Without clear, concise, and professional communication, a business is destined to fail. Employees within a business not only need solid communication skills when speaking to clients, but also when speaking to colleagues.

Communication skills are the first step toward effective teamwork. Below, we’ll discuss exactly why it’s so important, how training courses help improve communication, and what your business can do to ensure employees receive the best communication training.

What are workplace communication skills?

Workplace communication isn’t the same as regular, everyday communication, and employees need to understand these differences to display their professionalism. Communication isn’t just about how we give information, but also about how we receive information from others - and training helps us to understand how to do this effectively.

At work, we communicate with others in a variety of ways, including:

• Face-to-face
• Over the phone
• Via email
• Via instant messaging
• Via video chat
• Via letter

Some forms of communication are even non-verbal and involve body language, which means employees are communicating even when they don’t realize it.

Why is effective communication important to your organization?

Effective communication skills are important to your business for a variety of reasons:

• It builds relationships - without strong communication, it would be impossible to build professional relationships with colleagues and customers
• Forms strong teams - open and honest communication allows teams to come together, and without it, barriers can form which can’t be overcome
• Builds trust - while it’s not always possible to be completely transparent, honest and open communication builds trust between colleagues and stakeholders
• It encourages ideation - when people can communicate their ideas and discuss them, it allows productivity to increase and ideas to be developed
• Improves management - when managers know how to communicate with their teams it ensures strong management, delegation, and mutual respect
• Encourages growth - when teams communicate effectively it allows your business to grow and overcome small issues before they develop into bigger ones

Employees must understand what they’re saying, how they’re saying it, and how it could be interpreted. By enrolling employees in business communication training courses, you provide them with everything they need to become successful communicators.

What are the 6 types of communication?

There are six main types of communication:

• Verbal-oral-face-to-face - e.g. an in-person conversation
• Non-verbal - e.g. body language and facial expressions
• Verbal-oral-distance - e.g. on the telephone
• Verbal-written - e.g. a written email or letter
• Formal - e.g. when speaking in a professional capacity
• Informal - e.g. when speaking in a relaxed environment

We use each of these types of communication in the workplace, including a combination of formal and informal.

What skills are needed for effective workplace communication?

Each of the above types of communication can be learned and refined by taking communication skills training courses. The following skills all contribute toward being a well-rounded communicator, and each is covered in communication training courses:

• Respect
• Empathy
• Clarity
• Active listening
• Body language
• Knowing which communication type and style to use
• Confidence
• Friendliness
• Feedback

How can employees improve communication skills in the workplace?

The key to good communication within the workplace is understanding your audience. For example, you wouldn’t speak to your deskmate in the same way you would speak to a customer or a key stakeholder. However, you would speak to each of these people with respect, friendliness, and confidence, and ensure you’re actively listening.

To understand how to do so effectively, online employee communication training is a convenient and cost-effective way to improve all aspects of communication within your organization.

Training courses are available to teach employees new skills and refresh existing professionals on all aspects of workplace communication.

How can managers improve communication skills?

It’s important for all members of a team to undertake training, however, communication training for managers is critical. Without it, a team will struggle to come together, and won’t have a strong working relationship.

By taking a training course, managers will learn how to:

• Be welcoming and available
• Show and earn respect 
• Communicate frequently, but not too much
• Encourage virtual communication - especially with remote teams
• Understand body language
• Be open and transparent
• Actively listen
• Show empathy

What is communication skills training?

Communication skills training teaches employees the necessary skills to become better workplace communicators.

Training courses improve communication skills, which brings teams together and benefits your business by increasing productivity. Communication skills aren’t just needed by customer service and sales employees, but all employees - from interns through to senior managers.

Training teaches employees etiquette, understanding emotional intelligence, listening, communication methods and models, and body language. By understanding these, employees can build rapport, offer and receive feedback, ask questions, and a multitude of other crucial skills.

How do you give communication training?

In-person communication training can be expensive and difficult to organize and involves an entire team taking time out of work to attend.

The most effective and affordable way to provide training - as well as ensuring it doesn’t interfere with day-to-day responsibilities - is online communication training.

Online training provides any number of students with the same course materials and is completely self-directed. That means they’re free to learn as and when it fits in with their own schedule.

Is communication training effective?

Communication skills training is an effective way to teach and refresh employees in all aspects of workplace communication.

Communication training topics include:

• Verbal and non-verbal communication
• Active listening
• Breaking down barriers
• Feedback
• Social cues
• Confidence
• Interpersonal communication
• Media training

What are some of the best communication training courses?

Communication training for employees can teach effective communication at all levels, from beginners through to leaders and managers.

Some of the best communication skills training for beginners include:

• People and Communication Skills
• Communication Skills
• 10 Minutes Communication Skills
• Verbal Communication

Some of the best training for professionals include:

• Advanced Communication Skills
• Communication Skills for Professionals
• Interpersonal Communication for Managers
• Communicating Up: How to Talk to High-Level Management

Ready to enroll your teams in communication courses?

Looking to improve the communication within your organization? Go1 has a wide range of communication training courses that will help employees of all levels become solid communicators.

For more information, book a demo with the Go1 team today.