What is good team communication and why is it important

Good team communication is the foundation of good teamwork. In other words, in order for teammates to successfully collaborate together, they’ll need to communicate well throughout their joint work.  

In this guide, we’ll introduce you to the topic of team communication and highlight its importance for successful teamwork, through the basic definitions of teams, communication, the communication process, teamwork, and team communication. We’ll focus on the crucial benefits good communication brings for teams, discuss how poor communication affects them, and offer some advice on how to effectively communicate within a team.

Working in a team — basic definitions

Before we explain what team communication is, let’s start with the basics of what working in a team implies. Here, we’ll talk about the basic definitions of teams, communication, teamwork, and how team communication connects these terms.

What is a team? 

According to the MIT Human Resources website, a team is as a group “formed deliberately and carefully to meet work needs that an individual or a group of individuals cannot meet as effectively.”

Individuals working in a team need to work interdependently. They need to come together frequently, in order to make decisions, carry out discussions, plan future work, and solve problems. They primarily focus on team goals and are concerned with everyone’s outcomes and challenges. 

All of this implies that teams need to communicate frequently and effectively.

What is team communication?

In the words of the American screenwriter Charlie Kaufman: “Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.”

So, effective communication involves more than a simple transmission of information. It also requires that the transmission of information be successful — i.e. that the person sharing the information is successful at conveying it properly, and that the person or group receiving the information is successful at interpreting it properly. 

Team communication represents all interactions and exchanges of information that occur in a team. These interactions and exchanges in a team may occur:

• as different types of communication (e.g. verbal, nonverbal, written, or visual interactions);
• as different communication situations (e.g. 1-to-1 conversations, job interviews, or meetings);
• as different communication styles (e.g. aggressive, passive, or assertive forms of communication);
• via different communication channels (e.g. phone calls, direct messages in team chat apps, or emails).

What is teamwork? 

According to the MIT Human Resources website, teamwork is “a shared commitment both to the team’s process (how the team works together) and to its product (what work the team accomplishes).” 

Factors that describe great teamwork include:

• Clear directions towards common goals;
• Well-defined roles;
• Trust;
• Constant collaboration;
• Open communication.

Why is teamwork so important?

The benefits that connect great teamwork with successfully reaching a common goal while working interdependently are many:

1. Teamwork breeds great ideas — According to John J. Murphy, the author of “Pulling Together: 10 Rules for High-Performance Teamwork”, we may admire the “lone geniuses”, but each famous name whose inventions and skills we praise today had a team of people behind them who made it all possible to such an extent.
2. Teamwork encourages healthy risk-taking — Working in a team allows individuals to share responsibility with their teammates, and thus encourages them to take some healthy risks and propose new solutions to old problems.
3. Teamwork makes individuals happier (and more successful) — One Atlassian research reports that honest feedback, mutual respect, and personal openness  (which are all integral to great teamwork) help make the members of a team 80% more likely to report high-emotional well-being and 60% more likely to achieve more and perform work faster.  
4. Teamwork helps teammates grow as individuals — According to Susan McDaniel, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, teamwork can help individuals understand their weaknesses and then work on improving them: “We all have blind spots about our behaviors and strengths that we may be unaware of, and feedback from a team member can expose them.”
5. Teamwork decreases the chance for burnout — According to various research, 7 out of 10 people have had at least some contact with burnout. Burnout is linked with the stress of having a lot of work to do and not enough time and resources to do it, and teamwork can alleviate this kind of stress as teams share the workload.

How does team communication relate to teamwork?

Team communication is a crucial element in establishing great teamwork across the workplace. 

After all, the flow of new ideas, recognition meant to highlight your efforts thus far, feedback meant to inspire you to improve further, or, in gist, everything beneficial that comes from teamwork, requires constant, proper communication.

What are the components of the team communication process?

In order to understand the processes of team communication, once again, we’ll need to understand the processes of communication first.

According to various theoretical frameworks, the communication process is a series of actions taken in order to successfully communicate a message. It involves 8 main components:

• The sender; 
• The message;
• Encoding;
• Noise;
• The channel;
• The receiver(s);
• Decoding;
• Feedback.

Certain theoretical frameworks add 2 more components: 

• The environment;
• The context. 

Here’s what each is about:

The sender

The sender (also often referred to as “the source”) is the foundation of the communication process, as the sender is the person who initiates communication. 

After the sender generates a piece of information they want to transmit, they encode it in such a way that the receiver is able to understand it. 

