Get the message across: 5 ways business leaders can encourage effective communication

Effective communication has been a prominent topic within the business world in recent years with the onset of remote and hybrid work practices.

Workers, managers and business owners have had to ensure that their written messages are coming across clearly and concisely, while an increase in online meetings has also placed increased importance on establishing clear and effective communication.

Establishing the meaning of a particular email, video call, or text message can be especially difficult since the recipient is unable to gauge the sender’s emotions as much as in person. This can lead to poor communication between employers, employees, and clients.

Poor communication can have ripple effects across the whole business, prompting additional challenges that might prove to be costly both in the short and long term.

As a result, business leaders have to stop and analyse their habits and policies in detail to see whether they are encouraging an environment that fosters collaboration and open communication, or one that hinders them.

With this in mind, here are five tips business leaders need to put in place to facilitate and promote effective communication throughout their organisation.

1) Do not be afraid of repetition

Repetition might initially come across as annoying, but it is highly effective at getting the idea across.

On certain occasions, conveying the same idea in an alternative way might guide the receiver more.

Business leaders can choose to repeat an idea or task by sending it on email, discussing it during in-person conversations, and also reaffirming its importance through text messages. This might be tedious at first, yet business leaders that choose to do so can encourage their teams to complete projects on time and in a smoother manner.

2) Keep your message concise and to the point

As people get busier, attention spans get shorter and shorter.

Therefore, business leaders need to share information in a clear and concise way, so that the point comes across, without losing the receiver’s focus.

This can be done by placing the most important and essential material in an email or text message right at the very beginning. During meetings, business leaders can opt to list the agenda and the critical topics that will be covered at the start, so that the attendees can have a better idea of what will be said.

When the main information is hidden away in a chunk of text, or unmentioned till the very end of a meeting, then people will most likely miss it.

3) Simple is often better

Tied to the previous point, expressing ideas in a simple way will allow the message to be transmitted more clearly.

It is important to remember that the ultimate goal is to discuss plans and projects, not to impress others.

Using long, uncomplicated and unnecessary words makes receivers feel less engaged, thus completely restricting effective communication.

4) Caption and transcribe video content and virtual meetings

Introducing captions can have an incredible effect on the listener’s comprehension and retention in videos or online meetings.

Additionally, captions also enable content to become accessible to people who have impaired hearing, learning challenges, or else are non-native speakers of the language. Tools such as captions or transcriptions can ensure they consume the whole gist of the message.

5) Promote feedback and collaboration

Feedback is an essential quality that enhances a business’s growth from all fronts.

Providing proper feedback does not only improve work performance, but it also allows business leaders to motivate their employees so that they can correct their mistakes and approach a project or idea differently.

This is also the case for business leaders themselves, as they need to allow employees, whatever their position, to express themselves and provide their own opinions on matters. This can create a creative environment that fosters ideas, together with a more engaging workplace that makes the employees feel a part of the business even more.