Internal communication helps in making your workplace more effective, collaborative, and enjoyable for everyone. With the new medium of work and its ethics evolving day by day, an integrated flow of internal communication is considered to be the future of communication in workplaces. Whether you are a start-up or a big firm, internal communication plays a vital role in the success of your business.  The way a message is communicated to an employee is directly proportionate to the quality of work that they deliver. According to a survey conducted, 44 percent of the employees have a difficult time deducing the agenda behind the work assigned to them and 72 percent of them do not completely understand the strategies and vision of the company that they are working for. This results in a lack of efficiency in work hence an honest flow of communication is needed to run a company smoothly and in an integrated manner.

Internal Communication in a nutshell

Paul Barton once said, “Internal Communication isn’t about telling employees what to think, it’s about creating and enabling authentic, ongoing dialogues with and between them.”

On that note let’s shed some light on what internal communication really is. Internal communication, even known as IC refers to a group of processes responsible for effective circulation of message within an organizational structure. . Internal communication involves the exchange of dialogues between top management, management, and employees.  These messages are information that is valuable to the organization and are supposedly confidential. The means of transferring this information is often done through emails, letterheads, briefings, notice boards, and even with the help of social mediums like WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet, in the current times.

Internal communication affects the company in different ways like –

• Daily Operations
• Collaboration with other departments
• Customer Services
• Engagement of the employees
• Non-toxic work culture
• Employee Experience
• Enhanced leadership
• Employee productivity

The need for honesty in Internal Communication

Honest internal communication is the healthiest way to keep your organization growing. As much as the customer’s satisfaction matters to a company, the same amount of importance should put on a healthy experience for each and every employee working in the organization. This might sound quite impossible in theory; however, in practice it is feasible. With honesty around the workplace, it is a safer environment for the employees to voice their opinions which could help in the modification of a certain operation that might have been outdated. Other than changes, not opening up to your colleagues can result in built frustration and give rise to “gossip culture” at the workplace. When information is not passed out with clarity, not only does the quality of work gets affected but also gives rise to questioning the worth of the time spent in the company. For a company to grow, it is important that a steady flow of communication is taken care of by the communication team and everyone in general. It is crucial for the growth and evolvement of the company.

An atmosphere of honesty also gives growth to responsibility, leadership, and self-accountability. If the CEO of a company voices the shortcomings of his team in a respectful manner, it would bring room for each and every employee to take it on a positive note and bring around the change for the one common goal of development of the company that they are working for. This brings a lot of change in the attitude of every individual employee since they start seeing the company that they are working for as an asset that they cherish dearly.

Sharing a few tips that could help one foster honesty at the workplace –

1. Have a non-judgment attitude –

As humans, our opinions differ since in a workplace we gather from different areas around the country and even from overseas so it is important that we respect everyone’s upbringings and thought processes. It is important that we remember what’s a 6 to you will appear 9 to someone facing you. Besides, a second opinion is a good an alternative and should be appreciated. Listen to your employee or your boss out before disagreeing with their opinion. Leaving judgments at door helps you foster a safe, happy and honest environment at the workplace.

2. Clear the pipes –

When we work together, we fill our chests with grudges. No matter how much you try to avoid it, you are going to pick a fight with someone or the other at the workplace even if it is just a trivial matter of misunderstanding. Unresolved frustration results in spiraling back more conflicts in the future, therefore, it is important that you vent about how one made you feel since it is important for coworkers to respect each other and practice utmost honesty. This works in favor of both personal development and peaceful professionalism.

3. Implementation is the key –

It is crucial that you don’t just give your employees the freedom to voice their take but actually act on it. If your employee suggests that there is room for a certain horizon to grow within the company, take their opinion into account and bring about the change. Honesty is a two-way path, so is communication, hence it is important that you prove your values of integrity. As a leader, it is important that you empower your employees so that they feel confident in themselves and serve your company with loyalty.

4. Hold responsibility –

No matter what position you hold in a company, it is important that you back your thoughts and opinions with factual substances. Employees should have a planned solution for what they find a misfit. Whining about issues without a solution does not anybody any good. Do not put the onus on anybody else to come up with a solution.

5. Communicate both the positive and the negative –

In a workplace, things go both wrong and right, hence it is important to both appreciate and criticize when such situations occur from the end of both the leadership and the employees. The positives should be celebrated while the negatives should take positive criticisms that could help the company to grow into something better. The main agenda of unity and development should always be kept in mind.