According to A.C. “Buddy” Krizan et al., the authors of “Business Communication”, the obligations of the sender in the process of communication include:

• selecting the type of message
• analyzing the receiver
• using the you-viewpoint
• encouraging feedback
• removing communication barriers.

The message

The message is the piece of information (e.g. a thought or idea) the sender wants to transfer to others. According to Scott McLean, the author of “The Basics of Interpersonal Communication”, a message in a communication process represents “the stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the receiver or the audience”.

The message may be transmitted in several different ways, including: 

• In spoken form;
• In written form;
• As visual information;
• As nonverbal cues.

The way in which the sender will transmit the message will depend on the situation and the type of information the sender wants to convey. 

Encoding

Encoding is the process of turning the thought or idea the sender wants to convey into communication. 

The process of encoding may involve the sender choosing the right words in the right order to “describe” the thought or idea (or selecting a suitable visual aid for this purpose) and then placing the message into an appropriate channel.

Noise

Noise (also often referred to as “the interference”) represents everything that interferes with the communication process and distorts the intended message. Noise may occur during the process of encoding (on the sender’s end), the process of decoding (on the receiver’s end), or during both processes.

According to Julia T. Wood and her book “Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters”, there are 4 types of noise:

1. Physiological noise i.e. the factors that affect how we feel and think (e.g. hunger, headaches, fatigue, etc.);
2. Physical noise i.e. the interferences in our environment (e.g. cold offices, music on the radio, people talking loudly nearby, etc.);
3. Psychological noise i.e. our qualities that affect how we communicate with others (e.g. personal worries, relationship problems, etc.);
4. Semantic noise i.e. when communicators don’t understand each other (e.g. due to jargon or technical language).

The channel

According to McLean in his book “The Basics of Interpersonal Communication”, the channel is “the way in which a message or messages travel between source and receiver.” 

Each channel of communication (sometimes also referred to as the “medium of communication”) has its advantages and disadvantages, so the sender will need to be careful to select the appropriate channel when encoding the message.

The receiver(s)

According to McLean, “the receiver receives the message from the source, analyzing and interpreting the message in ways both intended and unintended by the source.” 

The receiver(s) (sometimes also referred to as “the audience”) may listen, read, view, or otherwise experience the message. 

For the communication to be effective, the receiver(s) will need to:

1. be attentive in order to understand the message;
2. have the right communication channels active;
3. not be distracted by the previously mentioned noise.

Decoding

Decoding is the process of turning communication into a thought or idea, to make sense of what was communicated. 

The process of decoding involves the receiver interpreting the message (e.g. a thought or idea disclosed by the sender), and trying to understand it in the best way possible.

Feedback 

Feedback (sometimes referred to as “the response”) represents the reply the receiver has to the message transmitted through a particular channel of communication by the sender. 

Feedback is the crucial step in the process of communication, as it answers the question of whether the message was properly encoded, sent, decoded, and interpreted.

Environment

McLean defines environment in the following way:

“The environment is the atmosphere, physical and psychological, where you send and receive messages.” 

For example, the environment in the communication process may refer to the room where a conversation is taking place (e.g. smaller rooms require you don’t speak loudly, as your receivers are likely standing right next to you). 

But, it also refers to the appearance of the communicators (e.g. formal dress implies that the conversation is formal and professional).

Context

According to McLean, context includes “the setting, scene, and expectations of the individuals involved.”

For example, the context in the communication process may be interpreted differently by different participants in a conversation, in terms of its formality and the rules the communicators should follow.

—

So, now that we’ve understood the communication process in general, it’s time to see how this process applies to communication in a team: 

Well, in gist, the team communication process involves the same listed elements in its process. 

In any instance of the communication process among teammates, members of other teams, and managers, someone will be regarded as a sender who’ll need to encode/transform a line of thought into a message. 

Moreover, someone will be regarded as a receiver who’ll need to decode/understand the message and then provide suitable feedback/reply. 

At any point during this process, noise/interference may arise to distort the original message and/or feedback and disrupt communication.

Let’s look at an example of good communication among teammates.

An example of good team communication

Imagine Rose, who writes articles for a blog, and Thomas, who creates illustrations for that blog. 

Initiating communication

Rose (the sender) wants Thomas to create a graph for her future blog post. 

So she encodes her process of thought that led to the idea of creating a graph into written form, where she explains how she wants the graph to look. 

She manages to convey her idea for the graph clearly and concisely, despite being distracted by her dog loudly barking at the front door of her home office (physical noise).

