Why is business communication Important for business success? Of course, establishing communication in business organisations is one the most importance decision to make in the business environment. Business and organisational activities require effective interpersonal and group communication strategies in order to meet set objectives. This is because, getting clients and retaining the best workforce, enjoying the loyalty and patronage of the customers, working in teams and small groups, leading others, relating positively with others, achieving goals and assuring the success of an organisation depend on communication.
Human beings are social animals who find fulfilment in relating with one another. You communicate with family members, friends on campus, distant relatives, lecturers and non-teaching staff members, members of your religious, social and cultural groups, and many other people with the purpose of exchanging ideas and information. As it is difficult for people to live in seclusion, so also is it difficult for them not to communicate. In the words of Hybels and Weaver (2001:6), communication is any process in which people share information, ideas, and feelings. This shows
that it is a transactional process of exchanging meaning and achieving understanding between or among people. It is therefore a vital aspect of life. It is possible for someone to communicate within himself or herself (intrapersonal), with other persons (interpersonal) and within a group (group communication).
It is on record that a business executive spends more than 75 percent of his her time communicating. Therefore, business managers and their subordinates need to devise communication strategies to cope with the dynamic world of business.
Employees must relate with one another and with the employers through communication; usually, there is a need for customers and or consumers to exchange information on products, and shareholders would need information on business performance.
These and other activities of a business outfit make business communication a sine qua non. We can therefore classify business communication into two: internal and external communication. Every exchange of information between and among people working in an organisation is internal, and the relationship that people within an organisation maintain with the customers, consumers, consultants, suppliers and every other person or group (people who are not directly employed within the four-wall of the organisation) is known as external communication.
Communication in a business organisation is also divided into two: verbal and non-verbal communication. Writing letters, memos, composing electronic and other forms of written messages are under verbal communication. Also, when transceivers (people involved in communication encounters) exchange information through speech (which can be face to face or mediated), verbal communication takes place. Verbal communication is usually complemented in day to day official interaction among workers and employees as routine tasks are performed.
Non-verbal communication in business organisation refers to other ways of sending and receiving messages apart from the use of words. This involves the use of hands, body movement, space, distance, colour etc to communicate.
Business communication is important for meaningful response and understanding in an organisation. Employees, employers and other stakeholders must clarify issues, set objectives and understand one another for the organisation to progress.
It is also needed to build favourable relationship. This is because people must relate personally, positively and professionally by creating and maintaining favourable relationship. This encourages participants in the communication encounters to help one another and contribute to their professional and personal growth.
Organisations also depend on the goodwill of their customers or clients to survive. Employees must therefore build goodwill and ensure that their organisation’s reputation and products are successful Krizan, Merrier and Jones .
To sum it up, organisational efficiency and effectiveness greatly depend on the ability of managers and the entire workforce to send and receive messages inside and outside the organisation with maximum efficiency. For this to happen, they must possess the following abilities:
- To send clear and complete messages;
- To listen, read and interpret messages appropriately;
- To encode messages using the right symbols that the receiver understands;
- To decide the most appropriate environment for sending and receiving messages;
- To avoid all forms of distortion or noise that hamper meaning;
- To include feedback procedure in themessages;
- To prevent rumour from spreading by offering information as and when due;
- To understand diversity issues in workplace communication (Jones and George.
Communication is pervasive and an inevitable activity in the life of every human. In a business environment, workers, employers and customers need to constantly relate by exchanging information for mutual understanding and organisational success.
