What Is Team Communication and Why Is It Important

Dostoevsky once said, “Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.” 

However, a lack of communication can lead to much more than just unhappiness.

Although Dostoevsky (probably) didn’t have team communication in mind when he wrote his famous quote above, lack of communication or bad communication can lead to a complete team breakdown. 

Team communication is important because when team members don’t communicate well throughout their joint work, they can’t successfully collaborate. 

En esta guía, entremos en detalles de la comunicación en equipo y su importancia, y cubriremos las temas como:

• La definición básica de la comunicación en equipo,
• The benefits of good team communication, and
• How poor communication affects a team.

We’ll also share some expert opinions and tips on how to communicate effectively in any team. 

¡Vamos a descubrir más detalles!

¿Qué es la comunicación en equipo?

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

Meanwhile, the same website defines teamwork as “a shared commitment both to the team’s process (how the team works together) and to its product (what work the team accomplishes).” 

For teamwork to happen, individuals working in a team need to work interdependently but also come together regularly to:

• Tomar decisiones,
• Llevar a cabo discusiones,
• Planificar trabajo futuro, y
• Resolver problemas. 

Para poder realizar estas acciones, el equipo necesita comunicarse regularmente y efectivamente.

Team communication: Definition

La comunicación en equipo representa todas las interacciones e intercambios de la información que ocurren en un equipo. Esto incluye varios:

• Types of communication (e.g. verbal communication, nonverbal communication, written communication, or visual interactions),
• Communication situations (e.g. 1-to-1 conversations, job interviews, or meetings),
• Communication styles (e.g. aggressive, passive, or assertive forms of communication), 
• Communication channels (e.g. phone calls, direct messages in team communication apps, or emails), and
• Communication models (e.g. one-way, two-way, and complex two-way communication).

At its core, team communication is a transmission of information. 

However, in order to have truly effective communication in a team, we have to transmit information successfully — i.e. the person sharing the information has to convey the information properly, and the person or group receiving the information has to interpret it properly. 

The components of communication

In order to improve team communication, we need to thoroughly understand the communication process. 

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 (initiator of communication),
• The message (a piece of information, thought or idea transferred to others),
• Encoding (process of turning a thought or idea into communication),
• Noise (anything that interferes and distorts the intended message),
• The channel (how a message travels between the sender and receiver),
• Receiver (the person who receives and interprets the message),
• Decoding (the process of understanding thoughts and ideas communicated), and 
• Feedback (the receiver’s reply to the message. It answers the question of whether the message was properly encoded, sent, decoded, and interpreted).

Additionally, the message is shaped by the environment and the context in which it occurs.

How team communication influences teamwork

La comunicación en equipo es un elemento crucial para establecer un buen trabajo en equipo en el espacio de trabajo. 

The flow of new ideas, recognition for your efforts thus far, feedback that inspires you to improve further — everything beneficial that comes from teamwork, requires constant, proper communication.

Hemos hablado de este tema con el Dr. Raffaello Antonino, un profesor de la asesoría psicológica, quien está de acuerdo de que la comunicación en equipo influye en todos los aspectos del trabajo en equipo.

Dr. Antonino went on to add that communication also influences team dynamic on all levels:

Un experto en comunicación y relaciones públicas, Jake Ciccarelli, está de acuerdo y añade que hay 3 puntos principales de la relación entre la comunicación y el trabajo en equipo. 

Let’s take a look at other aspects that prove the importance of team communication.

Benefits of team communication

As determined, effective business communication is of the utmost importance because teamwork relies on it.

However, teamwork has a myriad of benefits. Teamwork:

• Genera grandes ideas — Según John J. Murphy, el autor de “Pulling Together: 10 Rules for High-Performance Teamwork,” podemos admirar a los “genios solitarios”, pero cada nombre famoso cuyos inventos y habilidades que elogiamos hoy tenía un grupo de personas detrás de ellos que lo hicieron todo posible hasta tal punto.
• 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. That is beneficial both for employees (as it helps them be perceived in a more favorable light) and organizations (as it allows workers to propose new solutions to old problems).
• 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.  
• Helps teammates grow as individuals — Teamwork can help individuals understand their weaknesses and then work on improving them. Furthermore, working in a team means having a safe space to grow while being supported by other team members (through delegation, feedback, etc.)
• Decreases the chance for burnout — According to a study conducted by Edelman Data and Intelligence, 50% of employees and 53% of managers have experienced at least some level of burnout. Burnout is linked with the stress of having a lot of work to do and not enough time and resources to do it. Teamwork can alleviate this kind of stress as teams share the workload.