She sends her request to Thomas (the receiver) as a direct message in a chat app, such as Pumble (the channel of communication). 

Rose also adds a reference image for the graph, just to make sure that Thomas understands what elements this particular graph is supposed to have:

“

Rose Tennant: Hey Thomas! I’ve just finished a new blog post titled “Fun facts and statistics about time zones”.

I’m sending you a link to the draft – https://docs.google.com/document/d/example

At one point in the text, I talk about the top 5 countries with the largest number of time zones, and I wanted to create a graph for this data. The data I want you to create a graph for is in the draft, I’ve highlighted it for you.

I was thinking that we could create a graph that involves a horizontal bar graph and an appropriate illustration above it.

Here is an example of the layout I’d envisioned:

So, the title of the graph should be “5 countries with the largest number of time zones” and it should be at the top. 

The accompanying illustration should be below it. And, the actual horizontal bar graph should be below the illustration. 

The footnote should read:

France spans across 12 different time zones, despite being only 42. on the list of the largest countries by total area. Source: United Nations Statistics Division

The illustration above the data and below the title could be a map of the world, with the mentioned countries highlighted.

“

Replies

Thomas (the receiver) receives this written message and the reference image, and decodes everything in such a way that he understands clearly what Rose has envisioned for the graph. He manages to do so, despite being quite hungry (physiological noise).

He sends her a reply that he will send her a sketch of the graph by 2 pm today, and finish everything by tomorrow morning, 10 am at the latest (the feedback/response). 

Rose thanks him, and makes it clear that she is available for any further questions.

This communication process may repeat several times in the future, as Rose and Thomas talk more about the graph, in which case the messages and feedback they want to convey, their roles in the communication process, and even the noise that obstructs their communication, may change.

“

Thomas Clark: OK, Rose, I’ve looked into everything and I understand what you’re looking for. I’ll have a sketch for you by 2 pm today. Once you approve the sketch, I’ll finish everything by tomorrow morning, at 10 am at the latest.

Rose Tennant: Thank you, Thomas! Let me know if I’ve left anything unclear or if you have any further questions, so we’ll discuss the graph more.

Thomas Clark: Will do! 🙂

“

Why is this an example of good communication?

There are several reasons why the above-described example of communication between Thomas and Rose was successful:

• Rose was effective at explaining her request

Rose, as the sender, was successful at encoding her idea into a piece of information. She explained everything she wanted the graph to contain, and she was clear, precise, and concise while doing so. She sent Thomas a link to the draft that contains the data, so he can take in a larger context of the data for the graph, if needed. In the end, she made it clear that she’s available for further questions.

• Thomas was effective at interpreting and replying to the request

Thomas, as the receiver, was successful at decoding the piece of information he had just read. He was also successful at sending Rose appropriate feedback, i.e. a suitable reply. He was clear about understanding the request and provided precise times when he’ll deliver upon that request.

• The channel of communication was effectively chosen

The chat app they used proved to be a great channel of communication for this conversation, as it allowed Rose to attach a reference image to clarify her request. Plus, considering that the conversation was realized in written form, Thomas can use Rose’s description of the graph as a reference whenever he needs a reminder of the points they’ve discussed.

• Both parties were effective “listeners”

Both Rose and Thomas were attentive when reading each other’s replies.

• The interferences were successfully overcome

Both Rose and Thomas managed to overcome the noise (i.e. the barking dog and the feeling of hunger) threatening to disrupt the effectiveness of their communication process. 

• The communication environment was suitable

The atmosphere the two communicators built while communicating was pleasant, and Rose did not let her dog (who was a part of that environment, at least on Rose’s part) disrupt her line of thought at the time. 

• The context was clear

Both parties understood the context of this communication interaction, i.e. each other’s expectations.

How this example of team communication could have gone wrong

So, the previously described example of communication between Thomas the illustrator and Rose the blog post writer is an example of good team communication. 

However, the course of this particular instance of the communication process could have gone in a completely different direction:

• The interferences could have won

The dog barking in front of Rose’s door could have led her to forget to highlight important elements of the graph in her written message. Moreover, Thomas’s feeling of hunger could have led him to misinterpret the type of graph Rose wants him to create, even if she was clear about this in her written message. Thomas also could have been distracted by his other assignments, meaning that he may have not been paying sufficient attention to understand what Rose is requesting.

