Why correct and precise communication is important in a workplace environment

Growing up in an era of no OTTs, YouTubes, TVs, or mobile phones, I grew up reading comics of all varieties. One of my favourites is Dennis the Menace. Cute and unimaginably naughty, he struck a chord. 

Even after several decades, these cartoons are relevant. I can never forget the one in which Dennis tells his friend, Joey, “I know how to spell Mississippi. But I don’t know when to stop.” That spelling confuses us too! Isn’t it?

In recent times, what I have also found interesting about Dennis the Menace is its relevance to the practice of communications. More specifically, workplace communication.

Here are a few cartoons that I think are relevant to workplace communication etiquette. 

Clarity of communication

Nothing illustrates the importance of clarity in communication better than this one. Lack of clarity leads to misunderstanding and may eventually lead to conflict. 

Communication is said to have clarity when it is heard and understood in the manner it is intended to. 

Timing

Culture and persona of the organisation

Simplicity in communication

It is hard to practice simplicity in communication, particularly in written communication. Every industry and company has its acronym, and they creep in our communication, oral or written. We often forget that not all our stakeholders are familiar with them. It is difficult to fathom for those who are not familiar with such acronyms.

It is also humane for us to show off our language prowess. This we do using complicated words and sentences. 

Clarity and simplicity go hand in hand. The best test for simplicity can be articulating what your company does or what your job is in less than 10 words, using simple words.

Choice of words

We communicate primarily through words. Words we choose need to support the simplicity and clarity of our communication. Imagine if we spoke like one Indian politician who is famous for his exclusive vocabulary! With every piece of communication, we may end up circulating dictionaries. 

Using understandable and precise words and avoiding obsolete words are the basics of communications. Yet it is not easy to accomplish. Another important aspect of workplace communication is using positive words. Positive words are motivating and encouraging. 

When we need to communicate the unknown, we tend to use ambiguous and redundant words. For instance, when we need to communicate if external factors like the slowdown in the economy are impacting the organisation or not. The choice of words may be ambiguous and subject to one’s interpretation.

Honesty and transparency in communication

Transparency in communication is not only skill. It is also a mindset. Particularly during a bad phase of the organisation, we tend to shy away from open and honest communication. Trust is a by-product of transparency and we will never be able to build it with our stakeholders, be it, employees or customers, without transparent and open communication. 

It helps build confidence among stakeholders in the organisation.  

Looking at his father watch cartoons, Dennis remarked, “I remember when cartoons were for kids.” I am tempted to say his cartoons are fun for kids and lessons for adults.

Radha Radhakrishnan

Radha Radhakrishnan has over 25 years of experience in corporate communications and marketing across different industries and geographies. She has built a reputation as a storyteller and a creative thinker. She has mentored social entrepreneurial startups and has been a visiting faculty at premier communications institutes in India. She is currently the global head of corporate communications at Wipro Enterprises. She anchors the weekly PR and Communication podcast, Mrigashira.