All aspects of a work environment need to function efficiently for the company to achieve its goals, regardless of the area of activity or the number of people involved. One of the most important attributes that can compromise overall performance is communication errors.
Communication errors at work go beyond simple misunderstandings or undelivered messages. Just as important as knowing how to identify them in the early stages and correct them appropriately is ensuring guidance and training so that employees can avoid these situations.
In this article, you will understand how to bring existing challenges to light and propose functional and practical solutions to minimize the negative impacts of communication errors and strengthen relationships in the workplace.
The importance of efficient communication at work
Effective communication at work is essential for companies that want to achieve high performance and a functional environment. This is because errors can, for example:
- Generate conflicts between people;
- Negatively affect productivity and relationships with partners and customers;
- Harm the organizational climate;
- Impact the company’s financial results.
A direct and effective flow of information prevents noise that may cause rework and thereby project delay and delay in deliveries. Similarly, an effective communication channel for passing information between individuals and sectors facilitates such messages being understood by the parties more easily.
In addition, it is also important that the organizational culture within the company facilitates active listening or open communication between its workers because much of communication mistakes comes from this source, and not working on this dimension tends to exaggerate issues.
6 most common communication mistakes
Communication errors can be present in any work environment, and the most common ones that tend to cause obstacles for companies are:
1. Lack of clarity in instructions
When messages are not conveyed in a clear, concise and comprehensible manner, this can result in misinterpretations, misunderstandings and confusion among staff, resulting, for instance, in failures in the performance of tasks.
These issues arise due to a range of reasons, including the use of vague or unsuitable language, the exclusion of key information, and a lack of agreement on objectives and expectations.
Here, straightforward solutions are followed, such as delegating tasks directly and specifically, verifying the person who received the message’s understanding of it, preventing ambiguities or lengthy messages to ensure they are understood.
2. One-way communication
Unilateral communication takes place when a single party talks while the other remains silent or there is no communication between the two parties. Meanwhile, precious information is lost, creating doubts, inaccuracies and even mistakes that undermine performance.
That’s why it is so necessary to have a feedback culture. This procedure is not a mere information exchange process, but also a fundamental instrument of alignment of expectations, exchange of ideas and experiences, effort recognition, and correction of performance deviations.
In order to prevent communication mistakes of this sort, it is necessary that the company encourages this practice effectively, with open communications both between groups and one on one (two-way conversation between two people only) and provides a secure environment for opinions and recommendations.
3. Excessive use of jargon and technical terms
Technical jargon is prevalent in any firm due to its business nature. Not every employee might be aware of these certain words and phrases, which makes it challenging to comprehend messages and miscommunicate, particularly in diverse teams.
Being in such a scenario, it becomes crucial that the company determines the most important words and makes suitable adjustments to an extent of understanding the subject matter (or language) to everyone within the workplace.
Simplifying the technical vocabulary employed in daily activities is an effective means of evading communication issues. For firms with high technical requirements, where the application of complex terms is necessary in their day-to-day activities, there might be a need for specialized training to enhance comprehension by all workers.
4. Lack of active listening
Active listening is a communication skill that entails listening completely and sincerely to what the other individual is communicating, with the goal of actually comprehending their ideas, emotions and requirements. It is a habit that entails empathy, complete focus and the lack of judgment or distractions.
In the business world, failure to listen to what other workers say can result in misunderstandings, misinterpretations and even interpersonal issues.
To develop the active listening technique, it is essential to pay attention to some practices, such as:
- concentrate fully on the interlocutor, avoiding distractions and demonstrating interest through eye contact and positive body language ;
- let the other side finish their ideas without interrupting or making abrupt expressions;
- confirm understanding of ideas whenever possible or when there are doubts;
- practice empathy by understanding another person’s point of view;
5. Inadequate communication
Poor communication is likely one of the most prevalent errors within the workplace. This occurs for two reasons: inappropriate selection of tools and employing a tone not suited to the context in crafting the message.
An example of a wrong choice is the famous situation “meeting that could have been replaced by email”. In many cases, a written communication is enough to align a demand without having to interrupt the work of the people involved.
Identifying the appropriate channels for different situations before executing the communication is an essential step. Here are some examples:
- face-to-face meetings are more efficient for exchanging information, strategic alignment, collective decision-making or teamwork ;
- Emails can be used for general communications, presenting early-stage ideas, sending reports, or solving simple problems;
- Quick online calls are great for answering specific questions or for immediate resolutions.
6. Ignoring cultural and linguistic differences
In teams with many people, especially in companies with international operations, it is common for there to be cultural and even language differences among employees. This multiculturalism tends to be enriching and valuable if there is harmony and empathy within the group, but it can also encounter difficulties due to language and sociocultural barriers.
The solution for these cases is to offer specific training, aiming to reduce communication errors and increase efficiency at work. In addition, workshops are a great opportunity to integrate multicultural teams, promoting empathy and employee alignment.