• There could have been a lack of clarity

Rose could have also been vague in her request, meaning that Thomas may not have understood what type of graph he needs to create. Thomas could have been vague about when he’ll get back to Rose about her request. In addition, Rose could have paid less attention to the formatting of her written request, which means that Thomas could have had a harder time distinguishing where Rose’s written request ends and where the data she wants to include in the graph starts.

• There could have been technical issues

Thomas could have received the message later than it would have been ideal, due to problems with his internet connection he wasn’t even aware of, considering he usually creates illustrations in an offline app. 

“

Rose Tennant: Hey Thomas! I’ve just finished a new blog post titled “Fun facts and statistics about time zones”. At one point in the text, I talk about the top 5 countries with the largest number of time zones, and I wanted to create a graph for this data: France – 12; The US and Russia – 11; The UK – 9; Australia – 8; Canada – 6. Something simple, but elegant.

Thomas Clark: OK, Rose, sounds great. I’ll get back to you about this today or tomorrow.

Rose Tennant: OK, great!

“

Good communication involves properly conveying and understanding a message. And yet, the process of communication can go wrong in various different ways, as evident. 

However, good communication among teammates, but also with other colleagues and managers is always worth pursuing, as it has a number of tangible benefits to establishing great teamwork.

Why good team communication is important (a.k.a the benefits of team communication)

From better understanding, easier collaboration, increased productivity, to improved creativity, easier problem solving, and a lower chance for conflict, here are all the benefits of good team communication that highlight why you should pursue it, for the sake of great teamwork.

Good team communication promotes understanding

According to a survey conducted by Interact and reported by the Harvard Business Review, as many as  57% of employees report not being given clear directions for their work. What’s more, as many as 69% of managers report they’re often uncomfortable communicating with employees.

But, teammates and managers who communicate with each other are more likely to understand each other and overcome a number of obstacles in their work. 

If you have a question, problem, or any concern, simply reach out to your colleagues, managers, or employees for answers. 

If you’re clear, concise, precise, but also attentive on your own end when conversing with someone, you’ll increase the chances of understanding what has been communicated, for both parties in the communication process.

Good team communication leads to good collaboration

According to an infographic reported by the Queens University of Charlotte, 39% of employees believe that the people in their organization don’t collaborate enough.

So how does effective communication affect collaboration in the workplace? Collaboration and communication go hand in hand and help build an effective workflow. Teammates that collaborate with each other and share the workload manage to decrease stress levels across the team, and minimize the chance for individuals burning out. 

In order for teams to collaborate well, they’ll need to maintain proper communication throughout their work together. 

As a result, business processes will run more smoothly and all obstacles in work will be noticed and addressed in a timely manner.

Good team communication increases productivity

All teams strive for productivity. But, productivity is only possible if everyone understands their roles in a team, the roles of their teammates, as well as the expectations for their work:

“What task should I work on first?”

“What resources will I have to work on the task?”

“What is my deadline?”

Answers to these and similar questions bring clarity, and such clarity only comes with investing an effort when communicating. As a direct result, everyone can fully focus on pursuing the roles they play in the expectations for the common goals of the team.

Moreover, good communication and better productivity are also connected indirectly. When you communicate more frequently, you decrease the chance for misunderstandings, which helps you work faster, and with better quality. 

Good team communication increases creativity 

It’s often said that two minds think better than one. And, according to another article by the Harvard Business Review, communication that occurs between team members (i.e. internal communication) and communication that occurs with people outside of your team (i.e. external communication) both promote innovations, as they enable you to learn from others and work with a larger pool of information.

So, once you have a particular idea, it’s a great practice to further discuss it with other people. They can share their own knowledge and experience on the subject, and contribute to your original idea with their own suggestions and alternative solutions. 

As a result of such brainstorming sessions, teams will increase the creative potential of individual teammate’s ideas and perhaps build innovative solutions that retain worth from the point of view of many different perspectives. 

Good team communication helps you accept changes easier

According to an article by Forbes that cites a 10-question assessment called “What’s Your Style of Change Management”, as many as 45% of frontline professionals prefer to retain their status quo.

But, the business world is often changing, and so is the marketplace. 

By fostering good communication tactics and strategies, you’ll ease the negative effects people may associate with changes, by making everyone aware of these changes in a detailed and timely manner. 

When everyone is aware of what benefits certain changes may mean for the future of the team, a project they are working on, and maybe even the entire company, these changes become much easier to accept.

Good team communication helps you solve problems easier

Working on a project usually comes with its fair share of problems — problems that may require some difficult decisions. And, according to the consulting firm McKinsey, as many as 73% of senior executives believe their companies make bad decisions more often than good decisions.

