Effective communications and teamwork, the pillars of organisational success

Due to Covid-19, many changes have been implemented to adapt ways of working to the current health situation. These new methods have a major impact on effective communications and teamwork, although many organisations were already plagued with issues in these areas.  

In any case, the coordination via digital platforms rather than face-to-face has proven to be too sudden a change for some companies, implying that, although necessary, adapting to these changes might be more complicated in certain cases.

Adapting to the new circumstances has become essential for many businesses, which require efficient new digital ways of working. The aim is to ensure no loss of productive capacity while complying with health and safety measures.

The benefits of effective communications and teamwork

To take account of the true impact of good communications on the work environment, we have to mention all of the factors that prevent conflicts or misunderstandings, and help employees support each other. Effective communications in the workplace offer numerous benefits:

• More efficient distribution of tasks and resources, helping to reduce production times.
• Motivating employees in a healthy way. With effective communications, they will engage better with the deliverables, their colleagues, and their managers. 
• Team focuses on specific objectives, allowing everyone to progress in the same direction because there are no misunderstandings or errors due to communication breakdowns.
• All team members will feel like their voice is heard.

The ability to work in a team, a must for many companies 

Effective communications and teamwork are part of the so called soft skills. These focus on aspects that, although not technical, influence a company's productivity. Without good communications, staff potential may be wasted.

In 2020, the University of Alcalá de Henares conducted a study about soft skills and which of these were the most in-demand in the workplace. Leadership, communications skills and teamwork were the main ones, hence having a professional profile that includes these skills helps to make you the ideal candidate for many jobs. In short, combining technical skills with the development of communicative and teamwork skills should be a priority. 

Six tips for developing effective communications

Active listening

In a dialogue, it's important to pay attention to the speaker's message. Active listening consists of thoughtfully responding to what is being said in order to generate a flowing conversation.

Clear and concise message

To avoid conflicts or misunderstandings, it is crucial to be clear about the purpose of the message, which information is the most important, and how to explain this. It's not a case of expressing it in lots of words, but rather with those needed to convey the message clearly and concisely.

Assertiveness

Both knowing when to say no and defending your position are fundamental skills for assertive communication. To accomplish this, it's important to express your personal opinions and preferences gradually and politely, to form the habit of communicating firmly. 

Empathy

Some people stick rigidly to their own point of view without even trying to understand the perspective of others, in other words, they lack empathy. This can culminate in interpersonal conflicts if a timely solution is not found. 

Body language

Our bodies speak louder than words. No matter how well an idea is expressed, the recipients also pick up on how you feel by the way you move your hands or from your facial expression. Controlling your body also helps you to achieve much more effective communications.     

Making your communications effective so that they are also effective in teamwork depends on you. For this purpose, Banco Santander is launching 5,000 Santander Scholarships Skills | Business for All 2023, aimed at people who want to improve their skills and take on the world of work. What’s more, it has all been designed by leading experts at Harvard Business School Publishing, one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world.

With this scholarship, you will gain access to a 100% online, 9-week training course on which you will acquire the key know-how and skills to further your career. Depending on your professional objectives, you can choose from one of the following three courses:

• Business Fundamentals: learn the essentials of marketing, finance, negotiation and customer experience.

• Early Career Readiness: discover how to build a valuable network of contacts while putting your leadership skills into practice.

• Managing yourself: improve your skills in decision-making, time management and influencing without authority. 

All of the courses are delivered by top-tier experts and are free to participants. And you don't need to have a degree or be a Banco Santander customer. On top of that, they are available in English, Spanish or Brazilian Portuguese.

You will have the opportunity to acquire all the necessary knowledge and skills via on-demand content, virtual discussions in live sessions with mentors and learning facilitators, interaction with your peers, exercises and tools with which you can practice, then transfer the knowledge to your workplace. In addition, upon completion, you will receive a certificate from Harvard Business School Publishing.

Are you over 18 and want to develop key skills to get ahead in the workplace?  Sign up for Santander Scholarships Skills | Business for All 2023 and whether you get it or not, remember: never stop learning.