Aside from that, a 2021 study done on teamwork and team decision making showed that teams tend to reach conclusions through the exchange of arguments and communication, which leads to: 

• Better group performance,
• Mejor entendimiento,
• Colaboración más sencilla,
• Productividad aumentada,
• Creatividad mejorada,
• Easier problem solving, and
• Menor probabilidad de conflicto.  

On the other hand, poor communication will have considerable negative effects on most teams.

Consequences of poor team communication

Poor communication happens when the sender and receiver have a different take on the message. That can happen due to many reasons, but the effects are always the same — miscommunication. 

En equipos, este problema puede ocurrir en la interacción uno a uno entre los miembros de equipo, entre los gerentes y empleados, tanto como dentro del equipo en conjunto.

Los efectos de una mala comunicación prolongada en equipos pueden ser graves:

• Entorno de trabajo no estable,
• Productividad disminuida,
• Interrupción en la colaboración,
• Bajo moral,
• Tensión en el lugar de trabajo,
• Conflicto,
• Malas relaciones externas, y
• Pérdida de reputación.

Vamos a aprender más sobre cada consecuencia de la falta de comunicación.

Consequence #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. 

And, as mentioned before, employees who don’t know what’s expected of them are less likely to be motivated to do their tasks.

Consequence #2: Lower productivity

When there’s a breakdown in communication, team members can’t function at their optimum level. This lowers employee engagement in the team. 

Given that 88% of engaged employees enjoy their work, and 50% of them thrive in their personal and professional lives, it’s clear that poor communication can directly affect their productivity.

Consequence #3: Disruptions in team collaboration

Without effective communication, team members are often left to their own devices and are unable to properly collaborate. This, in turn, shuts the door to innovation, brainstorming, and any other form of collaborative work. 

Consequence #4: Low employee morale

Without proper communication, employees can feel underappreciated, which can lead to them lagging behind with work. When employees are disheartened, they are less motivated to utilize their skills for company gain. 

Consequence #5: Workplace tension and conflicts

In an atmosphere of uncertainty and miscommunication, tension can build up and disrupt the workflow. 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. 

Consequence #6: Poor external relationships and loss of reputation

Poor communication is infectious, so when team members miscommunicate, they can relay confusing and even contradictory messages to clients and other third parties. 

When poor communication becomes the norm, the entire company suffers — as bad reviews pile up, the organization’s reputation takes a huge hit.

Tips for improving communication within a team

According to Pumble’s Workplace Communication Statistics, 40% of business leaders claim that poor communication decreases productivity, and 32% report having noticed the financial impact of poor communication. 

That is why acquiring strong team communication skills can do wonders for you and your coworkers. But, which exact approach can you take in order to achieve effective group communication?

Let’s take a look at some applicable tips.

Consejo 1: Sé honesto

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 can create a dissonance within a person that causes them to drift away from the rest of the team.

Además, cuando un miembro del equipo expresa su desacuerdo con la idea general, proporciona una perspectiva diferente que podría beneficiar a todos.

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

Still, honest communication doesn’t mean you should bluntly and rudely say everything that’s on your mind. 

Maintaining positive communication while being honest is of the utmost importance because it builds inter-team relationships and increases motivation and productivity (among other things). 

Take a look at the Pumble exchange below. Emilia is voicing her strong opinion clearly, but despite this, she could have phrased the message more lightly — especially since she’s trying to convince a group of people who agree with each other. 

Consejo 2: Sé claro y conciso

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.

No comunicarse claramente lleva a las personas a confiar en suposiciones al interpretar el mensaje, que es una de las principales causas de falla de comunicación.

Miscommunication, in general, 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.

Consejo 3: Sé respetuoso y considerado

Research about respectful communication at work, presented in a recent study, showed that people value respectful engagement more than autonomy, job security, and high income.

So, 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.

Ser considerado también significa ofrecer ayuda si alguien está teniendo dificultades o incluso llevar una taza de té a un compañero estresado.

Cosas aparentemente pequeñas pueden ser de gran ayuda y fortalecer verdaderamente tu relación dentro del equipo.

Consejo 4: Usa la comunicación no violenta (NVC)

Una comunicación no violenta es un concepto creado por Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D, presentado en su libro Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. Este proceso incluye:

• Observar sin juzgar,
• Expresar tus sentimientos,
• Expresar tus necesidades, y
• Expresar tus peticiones.

Hemos preguntado a Avigail Lev, una psicoterapeuta, autora, mediadora, y entrenadora ejecutiva, cuáles son las ventajas de la comunicación no violenta (NVC, por sus siglas en inglés). Afirma que abre muchas posibilidades de la comunicación en equipo.

Continúa diciendo que mediante la utilización de NVC, podemos alcanzar soluciones que a menudo son inalcanzables y beneficiosas para todos.

