How to Improve Work Communication: Tips and Strategies

When it comes to workplace communication strategy, business leaders have a lot to consider. What’s the best channel for discussing an urgent matter? Should you address a delicate situation in person, or does email suffice? And how should you collaborate with remote team members?

Countless communication tools and strategies can improve productivity, encourage teamwork, and help reduce conflict in the workplace — all while driving business success. Let’s explore how work communication solutions can revolutionize collaboration and performance in the workplace.

What is workplace communication?

Workplace communication refers to the exchange of information within a work environment. This includes your typical emails, Slack messages, and team meetings, but it can also extend to nonverbal communications such as handshakes, facial expressions, tone of voice, and even emoji reactions. Workplace communication plays a big role in business by shaping employees’ professional relationships with co-workers, supervisors, direct reports, partners, and clients.

Benefits of workplace communication

Professionals spend nearly 90% of the workweek communicating, according to Grammarly’s 2024 State of Business Communication report. So it’s safe to say that effective workplace communication can impact an organization’s productivity, conflict management strategy, and overall culture. Here’s how.

Improved productivity

For effective workplace communication, it’s key to keep things clear, relevant, and to the point. When leaders and managers set precise goals and give clear instructions, it helps reduce confusion, minimizes mistakes, and keeps projects moving smoothly.

Incorporating tools like business messaging platforms into communication strategies can also make a big difference. These technologies help streamline workflows and boost productivity, making it easier for teams to stay on track and collaborate efficiently.

Increased engagement

Collaboration tools such as email, instant messages, virtual workspaces, and huddles can bring co-workers together to foster better communication and boost employee engagement. Whether team members are voting in a poll in Slack, chatting about weekend plans before a meeting, or sharing accomplishments in a team Slack channel, work communication creates meaningful moments for colleagues to connect, celebrate each other’s successes, and strengthen team bonds.

Effective business communication from company leadership keeps employees informed and encourages feedback. By actively listening to concerns, leaders can build rapport with team members and ultimately shape a better work environment for everyone.

Collaboration and teamwork

Every great idea starts with communication. Whether you’re a people manager or in an associate position, sharing your ideas early on and asking for input can foster camaraderie and help your teammates feel invested in a project. When teams collaborate on a shared goal, it allows people from different departments and backgrounds to play on each other’s strengths and, ultimately, contribute to business success.

Reduced conflict

Conflict in the workplace happens. It’s a normal part of any community, whether professional or social. The best way to resolve and prevent conflict is — you guessed it — effective communication. Whether you respectfully approach someone in person to discuss a conflict or set up a video conferencing call, taking the time to ask clarifying questions and actively listen to co-workers can make a big difference.

Managers can set the right tone for conflict resolution by acting as mediators and ensuring conversations remain respectful and professional.

How to improve workplace communication

Poor communication at work can cause misunderstandings, delays, and plenty of frustration. Over time, these issues can build up and start to affect important business outcomes. To avoid these challenges, check out some tips and strategies for improving workplace communication.

Developing strong communication skills at work

• Active listening involves asking questions to ensure you understand the information being presented so you can offer helpful responses. Actively listening to others demonstrates investment and interest in the conversation, whether it’s in person or over a video conference.
  
• Nonverbal communication is critical to effective listening, problem-solving, and collaboration. Your words will fall flat if you’re looking around the room, yawning, or checking your watch during a discussion. Use tactics like leaning in, making eye contact, and nodding to show that you’re engaged. In a virtual setting, emoji reactions and asking questions using the chat feature can have the same effect.
  
• Asking for feedback is essential for understanding how your performance impacts the team and identifying areas for growth. It offers valuable insights that can drive positive changes and guide future decisions. Whether through meetings, quick huddles, or surveys, feedback gives managers the opportunity to refine their communication strategies and create a more effective workplace.
  
• Consider your audience so you can tailor your language and message to the person or group you’re speaking to. How you share information with an intern, for example, should differ from how you’d communicate with the CEO. Learn how to adapt content for specific audiences, paying special attention to the tone, context, channel, and goals of the message.
  
• Transparency is key to cultivating trust at work. A 2023 Slack survey found that stronger trust leads to better focus, higher productivity, and greater overall satisfaction with work. When team members feel out of the loop, it can increase stress and create a chasm between leadership and employees. Establishing an open and honest company culture starts with management and can ultimately ease work-related anxieties and increase employee productivity.
  
