Businesses require an active exchange of information within the company. This communication can be between employees of different departments. Sharing information makes it possible for employees to work effectively and coordinate information, decisions, and orders between various departments. Sometimes this sharing extends to other businesses as well. For firms to work professionally and efficiently, smooth business communication is necessary.
When it comes to forms of communication, no single form is best for every scenario. One type may work for one situation but would result in a problem when applied in another case. Hence, there are advantages and disadvantages to every form of communication. For example, emails can work for long and detailed information. Still, they are not suitable if you want to send urgent messages. That is because the recipient may or may not respond to emails on immediate notice, making email an unreliable medium for urgent communication. For this reason, knowing which type to employ for specific purposes is vital for business.
There are multiple ways available to businesses through which information sharing can occur, such as text messages, emails, video conference calls, and in-person meetings. Therefore, companies should have a set of rules regarding which communication method to employ in specific scenarios. That will make information sharing hassle-free and straightforward for everyone.
Not Hiring A Communication Consultant
The first mistake most businesses make is that they don’t hire a communication consultant for the firm. A communication consultant is a person who is responsible for managing all the communication-related activities in the firm. They play a huge role in streamlining the communication process within the company and with the clients. For this reason, there is a growing demand for this post. People are opting for this professional degree in communication. Suppose you don’t have the time to pursue the degree by physically attending classes. In that case, you can instead opt for a communications degree online for yourself. If not, then you can also consider outsourcing this work to professional communication consultants.
Now let’s discuss different forms of business communication that you are using wrong.
1. Using emails for urgent requests
Although employees are required to stay in touch on emails, they get ignored for one reason or the other. Emails can work best for extensive information or for notifications that do not require immediate attention. But in situations where urgent attention is needed, it is not suitable to send emails. Sometimes they turn out to be a wastage of time as it slows down the communication process. Also, unlike chat, you do not get to see whether the email got read or not. Rather than using emails for urgent messages, use text messages or phone calls.
2. Using emails for ongoing conversation
Using emails for long conversations can get tricky. It is hard to keep track of specific information in emails. Although there are certain features in different email platforms to view particular content among the emails, it still creates confusion when constant back and forth communication occurs. Confusion is a significant problem, especially when there is more than one participant in the communication process. Other platforms such as text messages and phone calls or in-person meetings can make it easier and save time.
3. Texting at an inappropriate time
Although texts are best suitable for urgent communication, some situations in which text messages are not appropriate. It is essential for employees to relax during breaks and not to be disturbed by text messages. It is inappropriate to send work-related text messages to the employee after a specific time. For example, sending text messages for non-urgent activities at 9 pm is highly unethical; this can affect the well-being of the employees. Text messages at such late hours are appropriate only if the message needs to be delivered and is urgent. Otherwise, emails are suitable after working hours.
4. Texting non-urgent messages
Informal and non-urgent texts are only suitable if you are familiar with the recipient on a closer level than simple colleagues. In other cases, if the information you want to convey is not urgent and calls for extensive conversation, text messages are not the appropriate medium. As texts are ineffective, they slow down the process when the goal is to exchange comprehensive information. For this purpose, use chat mediums or phone calls to share more information in less time. Also, it is easier to understand the participants through these forms of communication.
5. Using conference calls for multi-person meetings
Conference calls work best to share information effectively and quickly, but they require smooth working. For starters, it is important to have fewer participants in the conversation. When there are too many participants, it gets difficult to understand due to technical issues such as sound or video lags. Furthermore, when multiple participants try to talk over each other, it can cause lag in the audio and creates an unpleasant environment. These factors make video conferencing challenging for many participants. Thus, video-conference calls and audio-conference calls are preferable when there are fewer participants or extremely necessary.
6. Using team chat to relay lots of information
Chats are best for one-sided information or active two-sided information communication. They are one of the best alternatives to in-person meetings, mainly when most businesses are operating remotely. It is not possible to arrange in-person meetings. But when you want to share a large amount of information, chats are not the best form. When the information is one-sided and does not require active back and forth, emails are preferable. In addition, emails can work effectively in sharing contents of different types grouped for easy viewing.
7. Holding inefficient in-person meetings
In-person meetings can turn out to be effective and well-organized when businesses require brainstorming, especially during projects. People can share their ideas seamlessly during in-person meetings. But these meetings can waste a significant amount of time. For these meetings to work, all members that are part of the project must be present during the meeting, which can be difficult. Sometimes members are unable to attend or arrive late at the meetings. Meetings can be conveyed when a joint effort is required. When one or more members are missing, it can halt the entire meeting process. If businesses cannot implement strict rules for in-person meetings, it is not preferable to use them. Instead, you can use chats or conference calls where members can take part easily.
Conclusion
One form of communication is not suitable for every type of information. The situation decides which form is appropriate in business communication. For example, while emails are best for extended, one-sided information, you cannot use them when a back-and-forth exchange of information is necessary. Chats can be versatile and used effectively in situations where emails can cause time lags. Conference calls can be alternate to in-person meetings, but sound issues can cause a problem. Text messages are only preferable for urgent messages. So, it is essential to know these forms of communication and when to use them effectively.
