Communication is considered as the most important aspect for any business.
It is essential to have proper work environment so that employees can give their best performance.
In case of a business the major stake is on communication. In the process of communication there is a sender who sends the message; then there is a recipient who receives the message.
What is Two Way Communication?
It is not necessary that both the sender and receiver be present at one place while sending the messages.
It is possible to communicate without the person being near you. The most important aspect is that both the parties should be on the same platform while communicating.
The process of communication is completed when the receiver is able to understand or decode the message of the sender.
The two way communication is essentially the interchange of information and ideas from the sender to the receiver or vice versa.
The details are transferred from one person to another according to the priority of the message.
Before we try to know more about the two way communication process benefits for a company, let us try to understand some basic challenges faced by every company.
1. Building a brand means increase in efficiency of the company:
In today’s modern world across the globe every product is facing tough competition. It is very necessary for every company to stabilize their brand in the market.
The company has to use excellent brand communication methods to attract their target audience.
The consumer identifies the product because of branding. The brand is not just a logo or a corporate identity but it is an identity of the product; an impression about the product in the market.
2. Develop your own brand:
It is necessary for any company small, medium or large to develop its own brand. The economic and global changes have made the implementation of branding all the more important.
The brand of any product or company essentially explains the unique features of the product and how it will be useful to the consumers.
The brand communication holds a special place in increasing the profits of the company. The brand is a specification about a particular product which leaves a mark in the mind of the consumer.
The brand develops a respect and trust towards the products. A brand is the way to build a competitive edge over the other products.
3. Brand communication is marketing:
In the olden times the brand communication was just about marketing. It was based on the theories given by experts.
The main method adopted for branding was advertising.
But due to changes in the economy and with the increase in the competition, the companies had to change the methods for brand development. The brand marketing has to be authentic.
4. Advertising is brand communication:
The brands were just promoted on the basis of advertising; but with the rising competition the companies are moving far beyond advertising.
Almost all the companies are having their products promoted on the websites of Google and Amazon and various sites.
The professionals who take up branding as a profession should have the ability to create a brand which is unique and remains forever in the mind of the consumers. They should be innovative and should understand the cross cultures of various users.
The professionals should be business oriented and at the same time should accept the changes very easily and quickly.
Communication is of different types – it is vital to use them according to the situation.
Modes of Communication:
1. Verbal communication:
In the verbal type of communication – the most common method of communicating is verbal medium.
This verbal medium could be discussions, presentations, speeches, or words. During this mode of communication the individual tries to reach out their thoughts and ideas by talking to each other.
In case of verbal communication the most important is the tone and volume of the speaker. The words should be clear and the meaning of the sentences has to be properly defined.
2. Non – verbal communication:
In this type of communication there is no verbal communication – it represents more of written communication.
It also includes various facial gestures, expressions and body movements. When compared to the verbal communication this at times proves to be more effective.
The non-verbal communication is a combination of head movements, eye contact, facial expressions and different gestures.
Enhancing Employee & Employer Relations with Two Way Communication:
The employees have to be highly motivated in order to show their best performance. In order to let this happen the employers will have to provide a work environment which is free from any politics and should be independent.
They should be able to communicate with each other in an open communication platform. You can increase the employee engagement using these following tips –
1. Knowing your audience and their needs:
The most important communication to be passed on to the employees is that they need to perform in their jobs.
In order to get the best out of the employees you need to know what kind of work environment is suitable for them and which is the best method to encourage the employees to perform better.
All this is possible only if you know your employees and their skills.
2. Create two way communication channels:
When you have decided upon the employees and the aspects they are looking for, the next step is to choose through which channels these messages can be reached to the concerned persons.
You always need to keep in mind that the feedback is always taken in a informal manner. If this is followed then the employees will exhibit more confidence in the company.
3. Encourage feedback and two way communication:
Once you have implemented the two way communication – make sure that your timely feedback from the employees shows how the process is working in the organization.
In case of employee engagement in the two way process – the management responds fast to the complaints or issues of the employee. This gives a positive wave among the employees since they believe that they have been valued in the organization.
