Good communication brings benefits to companies. It’s just common sense. This is why it is common to see businesses spending a great deal of their resources for communicating their ideas to external parties from consumers to stakeholders. While the significance of external communication can never be overstated, maintaining good internal communication is equally important. A number of studies have shown that well-managed internal communication between workers often lead to increased productivity, more ideas, more solid teamwork, fewer conflicts, and even strengthened loyalty.

According to Smarp.com, 4 out of 5 employees are convinced that efficient internal communications allows them to be more productive at work. This means that under normal circumstances, internal communication has already been an important factor for companies. With the global pandemic transforming working culture, fewer real-life contact between employees makes internal communication even more substantial. Here are some tips for maintaining good communication with coworkers, especially during a time where remote working is becoming a norm.

Be a Better Listener

From connection problems to unclear messages in written emails, communication issues during remote working may hit a nerve or two, especially when the deadline is looming just around the corner. To maintain good communication, patience can be a great ally to sustain excellent communication. Leave more rooms for your colleagues to explain themselves. Be a better listener. Give your co-workers a few more minutes to deal with their issues. After all, we will also definitely need their patience.

Be Concise

Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away when we’re excited to share our newfound, brilliant ideas to our co-workers. However, to communicate effectively, we have to be mindful of how we communicate our messages. It’s not that we should completely turn the excitement switch off. Keep your language clear and concise. If you’ve been communicating well with your coworkers, it is very likely that your co-workers can understand you well without you having to overexplain too many details.

Embrace Casual Communication

Hand sanitizers, masks, and virtual meetings are not the only “new normal”. Lately, as working culture has been shifting, casualness in professional contexts has become more and more acceptable. In the U.S. alone, more than 50% of companies have become more casual. While some businesses may prefer formal communication, sometimes casual language is effective for breaking the invisible ice between workers. HR experts even find that informal communication allows employees to be more at ease when asking questions.

Cherish Off-topic Conversations

In a typical work setting, real life conversation and social interactions between employees are not uncommon. However, when employees can only reach out to each other through virtual meetings and emails, remote working can create loneliness for some. This is why non-work conversations are necessary. In fact, if coworkers catch up with each other, it’s great as it’s a sign of good communication between employees. If the time is right, ask your colleagues about their day, what they had for breakfast, or even how their cats are doing.

Criticize Fairly, but Appreciate Generously

In communicating, not everything has to be happy and positive all the time. Healthy communication gives a space for criticism, which is an important part in problem-solving processes. While criticism is necessary, make sure that our criticism is fair. At the same time, pay equal attention to the good things your colleagues have done, and don’t hold back your appreciation. Notice the effort they make in contributing to the teamwork. Every once in a while, a simple “thank you” makes all the difference.