You may possess excellent leadership skills, but your efforts will be futile without proper communication. To be a productive and effective leader, you must have enough foresight to help you access your organization's success through effective communication within the team. 

Effective communication distinguishes a successful leader from a mediocre and it is the key to good leadership skills as it encourages a proper working environment. Your team will carry out tasks smoothly ensuring that you reach and achieve targets faster. 

For this to happen, there has to be honesty and respect among employees and transparency within the working environment. Another factor that influences communication style is the size of the company, type of business, and industry goals. 

Three practical ways of communication within the workplace include 

1. Trust and respect

When there is trust among teammates, everyone works selflessly for the organization's good and since you understand each other, you will work harder to meet the expected targets and desired goals.

When conflicts arise, you can sort them out amicably without letting it affect productivity since you are answerable to each other. Accountability ensures that you complement each other and work as a team to achieve better results. 

To realize a seamless open communication channel is not easy, but you can accomplish it through time and patience. However, your intentions should not be misplaced as this will be the key to allowing all team members express themselves freely without feeling oppressed or overlooked. Everyone will have an opportunity to express themselves freely, which will stamp out resentment brought about by a communication breakdown. 

2. Understanding of different communication styles 

Team members should appreciate diversity and know that not everyone will communicate in the same fashion or manner. Some people are introverts and absorb information critically and take time before responding while others will process information as they speak. As a manager, you have to be keen and accommodate all these diversities to better the organization’s decision-making process. 

Team diversity is beneficial as it incorporates different ideas and perspectives and enhances efficiency and productivity. Therefore, a team leader should gauge and know different approaches to incorporate on individual and also as a team. Desist from forcing people out of their comfort zones but instead integrate preferred communication methods that are accepted by every person. 

Each team player has unique skills and talents, and hence you should carefully hand-pick specific employees to handle specific tasks that align with their skillset and capabilities. You can realize appropriate identification of skills from deep-rooted and effective communication channels within the organization, which will help you realize that: 

• Not everyone will feel free to air their opinion in a group setting. 
• Not everyone accepts video conferencing as a preferred channel of communication
• Some people process and critically analyze information before responding hence take a long time to reply
• Some people express themselves better with actions and gestures while others are at their best with pictures and sounds. Incorporating Microsoft (News - Alert) PowerPoint slides during presentations and meetings is a powerful tool that gives employees a point of reference on points that were unclear or not well explained. 

Based on Predictive Success, all these behavioral differences should be factored in when relaying information to a team, especially when you expect a response from them. 

Some people prefer written communication, where they express themselves better. For such, you can carefully craft an email and send it to their inboxes. Alternatively, when deadlines have to be met, it will be improper to pull employees from their work stations; hence, the need for sending emails. 

Emails are also useful for instances where decisions passed need to be documented for future reference. Every team member can access their copy from their desk for further discussions or adjustments.  

Besides, some cannot dialog in crowds hence the need to schedule a private meeting and get their views and inputs on the way forward. Research has proven that some employees express themselves better in a one-on-one setting where they maintain eye contact and feel that their views and opinions are taken into account. 

Another need for email communication occurs when teams work virtually. Everyone has to be informed about looming changes that need to be affected or when a meeting has been organized, and everyone gets a reminder that they need to attend. 

3. A sense of where and when to stretch as a team 

For a team to communicate effectively, there has to be an awareness and responsibility taken by every employee, the entire group, and the task at hand. Understanding the group and task is directly dependent on individual character at a group level. 

The entire process of understanding intricate communication details will help you visualize healthy behavioral patterns and tendencies within the group. Healthy communication channels will enable you to map out goals and strategies set out for your team and recognize deficits and underperformance areas. 

For instance, your team may be dominated by individuals with a choleric personality type hence their approach in carrying out tasks is not formal. Although they may be inventive and enterprising, their high-risk tolerance could cause challenges, more so in a more structured organization. 

It is prudent to involve employees who recognize the need for structure to bring balance and help the team achieve set goals and meet targets, by overstretching themselves for the team's benefit.

Additionally, communication means rules and regulations that touch on safety and legal aspects must be adhered to, to avoid costly and tragic mistakes. Teams will take reminders on rules and regulations more positively when given from a point of concern and caution. 

Communicating your intent is much more receptive when it originates from a right place of understanding different temperaments within teams. Groups that have mastered the art of communication are aligned and very productive.   

Additional factors that you cannot ignore 

Organize open meetings

It is much easier to communicate freely through open forums where your feelings and sentiments are incorporated. The atmosphere must be conducive and devoid of tension to enable the message sink and be well understood and retained. 

Communication via training 

Training should be geared towards communicating vital information since many employees take training seriously, especially when it is part of their appraisal. 

Ensure that you demonstrate seriousness and confidence when conveying important facts to prevent staff members from receiving the information with contempt or ignoring you.