But, consulting with others makes difficult decisions easier, as you get a more diverse set of opinions and solutions to choose from. This applies both when trying to solve problems plaguing your individual tasks and your team’s project on the whole.

Good team communication improves employee morale (and decreases employee turnover) 

According to a survey by Recruiter, as many as 33% of employees state that a lack of honest communication affects their morale negatively. 

But, teammates who communicate with each other, and aim to communicate honestly, connect with each other better. 

Moreover, if managers communicate with their teams more, they may better understand individual team member’s skills and talents, and then use this knowledge to assign the right tasks to the right people. 

As a result of improving the connection between team members and acknowledging the value of individuals, the environment in which the team works becomes more positive and attentive. This results in improved employee morale, but also in decreased employee turnover. 

Good team communication helps you deal with conflicts easier 

Diverse teams have teammates with different opinions, and such different opinions may result in occasional conflicts. After all, the report “Workplace Conflict and How Businesses Can Harness It to Thrive” shows that as many as 85% of employees have conflicts to deal with, at least on some level. These conflicts may stem from misunderstandings or the feeling that you’re disrespected, taken advantage of, or disregarded in any way. 

Good communication helps people voice their concerns, better understand each other’s behaviors and thought processes, and then respond to differences in opinion with a more open mind — thus easing or even preventing conflict. 

Good team communication creates a non-threatening environment

Successful communication with team members creates a healthy environment where everyone feels safe. Psychological safety is essential for job satisfaction and quality of life, as well as the quality of work done.

According to research, a toxic work environment — one including bullying, harassment, humiliation, and other problematic types of behavior — leads to emotional exhaustion and job burnout. It also decreases productivity significantly since people can’t function at their maximum capacity when they’re under constant stress.

On the other hand, when communication in teams is open and coworkers resolve conflicts in a professional and mature way, people feel safe and at ease, which allows them to work without any psychological and emotional impediments.

Good team communication builds trusts 

According to Lexicon, more than 80% of Americans say employee communication is the key to developing trust. 

If you are able to listen attentively and convey your own messages with clarity, as well as accept other people’s ideas and opinions, you help build the trust that everyone understands their responsibilities and duties. More importantly, you help build the trust that everyone means to carry out their work as expected. 

Good team communication builds self-esteem

It’s true that a group is only as strong as its weakest link, which is why it is vital to build each individual in a team up and help them boost their self-esteem. Effective group communication can do just that — help everyone feel their best to strengthen the team as a whole.

The overall team resilience depends on the self-confidence of individuals. This means that the team won’t get disheartened in the face of failure or challenges, and it will easily bounce back from any setbacks.

Successful teamwork and communication will not only build people’s professional self-esteem, but will also reflect on their private lives. After all, work is a large part of our lives, and its effects can pour into other aspects of our identities and not just our work personas.

Good team communication encourages future input

According to Westside Toastmasters, effective communication makes people more open and willing to share with the team, as they know that their opinions will be heard and valued. 

Every time the team listens, respects, and maybe even accepts a new idea or opinion, it paves the road for more diverse and useful input from other colleagues, across the entire team, in future interactions.

Good team communication builds client relations

An organization can’t foster great relationships with its clients and other external parties if its internal communication is amiss.

When you need to communicate with the outside world, you do so as a whole. When a representative talks to a prospective client, they do so on behalf of their entire organization, so they need to be well aware of its internal processes.

If a representative handling a client miscommunicates their requests while relaying them to their team, the client will not get what they asked for and will quite possibly terminate their relationship with the business.

Effective team communication makes internal processes function like a well-oiled machine, which facilitates communication and collaboration with external parties.

Good team communication improves the organization’s reputation

So great communication and teamwork directly affect the company’s client relations, thus improving its overall reputation.

If your company is marked as sloppy, disorganized, or inattentive, this can have long-term negative effects on how the world perceives you.

However, it’s not just about your reputation in terms of how potential clients see you — it’s also about building your employer brand.

Successful communication and teamwork in the workplace can build a company’s reputation as an employer. Satisfied employees spread the good word, thus attracting more qualified job seekers. Organizations with a strong reputation as employers get twice as many job applications as those with a negative employer brand.

How poor communication affects a team

Poor communication happens when the sender and receiver have a different take on the message for one reason or another. In teams, this problem can occur on a 1-to-1 level of interaction among teammates, between management and employees, as well as within a team as a whole.