• Building rapport with teammates can make a world of difference. Lean on communication tools to strengthen bonds, especially among remote and hybrid colleagues. And remember: Rapport takes time. Start with simple exchanges, such as casually checking in over Slack and asking about weekend plans in the break room.

 

Improving remote communication

Much of the corporate world has moved on from cubicles and open offices. Whether you’re new to remote work or you’ve been at it for a while, consider these tips for improving remote communication:

 

• Share expectations. Business leaders and human resources reps should clearly communicate policies regarding technology use, response times, and working hours so everyone knows what to expect.
• Set up employees for success. Managers should make sure everyone on their team has access to the tools and training they need to perform their jobs.
• Use tech solutions. Transform your digital workplace with a work operating system such as Slack, which lets you dedicate channels for specific topics, teams, clients, and projects.
• Prioritize engagement. Managers should find ways to encourage remote employee engagement whenever possible. Try starting meetings with icebreakers to help attendees connect with each other, and make time for casual conversations to strengthen those bonds.

 

Overcoming common communication obstacles

Poor communication can hurt a business’s overall success, so it’s important for leaders to be ready to address challenges with professionalism and care, as they come up.

Navigating issues with technology

Integral to the modern workplace, technology has the power to unite distributed teams and accelerate productivity. But when leveraged incorrectly, tech can also lead to challenges such as network outages, software glitches, and device malfunctions.

Consider these best practices before you have to navigate any tech-related obstacles:

• Make an outage plan. Make a contingency plan for Wi-Fi or software outages, and share it widely in writing with your team.
• Require regular software updates. All employees should update devices and apps when prompted. It’s important to install updates regularly to reduce security risks, device malfunctions, and lapses in connectivity.
• Establish communication expectations. Managers should set digital communication expectations with their direct reports to prepare for challenges such as power outages and time spent away from devices. Teams should dedicate channels to sharing updates and issues, and teammates should update their Slack statuses when they’re unavailable.
• Host regular training. HR teams can host training sessions before rolling out new communication software so all team members understand how to use the new tech and whom to ask for help.

Managing cultural differences

Distributed workforces are often diverse, bringing together people from various locations, genders, and backgrounds. Diverse teams bring varied perspectives and opinions about the world and may communicate differently from one another. To maintain respect and professionalism when working on a diverse team, leaders should keep these communication differences in mind.

Consider these strategies to promote diversity and inclusion in your organization:

 

• Work with DEI professionals to host regular anti-bias and cross-cultural training sessions.
• During a meeting, give all attendees a chance to share by asking for feedback, opinions, and perspectives.
• Distribute meeting agendas at least 24 hours in advance so all attendees can review and prepare with ample time.
• Make important conversations, negotiations, and meetings accessible to all employees by using language translators and closed captioning.

Considering generational differences

There are now five generations of employees in the workforce. This age diversity brings varied ideas, tech proficiency levels, and life experiences. To properly navigate communication on a multigenerational team, managers must set expectations and provide support to ensure no one feels alienated or left behind.

Team leaders should encourage their direct reports to share their communication preferences and establish a communication strategy that considers different needs. All work-related communications should be clear and easy to understand. Avoid slang terms and using certain emoji in messages, which can be alienating, inappropriate, or offensive.

What to look for in a work communication tool

The right business communication tool for your team should come with the following features:

• Video calls. Select a tool that can host your weekly team Zoom meeting and an impromptu huddle.
• Security. Keep your company data safe with an encrypted system that offers governance and risk-management options that adapt to your needs.
• Messaging. Look for a tool that lets users chat through video, audio, or text.
• App integration. Streamline your workflow with a system that integrates with the apps you use daily.
• Collaboration with partners and clients. Select a solution such as Slack Connect that allows for communication between co-workers and external clients and partners, all in the same workspace.
• File sharing. The system you choose should let you upload, link, or drag and drop files directly into conversations so you can easily collaborate with co-workers and meet important deadlines.
• AI functionality. Look for an AI-powered communication tool that helps save you time by summarizing conversations, providing context, and answering questions.

 

Communicate effectively at work with the right tools

Particularly in remote and hybrid workspaces, effective, streamlined communication is more important than ever for business success. Workplace communication facilitates collaboration so  co-workers and their organizations can increase productivity and engagement while reducing confusion and conflict.

A robust work operating system like Slack connects you with the people, apps, and data you need to work smarter.