One of the biggest issues facing modern workplaces is communication. Communication happens at every level of the workplace. It trickles down from the top, it happens between supervisors and their subordinates, and it takes place between employees. From human to human, a lot can go wrong when a message is passed from one person to another. Assumptions are made, details are lost, and body language can be misunderstood. 

In order to have better communication in the workplace, everyone needs to be on board and work toward better messaging between one another. Here are some tips for improving the communication channels in your workplace.

1. Employee Training

Your co-workers have varying levels of education, so not everyone has received the same type of instruction and training. One type of training that would benefit all employees is negotiation training. While this type of training is imperative for supervisors and human resources personnel, it is also beneficial to all employees, no matter what department they work in. After all, there are times when employees need to work things out between themselves. 

There are many different types of communication training. If your company has a training department, see what other courses could help improve communication in your workplace. 

2. Company Newsletter

An integral piece to allowing everyone to feel like a part of the team is ensuring everyone understands current and future plans. If your workplace is implementing decisions before notifying employees, that could be a big problem. Employees who are left out will have low morale, and once the morale starts lowering, it starts spreading like wildfire. 

Having an accessible company newsletter will provide a valuable resource to employees. Make sure it gets to their inbox so they can read it at their leisure. Be sure to also provide print copies that can be picked up in areas where employees gather, such as near the timeclock and in the break room. Employees really do care about what happens at the place they work, and the more they know, the further they’ll be engaged. 

3. Regular Meetings

There are two types of meetings that need to happen in the workplace. Meetings that include all employees, and meetings that are more personal in nature.

One on one meetings between supervisors and managers, and supervisors and entry-level employees are important. These meetings not only allow supervisors or managers to provide feedback on the quality of an employee’s output, but they also provide opportunities for employees to discuss their own concerns and grievances in addition to their hopes for their future at the company. 

A good supervisor will have regularly scheduled meetings with every employee he or she oversees. Meetings should take place no less than once a month, but preferably a couple of times each month. 

Also vital to sharing information are company-wide meetings. At these meetings not only is information shared, but it’s also a chance to celebrate all employees and everything they have achieved. 

4. Body Language

Body language is one of the number one reasons people misunderstand one another. How you signal with your body can send the wrong cues. It can make you seem unapproachable, unhappy, and even downright hateful. Many times people send these signals unintentionally and then wonder why people respond to them the way they do. 

While there may not be much you can do about other people’s body language, you can certainly work on your own. A smile lets people know you’re available for discussion and eye contact lets them know you’re paying attention. Study up on body language and find out what other ways you may be able to make improvements to how you are perceived. 

Human communication is complicated, perhaps because it happens in so many ways. It’s easy to get signals crossed, and it’s also easy to miss it entirely. If you see that communication is an issue in your workplace, discuss ideas for making improvements with your supervisor.