Workplace Communication

Are you the owner of your own company? The manager? Or do you work for a company under a boss or several bosses? No matter what your position in the company is, proper communication is essential in the workplace. If people aren’t communicating then how is everything supposed to get done?

This week in Deeper Thoughts we’re going to talk about communication in the workplace. Why? Because not everyone realizes how important a role in workplace communication plays in your workplace experience. Many of us have had bosses who didn’t fully explain what they wanted done and got upset halfway through a project because you didn’t “do things the way you were supposed to,” or they said they wanted you to do something one way, but didn’t articulate it correctly, or left out details because they just assumed you knew exactly what they wanted.

You can work in an industry you love with people you love working with and look forward to seeing every day, but if the communication is off it can make your time there miserable. And more importantly if you’re an owner or manager, you can’t lead your team effectively if you’re not properly communicating.

Management needs to communicate what’s required, the goals, parameters, etc. The employees need to communicate things they need, be it materials they have or are out of, and what help they might need to get better results. If you’re not properly communicating these things, the business will struggle, which means as an owner your business might be a failure, and if you’re a manager, you might be out of a job when your boss is getting upset at the lack of results.

For example, in a restaurant, servers need to communicate effectively with customers to make sure the order is what they want. Those customers might see a menu item and think it’s something completely different than what it is (this happens WAY more than you would expect!) Then that server needs to be able to upsell items such as chicken or salmon on a salad, or sauces that will add an extra pop to that steak the customer ordered. Then that server needs to communicate effectively with the customer to help them choose the right wine or cocktail to go with the ordered dish. So why is all of this important?

1: This raises that ticket price which on average increases the tip the server gets, which considering most restaurants (in the USA) only pay $2.50-$3.00 per hour, those tips are what they pay their bills with.

2: The customer has a better experience which more often than not means a better tip as well, plus increases the odds of that customer coming back to the restaurant and even requesting that server again, which is more money going to that server.

3: The restaurant as a whole benefits. The restaurant owner makes more money, which also means they can reinvest in the business with better sourced foods, better wages for the hourly staff (kitchen and managers) or even expand to other locations.

But proper communication in this scenario isn’t limited to just servers/bartenders and customers.

Kitchen staff need to communicate what food they’ve run out of so servers aren’t running back and forth after an order is placed trying to find something different the customer might want. The servers need to make sure the order is clear especially with changes or add ons so the kitchen can prepare the meal the customer wants. Managers need to make it clear who’s working when and effectively de-escalate situations with angry customers, and communicate to employees where they’re falling short and need to improve on.

Let’s say you’re in a 9-5 job like sales. In sales, management needs to communicate sales goals for certain time periods. Also the sales team needs to effectively communicate their customer’s needs and how their products or services will meet those needs.

Even if you work alone or are self employed, you need to communicate effectively with your clients so you understand their needs and expectations and show them you understand this and how you plan to achieve it for them.

Communication is crucially important for an effective work environment. Make sure you’re able to communicate clearly and effectively. If you’re a leader in a company, the business owner, or even an employee, using proper communication can save you time, energy, and resources while getting better results. Just a few extra seconds to an extra minute or two to get everyone on the same page can save everyone from headaches down the line.

Keep in mind that proper communication is crucial in other areas of life and not just the workplace. If you’re wanting to get ahead in life, work on your communication skills. Thank you for reading and I hope you all have an enlightening day.