Team Communications

“Poor communications is a common problem in many workplaces. Managers sometimes become so focused on meeting deadlines and demands that they fail to share vital information with employees, ignore input, or choose ineffective channels for conveying key messages” (Messmer, 2005, p. 15). As a manager, sharing information with employees keeps every team members informed and knows what is expected of them. Listening to other team members input motivates creativity and enhances productivity. By choosing the correct type of communications, a manager can build a stronger relationship with their team members and establish a working environment that brings out the best of each member.

The most widely used form of communications in workplace nowadays is via e-mails. E-mails are simple and very effective when communicating among team members in relaying information, assignments, and tasks. Multiple team members can be copied in an e-mail and the information can be relay only once instead of to each individual team members separately. This keeps everyone on the same page, and the information is not communicated differently to each team member. E-mails can be stored, and it provides a backup of crucial information. We can always go back and search for an e-mail as evidence to hold a team member responsible for their information. E-mails are searchable. We can go back and search for specific topics or words that we might have forgotten. E-mail also provides a manager a way to think things through first, then effectively write and communicate to team members. The downside to e-mails is that communications does not always happen right away. Sometimes internet providers are down, and some team members might not have even received the e-mail from their manager. Messages are sometimes interpret differently by each team members. Just answering e-mails sometime can be a huge workload that takes up a lot of time and effort.

Team Communications 3

Instant messaging is a fast way of communicating to team members. The information gets relay instantly. It’s an effective way to get answers and solutions right away. Team members can answer each other questions without having to step away from their desk. Just like e-mails, the same information can be relay to multiple team members only once. Instant messaging also provides each team member to work while answering other team member’s questions at the same time. Usually instant messages are not stored. Trying to go back and find specific information can be a hassle. Internet problems can also cause delays in communicating with each other.

Communicating with phones provides a personal touch to each team member. Unlike e-mails and instant messaging, emotions can be express clearly to other team members. It’s also a way managers can understand and communicate to a team member on an individual basis. It’s a good way to tell an individual team member of issues that would not cause embarrassment in front of other