Business communication is all about meeting a specific goal, particularly to gain actionable feedback – whether it’s getting an approval on a project, accepting or declining a proposal, or accepting a meeting invitation. Today, business communication in the modern workplace is more than just emails and phone calls. Thanks to the digital revolution, communication in the workplace have evolved. However, for communication to be effective in addition to the tools available, it relies on four important pillars and ingredients. So, what are these and how exactly has business communication changed in the modern workplace?  

 

What is the modern workplace? 

A modern workplace nowadays is constantly evolving in terms of location and how it connects members of its organisation. Today, a modern workplace is described as collaborative, dynamic, and flexible. Moreover, it is powered by technology that helps streamline the work that is done. 

 

Since the workplace is not tied down to a location, a business can readily adapt to change when the need arises. However, for the modern workplace to function properly, there are four pillars that strengthen its foundation.  

 

1. Empowering: a workplace must empower its team members to perform to their maximum potential. In addition to providing the necessary tools, appropriate training should also be given to its members.  

2. Flexibility: as mentioned, a modern workplace isn’t tied to one location or time zone. Apart from its geographical flexibility, a modern workplace isn’t stuck on a 9-to-5 working schedule. It must adapt to the needs of its customers, its members, or to industry changes. 

3. Availability: the modern workplace must be accessible to its members and its customers. Other than a physical office, the workplace must be made available online, especially for its remote workers. 

4. Seamlessness: there must be interconnection and collaboration between each member of the workplace. Moreover, the modern workplace should be streamlined, with tasks clearly defined across all divisions. 

 

Basic ingredients to a successful modern workplace 

Aside from the four pillars that strengthen the foundation of a modern workplace, there are five basic ingredients that lead to business success. A strong workplace is defined by the five C’s, which are commitment, creativity, culture, collaboration, and communication. 

 

1.  Commitment 

Members of an organisation must be committed to going to the extra mile – all to ensure the success of a campaign or a project. To build a sense of commitment in individuals involved in the project, make it clear to each member that they were selected for their skills and their expertise. By acknowledging the importance of everyone involved, it empowers them and keeps them committed to the accomplishment and success of the project. 

 

2.  Creativity 

Apart from commitment, creativity leads to success. When individuals in a group share their ideas, experiences, and perceptions about the project to the table, it brings out creative solutions. As such, it is important to be open to all ideas from each member of the team. 

 

3.  Culture 

The overall structure and organisation in the workplace ultimately determine the level of interaction between employees. When individuals see that personal effort reaps better rewards than being in a group, there is no motivation and it creates a culture of “every man for himself.” Instead, it is best to cultivate the culture of teamwork, where collaborative efforts are rewarded rather than individual efforts.  

 

4.  Collaboration 

Every project requires a team effort. Individuals involved in the project should understand that they share responsibility in its success or failure.  So, for each project to become successful, collaboration is a must.  

 

5.  Communication 

Collaboration is meaningless without effective communication. In the modern workplace, continuous communication is everything. While each member of the team has individual tasks they must accomplish, it is important that they touch base regularly so that the team is on track with primary goals and projects.  

 

Tools for effective business communication in the modern workplace 

While face-to-face meetings or 10-minute stand-ups are just two ways of effective business communication, there are also digital tools that can be readily used. These include email, phones, and chat groups. 

 

•  Digital online forms for getting structured data 

Business communication solutions are more than just hosted phones and online chat groups. One other effective tool is a digital online form, which helps a business get structured data from a customer. A digital form ensures no important information is missing and saves both you and the customer time spent talking on the phone. 

 

•  Chat groups for messaging, video conferencing, and media sharing. 

Chat groups make it easy to stay connected to the team. Moreover, it makes it easy to send and receive files – something a phone cannot do. Chat groups like Microsoft Teams, Skype, or Trello makes internal communication easy, simple, and quick. 

  

•  Hosted phone systems 

Phone systems are a must for communicating within and outside the business. However, voice-only legacy systems are certainly not an effective means of communication. These phone systems are outdated and are readily affected by power outages. So, when the phone lines are down, it affects the line of communication between you and your employees as well as your customers. Nowadays, business phone systems are cloud-based or hosted on the internet. This means that even during a power outage, the flow of communications remains open and, rest assured, that calls made to your 1300 number get through.  

 

A successful business relies on effective communication and utilising the tools made available. Moreover, a business functions properly if its workplace is founded on the four pillars and when the members of its organisations follow through with the 5 C’s to business success.