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. 

Neste guia, vamos entrar em detalhes sobre a comunicação de equipe e sua importância, e abordaremos tópicos como:

• A definição básica de comunicação em equipe,
• 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 dar uma olhada!

O que é comunicação em equipe?

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 decisões,
• Realizar discussões,
• Planejar o trabalho futuro e
• Resolver problemas. 

Para realizar essas ações, a equipe precisa se comunicar de forma regular e eficaz.

Team communication: Definition

A comunicação da equipe representa todas as interações e trocas de informações que ocorrem em uma equipe. Isso inclui vários itens:

• 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

A comunicação é um elemento crucial para estabelecer um bom trabalho em equipe no espaço de trabalho. 

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.

Discutimos esse assunto com o Dr. Raffaello Antonino, professor de aconselhamento psicológico, que concorda que a comunicação em equipe influencia todos os aspectos do trabalho em equipe.

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

O especialista em comunicação e relações públicas, Jake Ciccarelli, concorda e acrescenta que existem 3 pontos principais na relação entre comunicação e trabalho em equipe. 

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:

• Gera grandes ideias — De acordo com John J. Murphy, autor de “Pulling Together: 10 Rules for High-Performance Teamwork”, podemos admirar “gênios solitários”, mas cada nome famoso cujas invenções e habilidades elogiamos hoje tinha um grupo de pessoas por trás deles que tornaram tudo possível até certo ponto.
• 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,
• Melhor entendimento,
• Colaboração mais fácil,
• Maior produtividade,
• Maior criatividade,
• Easier problem solving, and
• Menor probabilidade de conflito. 

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. 

Nas equipes, esse problema pode ocorrer na interação individual entre os membros da equipe, entre gestores e funcionários, bem como dentro da equipe como um todo.

Os efeitos da má comunicação prolongada nas equipes podem ser graves:

• Ambiente de trabalho instável,
• Diminuição da produtividade,
• Interrupção na colaboração,
• Baixa moral,
• Tensão no local de trabalho,
• Conflito,
• Relações externas ruins, e
• Perda de reputação.

Vamos aprender mais sobre cada consequência da falta de comunicação.

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.

Dica #1: Seja 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.

Além disso, quando um membro da equipe expressa desacordo com a ideia geral, isso proporciona uma perspectiva diferente que pode 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. 

Dica #2: Seja claro e 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.

A falta de comunicação clara leva as pessoas a confiar em suposições ao interpretar a mensagem, o que é uma das principais causas do alvo falha na comunicação.

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.

Dica #3: Seja respeitoso e atencioso

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 atencioso também significa oferecer ajuda se alguém estiver com dificuldades ou até mesmo levar uma xícara de chá para um colega estressado.

Coisas aparentemente pequenas podem ajudar muito e realmente fortalecer o relacionamento dentro da equipe.

Dica #4: Use comunicação não violenta (CNV)

A comunicação não violenta é um conceito criado por Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D, apresentado em seu livro Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. Este processo inclui:

• Observar sem julgar
• Expressar seus sentimentos,
• Expressar suas necessidades e
• Expressar seus pedidos.

Perguntamos a Avigail Lev, psicoterapeuta, autora, mediadora e coach executiva, quais são os benefícios da CNV. Ela afirma que isso abre muitas possibilidades de comunicação em equipe.

Ela prossegue dizendo que, ao utilizar a CNV, podemos alcançar soluções que muitas vezes são inatingíveis e vantajosas para todos.

Dica #5: Ouça com atenção

Transmitir sua mensagem com sucesso é apenas parte do trabalho. Uma boa comunicação em equipe também depende da escuta ativa. Esta é uma ferramenta que você pode praticar estando atento ao que seus colegas estão dizendo e compreendendo verdadeiramente o ponto de vista deles.

Para ter certeza de que está fazendo tudo o que pode para ouvir ativamente ao receber uma mensagem, você pode tentar:

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. 

Dessa forma, você não apenas melhorará a comunicação e colaboração geral da equipe, mas também mostrará respeito pelos outros membros da equipe e por suas opiniões.

Dica #6: Escolha o melhor canal para transmitir sua mensagem

A comunicação eficaz e eficiente também depende do uso inteligente dos diferentes canais de comunicação pela equipe.

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. 

Da mesma forma, mesmo em conversas individuais, quando os trabalhadores remotos precisam consultar seus colegas sobre um problema, é muito mais prático discuti-lo em um aplicativo de comunicação de equipe, como o Pumble, do que enviar e-mails de um lado para outro.

Dica #7: Encontre os estilos de comunicação preferidos de todos

Além de encontrar o canal de comunicação que melhor atenda às necessidades de todos, também é crucial que você entenda o estilo de comunicação preferido de cada membro da equipe. 

Nem todos se comunicarão da mesma forma (assim como não receberão a mesma mensagem da mesma forma). 

Perguntamos o Ciccarelli sobre esse tema e ele afirmou que reconhecer as diferenças na comunicação pode ser a melhor estratégia para melhorar sua eficácia.

Dica #8: Esteja aberto a comentários e críticas construtivas

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.

Críticas construtivas são tão importantes quanto o reconhecimento dos funcionários para melhoria e engajamento, portanto, devemos acolher ambos. Na verdade, qualquer tipo de feedback incentiva o engajamento — ¼ das funcionárias e ⅕ dos funcionários do sexo masculino afirmam que fornecer feedback e reconhecimento é uma ferramenta de envolvimento muito poderosa. 

Mesmo que você não concorde com o feedback recebido, aceite-o com elegância e não se sinta ofendido. Simplesmente explique sua perspectiva e tente encontrar um ponto em comum. Onde há espaço para feedback, há espaço para melhorias.

Estar aberto a críticas construtivas significa permitir que os membros de sua equipe o incentivem a sempre se esforçar para melhorar o que faz.

Dica #9: Resolva os problemas à medida que surgirem

Quando não resolvidos, mesmo os pequenos problemas tendem a criar frustrações que eventualmente levam a grandes problemas na equipe. Portanto, se algo estiver incomodando você, comunique-o em um tom respeitoso e neutro e resolva o problema imediatamente.

A comunicação em equipes de trabalho bem-sucedidas funciona bem e não evita lidar com coisas difíceis.

Você pode achar difícil lidar com o problema, mas se abordá-lo imediatamente, você esclarecerá as coisas e evitará o ressentimento.

Dica #10: Envolva-se em comunicação 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. Antonino também insiste que você se lembre de que a comunicação eficaz da equipe não é uma via de mão única.

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!