Workplace Communication: What Is It & Why Is It Important?

Key takeaways

Workplace communication describes the exchange of information at work, including one-on-one conversations, team meetings, emails, and video calls.

• Poor communication keeps employees from finishing projects on time, according to 28 percent of workers, and can cost US businesses up to $1.2 trillion in lost revenue every year [1, 2]. 

• Workplace communication can take on one of four forms: verbal, nonverbal, written, or visual

• You can encourage and enhance workplace communication by fostering psychological safety and an open, trust-based organizational culture.

Learn more about the role communication plays in the workplace and how you can improve your efforts. Ready to get started right away? Consider enrolling in the University of Colorado Boulder's Business Communication Skills Specialization, where you'll learn how to write clearly and effectively in business settings and communicate well in groups.

What is workplace communication?

Workplace communication refers to the different ways people communicate in a workplace environment. Typically, it has more to do with internal exchanges, such as those:

• Between team members

• Between cross-functional teams

• Between an employee and their manager

• Between employees and company leaders (upward communication)

4 types of workplace communication

There are four common types of communication you'll find in the workplace. Because of the different scenarios you may encounter in the workplace and the different options you have to communicate, building key workplace communication skills in each area will be important to succeed in any role.

• Verbal communication: Conveying information or feedback using your words, either in a meeting or presentation

• Nonverbal communication: Conveying information through unspoken but often obvious cues, such as eye contact, body language, and tone of voice

• Written communication: Conveying information in writing, including emails, messages, texts, company memos, reports, and more

• Visual communication: Conveying information using charts, graphs, and other visual assets

Hone your written, visual, and verbal business presentation skills with the University of Colorado Boulder's Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization. Over four courses, you'll learn about improving business documents, presentation slides, reports, public speaking, and more.

Effective communication in the workplace: Communication styles

Conveying ideas and outcomes clearly and concisely is an important part of communication effectiveness, and it's crucial in a work environment where different people and teams may employ a range of communication methods. Some of the more common workplace communication methods include:

• One-to-one meetings

• Team meetings

• Email

• Visual presentations

• Video calls

• Phone calls

• Messaging (via Slack or another app)

What are the basic principles of good communication?

Effective communication is clear and concise and delivered at an appropriate time. Both written and verbal communication should reflect your understanding of your audience, with content tailored to their knowledge of the topic. Good communication skills also include delivering messages in an appropriate tone and using appropriate nonverbal cues.

Why is communication important in the workplace?

Good communication in the workplace ensures employees have the information they need to perform well, builds a positive work environment, and eliminates inefficiencies. Effective communication should accurately convey information while maintaining or improving human relationships.

Miscommunication has real consequences for a business. A survey conducted by Expert Market found that 28 percent of employees listed poor communication as the reason why they weren’t able to finish projects on time [1]. Ineffective communication practices cost US businesses $1.2 trillion every year [2].

What are the 5 strategies to improve communication in the workplace? 

Here are some ways you can improve workplace communication:

1. Work on individual workplace communication skills.

Communicating effectively with coworkers is key to having a positive experience at work. If you’re trying to bolster your communication skills as an individual, here are a few things to keep in mind as you interact with coworkers:

• Pay attention to nonverbal cues. Tone and body language can convey a lot that words don’t. As you’re speaking with somebody, pay attention to your tone and body language and your partner’s. Tone can be harder to discern in text-based communications. If you struggle to understand somebody’s email or chat communication, suggest an alternative method, such as video conferencing or meeting in person.

• Listen. Communication goes both ways. Practice active listening by internalizing what you hear and paying attention to the intent and emotion behind what you’re being told. 

• Provide constructive feedback. Being a part of a team means everybody’s work should be respected. If you’re providing feedback, keep a balance between what’s working and what can be improved.

• Participate in meetings. Come to meetings prepared by reviewing the agenda or previous notes to understand what’s being discussed, and start thinking about how you can contribute. Pay attention to what’s being said, take notes if you need to, and ask relevant questions.

If you’re a manager, you might consider a communication skills workshop for your team.

2. Understand which method to use.

Not every issue deserves its own meeting. When you have something to communicate, consider its importance, urgency, and complexity, and pick the right channel accordingly. Have a simple team reminder? A quick group message or email can get the point across. Need to learn or teach somebody how to use a tool? A face-to-face meeting might be the better method. Establishing team-wide practices about when to use which channel of communication can be a good idea.

If your workplace needs some technological updates, consider approaching your manager to see if the organization is willing to invest in them. Plenty of chat platforms, email providers, and video conferencing tools can significantly improve communication flow.

3. Make meetings efficient.

Research indicates that meetings are ineffective 72 percent of the time [3]. The good news? There are probably several ways to improve how meetings are run in your organization.

Here are some best practices to make meetings efficient and effective:

• Set an agenda and goals for each meeting. Try to avoid recycling agendas.

• Send out the agenda and other materials that will be discussed, such as presentations, to the team ahead of time, so people have the chance to review them.

• Only invite people who need to be invited.

• Consider if a meeting is the best way to communicate something in the first place.

• Cancel a meeting if it doesn’t need to happen.

• Make sure the technical equipment is functioning ahead of time.

• Start and end meetings on time.

• Share meeting notes afterward.

4. Create an open culture.

Creating a trusting environment is key to good communication in a workplace. People should feel comfortable voicing concerns, asking questions, and contributing their ideas. 

• Set up bi-weekly or monthly lunch meetings or activities like happy hours or off-sites to give employees a chance to relax and get to know each other as humans. This can help build trust and create a more supportive work environment. 

• Offer different ways of participating. Communication styles can differ from person to person. While some aren’t shy about participating in large meetings, others might prefer to ask questions in text-based forums. Mix up how you receive feedback and ideas to make sure you hear from as many voices as possible.

• Involve remote workers. Though remote working has become increasingly common, people still need and want personal human interaction. Chat platforms like Slack can allow informal conversations that connect in-person and remote workers. You can also consider starting remote-friendly office activities, such as a book club.

Learn more: 15 Employee Engagement Ideas

You don't have to be in a leadership position to create changes in work culture. Start by seeking out these opportunities yourself. Suggest grabbing lunch with coworkers, joining a work club, or starting your own.

5. Schedule regular one-to-one and team meetings.

Recurring meetings can give space for employees to bring up concerns they otherwise wouldn’t know when to bring up. If they aren’t already taking place, suggest setting up one-to-one meetings consistently with your direct supervisor (or direct reports). Consistent team meetings can also allow team members to share concerns more widely and solicit input from others.

Though it’s okay to cancel a meeting if there's no agenda, try to refrain from canceling too often. This might erode trust among employees and take away valuable time for employees to surface questions.

Explore our free skill-building resources to support your career

Assess your skill set and get in-depth career guidance while browsing our Career Resource Hub. Also, consider checking out our other resources to support you along your career path: 

• Subscribe to Career Chat: High-impact workplace Skills: Empathy and active listening

• Watch on YouTube: 7 Key Communication Skills to Thrive in Your Career

• Hear from an expert: How to Use GenAI to Advance Your Career: Insight from Coursera’s Former CEO

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