make your company’s success far more likely.
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