It’s not exactly news that the workplace can be stressful. But improving team communication, including quality and efficiency, can go a long way toward alleviating some of a company’s pain points.
In times of stress, one of the first things to go tends to be communication. Speeding through tasks is one way to guarantee mistakes like double-booking calls, having emails that come off as curt, or not properly wording a phrase that could lead to a safety issue on a busy jobsite.
The delays and miscommunication that result create a lack of motivation, bad moods, and potential injuries with your team. In fact, according to a Forbes study, 42% of today’s workers experience stress trying to form responses that convey the right tone of voice. Clearly, acing inter-colleague communication is key to resolving work stress.
Luckily, team communication is a skill that can be improved—and it’s the best way to set up a whole team for success and boost morale along the way, too.
Table of Contents
- Steps to take to reduce work stress by improving communication
- How language learning through Babbel for Business helps improve team communication
Steps to take to reduce work stress by improving communication
While resolving communication problems within your team might take more than just a few steps, the following five suggestions are a great place to start resolving communication-related workplace stress.
1. Communicate precisely
A sports team needs to know the precise plays that make up the overall strategy for the game, or else there’s not a lot of hope for winning. It’s the same thing in the office: If each step of a larger project isn’t communicated clearly, the whole effort is at risk—and a sense of potential failure is enough to keep any team on edge.
Be clear and direct when you’re laying out the game plan and encourage clarifying questions from colleagues. That means setting deadlines ahead of time, checking in with your collaborators throughout the process, and asking wrap-up questions that reframe your shared goals and plans, so that you can confirm everyone is on the same page.
2. Understand cultural differences in team communication
Different cultures have different communication styles, whether it’s a need for consensus among colleagues or a more blunt approach to responding to emails and offering opinions. If your team has international members, try to understand a little more about how they’ve been socialized to communicate—that will give you some insight into not just what they’re communicating, but how and why they’re communicating that way.
3. Work on listening skills
A huge part of team communication is listening. In today’s virtual world, that also means carefully reading emails and other written messages. Whether you’re in a video meeting, on a call, or checking your inbox, being receptive to what your colleagues are sharing is essential. Active listening goes beyond simply hearing words; it requires your full attention and an open mind so you can truly understand the message being conveyed.
When it comes to written communication, it’s important to give emails and messages your undivided focus rather than skimming through them quickly. Take the time to read each message thoroughly before responding, ensuring you don’t miss important details or ask questions that have already been addressed. By making a conscious effort to engage with what your colleagues are saying, both verbally and in writing, you’ll foster stronger collaboration, minimize misunderstandings, and build a more effective team.
4. Check your body language
It’s not just in the office that this is important—it’s important for Zoom calls too. If you’re constantly looking over the laptop at something else, not looking at who’s speaking, or slouching in your chair, those all send signals that you don’t really want to be there. Colleagues will pick up on that and it will create a weird vibe on the call for everyone involved—and perhaps, in an effort to wrap up the call quickly, risk team members not asking questions or providing next steps.
Keeping these skills in mind as you communicate, whether it’s virtually or in-person, can start to make things easier for the team as a whole. The better everyone is communicating, the less stress everyone has to deal with, and that makes for happier, more productive, more innovative, and more successful teams.
5. Learn the office language
Getting everyone on the same page also starts with getting everyone speaking the same language—literally. If the office operates in two different languages, or has a working language different from employees’ first language, helping everyone fill in the gaps when it comes to vocabulary and grammar can be a great way to boost communication.
If something is unclear in one language, for example, a teammate can try rephrasing a few things or even just a few key words in the other language to help provide clarification. Improving language skills will also make the employees feel more confident and enable them to participate more in meetings and join in on team discussions.
How language learning through Babbel for Business helps improve team communication
Babbel for Business offers an online language learning platform with video group and 1:1 lessons to help teammates learn each other’s language—and it’s far less expensive and more flexible than traditional language-learning classes. This is where Babbel for Business truly stands out as a language learning platform.
Babbel’s Blended Learning approach combines the flexibility of self-paced digital lessons with the effectiveness of instructor-led classes and real-world practice. This method is proven to maximize engagement and retention, ensuring that employees not only learn a new language but are able to apply it confidently in everyday work situations.
With tailored content that focuses on industry-specific vocabulary and scenarios, Babbel for Business empowers teams to communicate more clearly, listen more actively, and respond more thoughtfully, whether it’s during a team meeting or in a crucial email exchange. By investing in a platform that prioritizes practical communication skills and offers a scientifically backed blended learning model, companies can build stronger, more connected teams that thrive in today’s fast-paced, global workplace, and stress less about inter-language communication in the process.
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