Many companies place a high value on communication among employees in the course of their work.
When teleworking, it is just as important to maintain close communication as when working in an office.
However, since teleworkers no longer work in the same space, communication is inevitably lacking.
So, what can we do to revitalize communication in telework?
In this article, I will explain the reasons why communication is so important at work, the causes of lack of communication in telework, and how to solve the problem.
Communication is important at work
It is important to communicate at work, but what are the actual effects of insufficient communication?
Here, we will discuss the purpose and benefits of communication at work and the effects of lack of it.
Purpose of communication
The purpose of communication at work is mainly to share information and communicate with others in order to facilitate work.
Adequate communication is necessary in order to share goals and visions, align directions, and achieve one’s own goals as well as the goals of the team and the company as a whole.
In addition, invigorating communication can build bonds and trust through interaction among employees.
Once a relationship of trust is established, employees will be able to proceed with their work after understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their colleagues.
Building a relationship of trust also improves teamwork, so communication is an important element in improving business efficiency.
What happens if there is insufficient communication?
What happens if communication is insufficient?
Insufficient communication makes it difficult to exchange necessary information smoothly.
Poor communication can lead to miscommunication and misalignment of perceptions, which can lead to coordination errors.
The speed of information sharing is directly related to the speed of business operations, so if communication goes awry, business efficiency will also decline.
Lack of communication will also make it difficult to build bonds and trust among employees, which will decrease their motivation to work together as a team to achieve their goals.
As the motivation of each and every employee declines, the company will not be able to achieve its goals, which may have an impact on the overall profitability of the company.
Communication issues in telework
Even though we know that communication is important in performing our work, it is difficult to actually increase communication opportunities in telework.
In order to revitalize communication in telework, we must understand the problems and take measures.
Here, I will introduce some of the problems with communication in telework and the specific reasons for them.
Mainly text-based communication
Since teleworkers mainly use text communication methods such as e-mail and chat, it is difficult to convey the facial expressions and tone of voice of the other party.
There are two types of communication: verbal communication, in which we communicate through the meaning of words, and non-verbal communication, in which we read intentions through gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
Despite the fact that people usually read the intentions and feelings of others through non-verbal communication, teleworkers are unable to obtain this information.
You may end up giving a cold impression unintentionally because you are unable to “understand the mood” or “perceive the other person’s intentions” through text alone.
In addition, if the communication is mainly in written form, it is necessary to be aware of the standard e-mail format and business etiquette, and there is the problem of taking time to reply.
It can be said that it is necessary to think about the means of communication under telework and to create an environment that facilitates the understanding of each other’s intentions.
Reduced opportunities for communication
Under telework, unlike the situation in the office where we work together with our colleagues, it becomes difficult to chat or to make small talk.
This is because it is difficult to grasp the other person’s situation, and so people are hesitant to talk now, thinking that it might interfere with the other person’s work.
It is difficult to communicate smoothly because even a simple confirmation needs to be communicated in writing or by phone.
As a result, the frequency of communication itself will decrease, and this will easily lead to the problem of teleworkers feeling lonely.
Let’s try to devise a way to communicate
To revitalize communication in telework, it is important to devise communication methods themselves.
For example, we can set up morning meetings and regular meetings to provide opportunities for communication.
When communicating with other employees, it is also effective to use emoticons and emoticons in moderation to convey emotions to the other party.
Also, when exchanging information related to work, it is especially important to be conscious of replying as soon as possible so that the other person’s work will not be interrupted.
It is also effective to introduce tools such as Goalous as a means of facilitating communication.
Goalous has a messaging function and a circle function that allow users to not only communicate with each other about business, but also chat casually. The photo action function allows you to make a photo of your work.
With the photo action function, you can share photos of your work and circle activities, and even react to other employees’ photo actions.
Colorkrew, the developer and operator of Goalous, is offering a free service to help people manage telework and stimulate communication. Colorkrew, the developer and operator of Goalous,, offers free webinars that are useful for telework operations and communication revitalization.
It’s also useful for gathering information on ideas and innovations that can be incorporated into your company, so why not take advantage of it?
A free seminar by Colorkrew, the developer of Goalous, is available at here.
Summary
As you can see, teleworking has the problem of decreasing communication among employees.
It is important for management to anticipate the decrease in communication during telework and devise ways to communicate.
This is an important factor that affects work efficiency and employee motivation, so it is important to take various measures to revitalize communication.
