5 Reasons Why Communication Is Important in a Team

The benefits of building an effective team within the workplace cannot be understated. All effective teams need to understand the importance of group communication because it is crucial to their success. Effective communication within a team will build a common purpose among team members that will allow them to reach their goals. Frequent friendly communication can help team members develop a sense of belonging and strengthen relationships. Effective team leaders know that group communication drives organizational efficiency. As employees understand the standards for their work, they will be more willing to reach out for help when they need it and the team will become more capable. Strong group communication will create understanding and that understanding will create powerful relationships within a team.

Yet, after you’ve laid the groundwork for a great team, maintenance is the most important factor.

No one doubts the importance of team building in an organization, but the necessity to maintain the team and continually foster an environment where it can grow is sometimes overlooked. Just like any engine in a car, in order for all the pieces to function perfectly and reliably, the integral parts must be serviced regularly. Effective coaching for your team may mean the difference between significant long-term productivity and a slow decline into obsolescence.

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Maintaining Effective Communication Within a Team

Every system naturally has a tendency to break down. This isn’t just my opinion; it is the way of all human interaction. Without consistent lubrication and preventive maintenance to keep your people performing at their best, your team will digress into a meaningless, under-optimized machine. The key is to think creatively when renewing team purpose and commitment.

5 Reasons Why Communication is Important in a Team

The most significant factor in any team is the ability to communicate skillfully. As a leader, it is extremely important for you to be honest in evaluating the team’s communication skills. How can you make sure your communication is driving unity and not sowing discord? How can you communicate in a way that empowers your team? Here are a few reasons why communicating on a team is important:

1. Sets Team Communication Goals

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Setting team communication goals can help ensure team communication maintains its effectiveness. Develop goals that will enhance mutual understanding and collaboration throughout your team. Defining the challenges to your team’s communication will help you clearly see where you need to improve. While setting team communication goals can help define overall communication objectives, you can also use them to focus on specific aspects of communication that can be improved.

2. Doesn’t Reinvent the Wheel

Remember, no matter what kind of problem your team may be facing, chances are someone else has already dealt with a similar issue and has a unique way to approach it. Seek these people out with a passion; they will inspire both you and your team to excel. Standing on the shoulders of others is a critical key to the transformation and forward progress of your team. You may be able to apply the previously developed method rather than spending your valuable time on your own trial and error. Here are a few tried-and-true communication principles that can help you get started.

3. Makes Time For Communication

Teams need time to communicate, which makes finding that time an important objective. Setting aside time for meetings and quick syncs or project updates can help your team build trust and communicate effectively. Giving your team time to communicate will also allow them the opportunity to celebrate each other or reach out about issues.

4. Keeps Things Clear

If you have ever experienced complicated and confusing communication, you understand why straightforward, understandable team communication is so important. Oftentimes, organizational communication is intended to keep everyone on the same page, but it needs to be clear in order to do so. Make sure the purpose of your communication is easily understood whether you are communicating in person or digitally. Your team shouldn’t have to guess your desired outcome or the intended recipient.

5. Shows Respect

In order for team communication to be effective, it’s important that it’s respectful. Showing respect in communication can be as simple as respecting your team’s time and keeping communication productive and streamlined. Constructive criticism also needs to be given and received in a respectful manner. There will be times when team members are wrong, but maintaining respectful communication can be the difference between a quick correction and a complete derailment.

The Secret to an Effective Team Communication Strategy: Check in Regularly

Good communication means just that–going the extra step to assure progress. Checking in with your team members means more than making sure their productivity is staying high. A teammate who is at the end of his rope when it comes to workload may seem productive; right up to the moment that he ‘breaks.’ When this happens, the personnel gap may cost you more money than if you had checked in frequently with the team member and discovered the issues before they became problems.

This post was contributed by Alisa Johnson, a guest writer, who writes about the top online business school. She welcomes your feedback at Alisa.Johnson1982 at gmail.com