04.08.16 The 12th Key for Adding Value as an Employee

12. Communicate Effectively

As already said in other places, effective communication is about sending a message to receivers such that they understand it as you intended.

Although our airline’s commercial department was a team of three, that is, the marketing officer, the statistician and myself, our role would cut across since each employee had to sell the airline. Therefore, effective communication was key in order for everyone to understand that cost-cutting plus high revenue generation were a priority; and how that would boost profitability. To put every employee on the same page, we introduced monthly in-house seminars where managers would internally market their departments to the rest of the workforce, highlighting the roles of their departments in cutting cost or generating revenue for the airline. One notable seminar was on ‘on-time performance’ where everyone got to identify his or her contribution towards making our flights depart and arrive on time. We could tell that communication had been effective since our on-time performance became one of the best in the industry.

Naaman's story is full of manifestations of the slave girl's ability to communicate effectively. For starters, she was able to establish a cordial relationship with the commander’s wife, despite her lowly position as a slave. Second, she successfully advised Naaman to find Prophet Elisha. Then, assuming that she was part of the team that went with Naaman to Israel, she was able to successfully convince him to wash in the Jordan seven times, a thing which the furious and disappointed commander had adamantly refused to do (2 Kings 5:13).

A value-adding employee communicates effectively especially since adding value in the workplace is not an isolated activity done by one person, but rather, a series of activities implemented by several people within the primary and secondary activities of a value chain, who need to be effectively communicated to.

Communication impacts productivity, morale and overall culture in the workplace. Therefore, take time to understand the most effective ways of communicating with the people in your workspace both informally and formally. What conversations are acceptable? What business transactions are required and how can they be improved for higher productivity, efficiency and effectiveness? As you add value to a process or activity, who are you supposed to communicate to in order for your efforts to take root or be implemented in the current activity or other related ones? Are there any cross-cultural issues involved? What communication is acceptable when interacting with stakeholders or team members from different cultures? Are there any taboos?

However great your value-adding idea may be, if you are unable to communicate it effectively with peers and other stakeholders, it will not achieve its potential. In other words, communication enables you to transfer and receive important information for adding value as well as sharing your ideas.