The effects of poor communication in teams can be grave:

1. Unstable work environment — When teams are unable to communicate effectively, they are easily overcome by the constant uncertainty and stress of not having clear objectives;
2. Lower productivity — When there’s a breakdown in communication, team members can’t function at their optimum level;
3. Disruptions in team collaboration — Without effective communication, team members are often left to their own devices;
4. Low employee morale — Without proper communication, employees can lag behind with work, leading to their getting disheartened;
5. Workplace tension — In the atmosphere of uncertainty and miscommunication, tension can build up and disrupt the workflow;
6. Conflict — The most visible, and at the same time, the most detrimental effect of poor communication is conflict among coworkers, which can harm the entire team;
7. Poor external relationships — Poor communication is infectious, so when team members miscommunicate, they can relay confusing and even contradictory messages to clients and other external parties;
8. Loss of reputation — When poor communication becomes the norm, the entire company suffers, and as bad reviews pile up, the organization’s reputation suffers.

How do you effectively communicate in a team?

Acquiring strong team communication skills can do wonders for you and your coworkers. But what makes effective communication in groups and teams?

Here are some tips on how to effectively communicate in a team.

Be honest

Honesty and open communication are the cornerstones of successful teamwork. However, people often choose to conform at work in fear of going against the current. But the truth is that inauthenticity at work creates a dissonance within a person that causes them to drift away from the rest of the team.

What’s more, when a team member expresses their disagreement with the general idea, they provide a different perspective that could benefit everyone.

For example, a member of the marketing team is the only one who notices that the new slogan could be misinterpreted. If they decide to keep quiet only because everyone else agrees the slogan is great, this could seriously damage the brand.

Be clear and concise

As demonstrated in the example above with Rose and Thomas, one of the most important components of successful team communication is being able to convey the message clearly and precisely.

So think before you speak and try to get your point across as effectively as possible.

Miscommunication leads to misunderstandings, and the latter can cause all sorts of problems within your team, such as missed deadlines, errors, bottlenecks in the workflow, and even conflict.

Be respectful and considerate

Respect your teammates’ time and energy and be careful not to overburden them. If you want to delegate a task to someone, first check if they have the time and are willing to do it. If someone is on a break and doing nothing, it doesn’t mean they are available for work.

Being considerate can also mean offering help if you see that someone is struggling or even bringing a cup of tea to a stressed-out colleague.

Seemingly little things can go a long way and truly strengthen your relationships within the team.

Choose the best channel for conveying your message

Effective and efficient communication also depends on the team’s smart use of different communication channels.

Choosing the right channel to contact a coworker is especially important if you’re a remote team and can’t simply hop to their desk and pop them a question.

But even in the office, face-to-face communication is often not the best option. For example, you won’t go from person to person delegating tasks if you can do that through a project management platform. The latter option is much better organized and time-saving.

Likewise, when remote workers need to consult their colleagues on a problem, it’s much more practical to discuss it in a team chat app, such as Pumble, than send emails back and forth.

Listen attentively

Getting your message across successfully is only part of the work. Great team communication is also about active listening. This is a skill you can practice by being attentive to what your colleagues are saying and truly understanding their point of view.

You can encourage your interlocutor as they speak and respond appropriately.

This way, you’ll not only improve your overall team communication and collaboration, but you will also show respect for the other team members and their opinions.

Be open to feedback and constructive criticism

No one is immune to mistakes, and we often can’t see our own errors. That’s why we should value constructive criticism coming from our colleagues, as it can help us learn, grow, and stay engaged.

In fact, 43% of highly engaged employees get feedback at least once a week.

Even if you don’t agree with the feedback you receive, take it with grace and don’t get offended. Simply explain your perspective and try to find common ground. Where there’s room for feedback, there’s room for improvement.

Being open to constructive criticism means allowing your team members to prompt you to always strive to become better at what you do.

Address issues as they arise

When left unaddressed, even small issues tend to create frustrations that eventually lead to major problems in the team. So if something is bothering you, be sure to communicate it in a respectful, neutral tone and try to deal with it right away.

The communication in successful work teams is unobstructed and doesn’t steer away from dealing with difficult things.

You may find it hard to deal with the problem, but by addressing it right away, you clear the air and save yourself from building up resentment.

Conclusion

Good team communication plays a crucial role in establishing effective teamwork and improving the work experience for the entire team. Ultimately, it stands as the foundation of everything teamwork stands for, as it can be linked to various crucial benefits that lead an organization to success.

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