Why communicate?

The short answer is that if staff do not know what they are doing and why, they are less likely to perform well. People do perform well, even when they expect the worst, if they are briefed in a timely and honest way. They are less likely to perform well if they are kept in the dark.

Equally important, good communication is a valuable motivator. Communication is the corporate glue that helps build teams, reinforces pride in working for a company and encourages people to work that bit harder to beat the competition.

According to a study carried out by Columbia University in the US, while six out of ten chief executive officers consider frequent communication with their employees important to their jobs, nine out of ten expect it to be more important to their jobs in future. They recognize that communication must be in line with strategy so that people have the right framework to work within. For them, communication is the link between an organization’s compelling need for change and an employee’s compelling need for security.