Importance Of Formal Communication At The Workplace

Being formal, clear, specific and using correct grammar are some of the most important things when it comes to office communications. It is a skill to know when to use the language required for different situations, as well as be a proper judge of etiquette and mannerisms as and when required on the spot.

Advantages of using formal communication at workplace:

1. Authority: Formal communication ensures a proper channel of information flow between the superior and their corresponding subordinates. This results in a clear establishment of line of authority and workflow. Making responsibilities clear for subordinates is very efficient in this form of communication.

2. Effective and clear communication: The communication is a direct transfer of information between the managers, employees and the organization. This brings clarity to the responsibility and what is expected of them for the welfare of the organization. This also establishes clarity on when and where information download is required to perform a job.

3. Order of information flow: This form of communication establishes an orderly information flow. Working on an environment where the information flow is from different places in an unorderly manner creates ruckus and chaos. This brings down the efficiency of the work. Maintaining a formal communication helps in having an orderly information flow as the line of superiority is established in this way.

4. Single source of information: The work of the employee is solely dependent on the cross functional support and the information flow between the teams. Any decision and results are based on the information received. On not having a single repository of information makes life tougher for the team and individuals to address the problem at hand. The approach towards problem solving is blurred due to lack or insufficiency or the effectiveness of the information at hand. Formal communication emphasizes on having not only orderly flow of information but also ensures that the information has an easily accessible single knowledge base which can be trusted based on facts.

Having the necessary skills to maintain a professional dialogue in the workplace and knowing when and when not to use facts, jargon, technical terms, style, and informal elements is a vital part of the all-round development and performance of the employee. It is therefore necessary to stress the importance of all employees having this valuable skill, and enforcing the rule of corporate communication in the workplace.