Business Communication

Business communication needs to become interpersonal again. No matter how we believe our human forms came into existence, we were built to need personal contact and function best with face-to-face communication. As children, we desired comfort from touch, a hug from our mothers. As teenagers, we held hands with our boyfriend or girlfriend. As adults in the workforce, we still need to feel that connection and comfort with our families and the people we work with. As Susan RoAne (2008), owner of a speaking, consulting, and coaching business, discusses one way we feel this connection is through getting to know and building trust by communicating in-person. Through this interpersonal interaction, we not only feel more comfortable around the people we collaborate with, but can better share thoughts and understand what those people are saying verbally and on paper (p. 60). Do you trust someone you have never met in person? Most people say no, because there is no connection with you and the person until you meet.

It is important for employees to feel a connection in their job and feel what they do matters to the business and fellow co-workers. Employees feel a connection when participating in regular face-to-face interactions with co-workers. Connections are important in business because as David Ryback (2010), an internationally acclaimed speaker and consultant, states: “Business cannot exist in the absence of people relationships, the stronger the relationships, the more potential for success in the business.” (Ryback Cathcart, & Nour 2010, p.19). The strength of relationships with co-workers correlates with the connection employees have in their job. When a connection is made, confidence follows. With confidence, employee...

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.... Normally, in a business when people are working as a team, they meet every workday to discuss the task at hand. A team brainstorming, discussing information, and meeting not only is very beneficial for the business, but also builds connections and trust for the people in the team and displays regular face-to-face communication. Teams play to each other’s strengths. Another way teams function well is how they use communication technologies to only aid in their communication within and outside the group. The team members do not rely on the technologies, because it is expected that if you are in the team, the employee is committed to working in-person with the team. Teamwork adds individual job engagement by allowing team members to see how their work contributes to the project and later see how the team’s completed project contributes to the whole business.