Consejo 5: Escucha atentamente

Transmitir tu mensaje con éxito es solo una parte del trabajo. Una buena comunicación en equipo también depende de una escucha activa. Esto es una herramienta que puedes practicar siendo atento a lo que tus compañeros están diciendo y verdaderamente entender su punto de vista.

Para asegúrate de que estás haciendo todo lo posible para escuchar activamente cuando estás recibiendo un mensaje, puedes intentar de:

1. Adjust your attitude — A positive attitude makes you more receptive to what other people have to say.
2. Pay attention — Paying attention and focusing on both verbal and nonverbal cues people are sending us makes us better listeners.
3. Adjust your response — Not making assumptions and being flexible when listening to what the sender of the message is trying to convey is also an important feature of active listening. 

De esta manera, no solo mejorarás tu comunicación y colaboración en equipo general, sino que también mostrarás respeto a otros miembros de equipo y sus opiniones.

Consejo 6: Elige el mejor canal para transmitir tu mensaje

La comunicación efectiva y eficiente también depende del uso inteligente del equipo de diferentes canales de comunicación.

Choosing the right channel to contact a coworker is especially important if you’re working in a remote team and can’t simply hop to their desk and ask 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. Similarly, you won’t stand up in the middle of the office to shout an announcement that you need to deliver to an entire group of people. 

Instead, you’ll use a different channel — one that is a better outlet for organizational communication. 

Igualmente, en las conversaciones uno a uno, cuando los trabajadores remotos necesitan consultar a sus colegas sobre un problema, es mucho más práctico discutirlo en una aplicación de comunicación en equipo, como Pumble, que enviar y recibir correos electrónicos.

Consejo 7: Encuentra los estilos de comunicación preferidos de todos

Aparte de encontrar un canal de comunicación que se ajuste mejor a las necesidades de todos, es también crucial que entiendas el estilo de comunicación preferido de cada miembro de equipo. 

No todos se comunicarán de la misma manera (al igual que no recibirán el mismo mensaje de la misma manera). 

Hemos preguntado a Ciccarelli sobre este tema y él declaró que reconocer las diferencias en la comunicación puede ser la mejor estrategia para mejorar su eficacia.

Consejo 8: Sé abierto al feedback y la crítica constructiva

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

La crítica constructiva es tan importante que el reconocimiento de los empleados por su mejora y compromiso, así que deberíamos darle la bienvenida a ambos. De hecho, el feedback de cualquier tipo fomenta el compromiso: el ¼ de las empleadas y el ⅕ de los empleados declaran que proporcionar el feedback y el reconocimiento en una herramienta de compromiso muy poderosa. 

Incluso si no estás de acuerdo con el feedback que recibes, tómalo con gracia y no te sientas ofendido. Simplemente explica tu perspectiva e intenta encontrar un terreno común. Dónde hay espacio para el feedback, hay espacio para la mejora.

Estar abierto a la crítica constructiva significa permitir que los miembros de tu equipo te impulsen a siempre esforzarte por mejorar en lo que haces.

Consejo 9: Aborda los problemas a medida que surjan

Cuándo no se abordan, incluso los problemas pequeños tienden a crear frustraciones que eventualmente llevan a problemas grandes en el equipo. Así que, si algo te molesta, asegúrate de comunicarlo en un tono respetuoso y neutral para abordarlo de inmediato.

La comunicación en los equipos de trabajo exitosos funciona sin problemas y no evita lidiar con cosas difíciles.

Es posible que te resulte difícil lidiar con el problema, pero si lo abordas de inmediato, aclararás las cosas y evitarás acumular el resentimiento.

Consejo 10: Participa en la comunicación ascendente

Finally, ensure that all team members, no matter their spot in the team hierarchy, are included in the conversation. That is something that Dr. Antonino highlights as especially important for teamwork and the overall success of the team.

Dr. Antonio también insista que recuerdes que la comunicación en equipo efectiva no es calle de un solo sentido.

Amplify internal team communication with Pumble

One of the easiest ways to improve your team’s communication is by making it simple, accessible, and effective. In today’s day and age, this is best accomplished with dedicated internal communication apps like Pumble.

Pumble offers users substantial versatility for different types of communication, including: 

• Written communication through direct messages and sharing of important documents, and 
• Verbal communication through voice calls, voice and video messages, and virtual meetings.

Pumble functions as your digital HQ, allowing for flexibility in how you notify your coworkers, address issues, and formulate ideas.

Furthermore, Pumble inspires you to communicate concisely and effectively, remember important processes through custom reminders, and keep track of information through threads.

Improve your team communication efforts today, and start utilizing the best communication practices intuitively. Try Pumble by CAKE.com today!