The 3 C’s of Effective Communication
April 7, 2021
Creating communications that are clear, consistent, and concise builds trust, removes confusion, captures the attention of employees, drives accountability and actions, and ensures proper education in your workforce.
Communication is the backbone of every relationship, especially business. As Bob Aronson says, “If communication is not your top priority, all of your other priorities are at risk.”
When communication breaks down, everything suffers. Particularly in business, miscommunication leads to mistakes, friction between coworkers, and can stifle progress in every area.
“Effective communication requires more than an exchange of information. When done right, communication fosters understanding, strengthens relationships, improves teamwork, and builds trust.” Liz Papadopoulos’ words show the power of great communication and the importance to open, transparent dialogue.
When employees feel understood and valued, they are more productive, loyal, and satisfied. An organization that understands this and masters effective communication, both with employees and clients, will enjoy long-term sustainability and profitability.
Three Qualities of Effective Communication
To be truly effective, all communication must have three qualities:
- Clear
Good communication does not leave the audience guessing. The points are presented in a clear, and easy to understand fashion. In her article, “Top Ten Email Blunders that Cost Companies Money,” Debra Hamilton stated that the cost of miscommunication to employees averages $420,000 per year for companies of 100 employees. Above all, communication with employees must be comprehensible. Any confusion may carry significant consequences. - Consistent
Repetition is extremely effective in helping people remember information. Studies show that people need to hear a message seven times before they take action. This is known as the “Rule of 7.” When it comes to employee benefits and enrollment, a cohesive and robust communications strategy that reiterates the main information and emphasizes the required action steps will best engage employees and increase participation. - Concise
With an average attention span of eight seconds, employees need concise communications with clear calls to action. When messages are short and use language that is easy to understand, the audience is better equipped to receive the intended message. In communicating with employees, get straight to the point and eliminate any confusion.
Creating communications that are clear, consistent, and concise builds trust, removes confusion, captures the attention of employees, drives accountability and actions, and ensures proper education in your workforce. At BenefitElect, we help support you by providing communication to management and employees in a variety of ways:
Automated Notifications
First, we deploy automated text and email messages to employees informing them of their key enrollment deadlines and any actions they need to take. Frequent communication drives employee participation and frees up valuable time for HR staff.
Benefits Education
Second, our user-friendly enrollment platform means that your employees will not experience frustration when they log on to enroll. During the enrollment process, employees encounter a variety of videos, plan documents, and other communications, which educate them about their benefits and the value they offer. Since the majority of people prefer video than reading text, employees are more apt to learn about their plans during the enrollment process. These “tutorials” increase employee engagement and retention.
Summary
Our goal at BenefitElect is to streamline communication in regard to benefits eligibility and enrollment.