In order to get better employee support make sure you solve the problem and issues of the employees faster and in the right manner.
4. How to use Feedback:
It is not about understanding the feedback and keeping them at one place but it is a matter of the feedback being used in the right manner for the organization.
The employees get a feeling that their ideas and thoughts can bring about major changes in the organization.
Make sure that the employees get feedback about their ideas and suggestions.
Advantages of Two Way Communication in the Workplace:
Communication is supposed to be an exchange of ideas and thoughts which could be either verbal or non-verbal.
This essentially means two way communication; this process has been given great importance in the present corporate world. Let us check some of them –
1. Dynamic procedure:
The two way communication is a dynamic process – it is important because the information or the details of the messages is sent to the receiver or listener immediately from the sender.
As soon as the message is received from the sender, the listener quickly gives a feedback to the sender.
Hence it is defined as a dynamic process because the communication takes place in the most effective manner.
2. Implementation:
Implementation is also a part of two way communication. The managers at various levels within the hierarchy of the organization have the ability to command and instruct on various issues and problems.
With the help of two way communication it is possible to give better direction to the employees and subordinates.
In case of two way communication the messages are properly and thoroughly understood by the employees. The two way communication works as a bridging gap between the bosses and subordinates.
3. Job satisfaction among the employees:
When the manager and the employees adapt the process of two way communication they can interchange different types of information among each other.
The employees can openly discuss their problems and also give suggestions to their management for better performance of the employees.
The top management can easily get the feedback from the employees for non – financial and financial activities in the organization. Such motivation is possible only through two way communication which leads to higher job satisfaction among the employees.
4. Different approach:
Every organization has different types of approaches and methods in order to communicate with the employees.
Those companies which adopt the bottom – top approach get the chance to show their skills and ideas for the better performance of the company. In case of such approach the best way of communication is to use two way communication.
In this process the top management and the middle and lower management can easily get feedback about their suggestions. In case suggestions are listened, it can rectify the mistakes of the employees and help in faster completion of their jobs.
5. Creating a democratic environment:
Democracy is supposed to be the buzz word in the corporate world. Unlike olden times where the employees were afraid about the bosses – in the modern corporate world it has changed a lot.
Nowadays the employees are considered as a part of the company. The management takes suggestions and ideas from them for any advancement of the company.
The two way communication in the company is the base for the employees to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions. In case of two way communication democracy has a major role to play.
The receiver and the sender both look forward to such democracy. When the company provides democracy then both the receiver and sender can easily communicate their thoughts – thus exchanging all the pros and cons of a particular job.
Whenever required they can also take the opinion of their colleagues in order to solve the problems they face while completing a job.
6. Better relationships:
It has been said and proven by the experts that communication improves the relationship of a person.
It further improves if there is a two way communication among the employees, among the bosses and subordinates. When a person exchanges his / her ideas, thoughts and emotions then it builds a good relationship.
All the matter is transparent and clear and hence the companies emphasize on two way communication in the organization.
The relations created because of two way communication generally sustains for a long period of time.
7. Problem solving and better communication system:
Communication is required in order to solve any kind of problems or issues in the organization.
The two way communication is very useful to understand the business better, it is used in order to check and know the facts of certain projects, implementation of a new project or it may be used in order to create better relations in the company.
The two way communications becomes more effective and complete when both the receiver and sender understands and share the message properly and that too in the right meaning.
Hence the complete communication system in an organization is required to have a two way communication.
8. Accuracy:
Accuracy or understanding the messages in the right meaning and manner is very important for any organization.
A small mistake in understanding can bring in devastating results for a company. In case of two way communication the messages are passed on clearly and with the right meaning.
In case the receiver has any confusion about the messages then they can immediately revert back to the sender and get the same cleared.
This will bring in better accuracy among the employees and the best part is there shall be no communication error.
Conclusion:
Always remember that in an organization it is important to have two way communications in order to have smooth work environment. The workplace communication is focused on the betterment of the job. It is better to have transparency in the workplace since this will improve the job performance of the employees.
