Effective communication in the workplace is vital. Max De Pree, author of The Art of Leadership, wrote, "There may be no single thing more important in our efforts to achieve meaningful work and fulfilling relationships than to learn and practice the art of communication" (La Lone, n.d., p. 3). Since a workplace is comprised of multiple people, the ability of those people to share their knowledge, coordinate, and collaborate is key to the successful conduct of business. Not only is it essential for management and staff to communicate well, but communication among staff and between staff and customers is also closely aligned with business success. Although many companies have internal communication vehicles such as newsletters or bulletins for disseminating company-related information, these forms of communication are not a satisfactory substitute for direct communication in the form of conversation, because "written communication is all one-way" (Osborne, 2004). Two-way communication facilitates a real exchange of information and provides the necessary environment for innovation and teamwork.
Not all communication is the same, however, and an understanding of the different types of communication and when they are most aptly used is beneficial. In addition, it is important to understand the barriers to communication that may exist, as well as the influence of personality types on communication and the advantages of active listening.
The types of communication that exist in a workplace are numerous. Operational communication can occur both internally among management and staff and externally with customers and suppliers (La Lone, n.d., p. 3). In addition, communication can occur electronically via live chat and e-mail, in writing by memorandum or letter, and face-to-face in the form of formal or informal discussions or training situations. Not all communication is verbal; a UCLA study found that as m...