Even in a business world dominated by technology, inter-office communication remains a vital component of any good business. And it can take many forms, “written and verbal,” writes Arlette Measures, Houston Chronicle. “ It can be between managers and employees within a company, or between a company and its customers, partners or suppliers. The purpose of business communication also varies, but it should always benefit your business.”
According to studies conducted by MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory, communication is one of the most important factors of any successful team.
“Effective internal communications can keep employees engaged in the business and help companies retain key talent, provide consistent value to customers, and deliver superior financial performance to shareholders,” according to the Watson Wyatt Effective Communication 2009/2010 ROI Study Report.
How Do Your Employees Communicate?
According to Talent Management, 86% of employees blame lack of good communication and collaboration for workplace failures.“The general consensus of the executives was that effective communication skills are more important now than ever before for business success,” say researchers James Bennet and Robert Olney, “and these skills will continue to be a critical component of the information society.”
According to a January 2013 employer survey conducted by Hart Research Associates, 93 percent of employers consider good communication skills more important than a college graduate’s major. So, the big question is how well do your employees communicate? According to MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory successful teams share several characteristics. See how many your team exhibit.
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- Communication is a two-way street. “Effective communication within a company involves listening and responding,” says Measures. One person talks, and everyone actively listens before responding.
- Communication is brief, but meaningful. Don’t over-complicate things. Be concise and get to the point, but be sure to explain the rationale behind your decisions. “When giving instructions, planning a project or explaining a change in policy, it’s important to convey the reasons behind a request or decision,” says Measures. “Such consideration helps to promote understanding and build trust.”
- Body language is important. Be mindful of your posture, facial expressions, hand gestures, and even tone of voice. According to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, 93 percent of all communication is non-verbal. This non-verbal component is made up of body language (55 percent) and tone of voice (38 percent).
- Collaboration and communication is important across all levels. According to the University of Oregon’s Holden Leadership Center, businesses should strive for open communication between employees and management. “Employees can experience an increase in morale, productivity and commitment if they are able to communicate up and down the communication chain in an organization,” says Jennifer Lombardo, study.com.
- Side conversations are not a deterrent, but a propellant. The more communication the better. “We’ve found patterns of communication to be the most important predictor of a team’s success,” writes study author Alex “Sandy” Pentland, MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory.
- Team members actively search for helpful information and share this with the team. Collaboration is a key component of communication. Your team must be willing to seamlessly work together in order to communicate clearly across all levels.
How does your team stack up? If you are missing a few key components, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world. Good communication is like a muscle. It can be strengthened through hard work. At Terrapin Adventures, our custom team building programs challenge your group to step out of their comfort zones and encourage them to work together and communicate to solve certain tasks.
Building Better Communication With Terrapin Adventures
“An improvement in employee morale can result from effective communication,” writes Rose Johnson, Houston Chronicle. “Employees appreciate good communication.” And a day of team building can be just what the doctor ordered.
Through a series of exciting and carefully designed Corporate Team Building activities, your group will find better, more effective ways to communicate and work with each other. Each activity is led by one of our experienced facilitators, who will not only help guide your experience, but also tie the lessons back into the workplace
“Spending time together, sharing an experience or working towards a common goal allows bonding to happen more organically and far more effectively,” says O2E Brands founder and CEO Brian Scudamore. “Team building is the most important investment you can make for your people.”
Get in touch with a Guest Relations Specialist today and ask about how we can help you plan your team building event.
Request a Quote for Your Corporate Team Building Adventure!
After each team building exercise, your group will sit down with their facilitator to discuss the lessons behind each activity and how they translate to the business world. This discussion is designed to reinforce these lessons and help ensure that the progress made during your team building outing sticks.
If you have any questions, please call Terrapin Adventure at 301.725.1313, or email us at info@terrapinadventures.com to learn more.
Works Cited
- Johnson, Rose. “What Are the Benefits of Effective Communication in the Workplace?” Chron.com, smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-effective-communication-workplace-20198.html. Accessed 21 Sept. 2017.
- Lohrey, Jackie. “How Communication Affects Productivity Statistics.” Your Business, yourbusiness.azcentral.com/communication-affects-productivity-statistics-27004.html. Accessed 21 Sept. 2017.
- Measures, Arlette . “What Are the Benefits of Business Communication?” Chron.com, smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-business-communication-3194.html. Accessed 21 Sept. 2017.