Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Whether it’s a business, hospital, or school district, clear and precise communication ensures that employees are aligned with the organization’s goals, understand their roles, and can collaborate effectively. Yet, clarity in communication is often an overlooked or undervalued element in many workplaces. In our work with schools, this is a piece of the alignment and systems work that we often find can be a barrier to trust, buy-in, professional learning & collaboration, and overall happiness of employees. Here’s why it is essential and how organizations can foster a culture of clear communication.
Why Clarity in Communication Matters
Reduces Misunderstandings and Errors: Ambiguity in messages can lead to confusion, missed deadlines, and costly errors. For example, unclear instructions on a project may cause teams to go in different directions, leading to wasted time and resources. Clear communication ensures that everyone is on the same page from the beginning.
Improves Productivity: When employees understand exactly what is expected of them, they can work more efficiently. When expectations aren’t clear, it results in employee burnout. Clarity removes the need for constant follow-ups, guesswork, or misinterpretations, enabling employees to focus on their tasks and perform better.
Enhances Decision-Making: In the education world, we refer to the hidden norms of schools. The “understood” things of a school that aren’t explicitly communicated with new employees. In an environment where communication is transparent, decision-makers at every level are provided with precise and complete information. This enables them to make informed, timely decisions that propel the organization towards mastering its goals.
Builds Trust and Relationships: Employees and teams that communicate openly and clearly develop a foundation of trust. When people know they can rely on transparent communication, collaboration becomes smoother, and workplace relationships strengthen. Removing the guesswork, opens up the potential and mental energy towards creativity and new solutions generated through collaboration.
Encourages Accountability: When communication is clear, roles and responsibilities are well defined. Employees understand their duties and are more likely to take ownership of their work, knowing that their tasks are understood and aligned with the broader organizational goals. Clear expectations allow for celebrating what works and providing constructive feedback on areas that need continued growth.
Barriers to Clear Communication
Despite the obvious benefits, achieving clarity in communication can be challenging. This is “people” work! Three of the top barriers that we see when working with teams include:
Complex Jargon & Acronyms
Specialized language may be familiar to certain departments but can alienate others. Clear communication means ensuring everyone, regardless of their expertise, understands the message. We shouldn’t assume that everyone knows the jargon and acronyms and should intentionally communicate and review these items often.
Overloading Information
Sometimes, too much information can obscure the main point. Delivering concise, targeted messages prevents overwhelming the recipient. The packaging and organization of information sent through emails is critical. For example, long, paragraph form emails aren’t the most effective in communicating information. To be honest, those emails typically don’t get read in a timely fashion, or at all! Bulleting, simple statements, titles, denoting action items and deadlines, etc. would be more beneficial in communicating essential information through email.
Assumptions and Unspoken Expectations
Assuming that others understand the same context or perspective can lead to gaps in communication. It’s important to articulate expectations explicitly and review them often to avoid misunderstandings & frustrations. Assuming that messages will make their way to all levels of the organization is equally as frustrating to employees and works against the efficiency and accuracy of the work. What is your system, your checks and balances, to ensure that the transfer of information is occurring?
Fostering Clear Communication
While it’s easy to fall into one of the three pitfalls above, it’s easier to avoid them altogether. Here are 7 actions that make an impact on team communication:
1. Encourage a Culture of Feedback: One of the best ways to ensure communication is clear is to create an open environment where employees feel comfortable seeking clarification. Encouraging feedback and two-way dialogue can uncover miscommunication early on. This needs to be modeled by leadership as well. What systems can be established to foster individual goal setting and feedback?
2. Use Simple and Direct Language: Organizations should promote the use of simple, straightforward language in both internal and external communications. Avoiding unnecessary jargon and being specific about details can help ensure clarity. With the ability to hyperlink information to emails/documents, you can provide more information for those who might need it. If the communication is going to the whole organization or district, consider creating common talking points that will be shared by all.
3. Provide Communication Training: With social media and texting being typical means of communication today, regular training sessions on effective in person and email communication can help employees at all levels improve their ability to convey messages clearly. This can be particularly useful for leaders, whose communication impacts the entire team. The intentional facilitation of understanding each other and how we operate, allows us to create norms or agreements on how we can successfully communicate and work together.
4. Standardize Communication Tools: Whether it’s email, project management software, or video conferencing platforms, having standardized tools can streamline communication processes. When everyone uses the same tools, messages are less likely to get lost or misunderstood. This might look like always communicating to employees through the same platform, communicating weather cancellations/delays through the same outlets each time, or establishing a common format for teacher websites to help parents better navigate them.
5. Be Intentional with Meetings: Meetings should have clear agendas and objectives. Time spent in meetings should focus on specific outcomes, and follow-up communications should recap key takeaways, ensuring clarity on action items and next steps. Logistical items that can be read in an email or newsletter, should be! Expecting employees to read these in a timely manner is key. Holding to the meeting time and keeping it sacred from other topics or matters that need done builds trust amongst the team.
6. Leverage Visuals and Documentation: Supplementing verbal communication with written or visual documentation can reinforce the message. Well-structured reports, diagrams, and flowcharts help provide a clear, shared understanding of complex issues. We know that many people rely on visuals when learning and processing new information. We consider this in our classrooms–why not our teacher meetings? Providing a space for note-taking on documents is also helpful.
7. Designate Time for the “People” Work: The elephant in the room–When do we have time to do this? You have to create the systems and build in the time to get this right. We see so often that the time isn’t designated for the “people” work. Time and again we find that those who build in the time and are intentional in this work, reap the benefits of efficiency, satisfied employees, and are more likely to meet their organizational goals. In other words, the time used is well worth the while!
Clarity in communication is fundamental to organizational success. It reduces errors, enhances productivity, and builds stronger relationships among employees. By fostering an environment where clear communication is valued, and by providing the right tools and training, organizations can ensure that their teams are better equipped to collaborate, innovate, and achieve their goals. Remember, the clearer the message, the more successful the outcome. As Brené Brown so eloquently put it, “Clear is Kind.”
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