We hear a lot about the importance of good communication, but within organisations it rarely comes naturally to everyone. This is evidenced by the fact that more than 60% of office workers still cite communication as an area that their business fails at.

Why isn’t it taken seriously? It’s perhaps more a case of the nuances of great communication being difficult to understand and enforce across a workplace. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t try your absolute hardest to get it right. Here are the top 10 reasons why businesses absolutely have to communicate well, or risk failure.

1) Customer service is better when businesses communicate well internally, because employees are more informed about products, services and processes. It allows them to be honest and develop more trust with clients.

2) Expectations are clearer so your team will know what they need to do in order to be considered productive and successful in their job.

3) People that know how to communicate make much more efficient teams. Collaboration without understanding will usually lead to wasted time.

4) Company values will be upheld and taken seriously if people actually understand what they are and know how to communicate those in everything they do.

5) Businesses using the most advanced and up-to-date communication channels tend to have better-informed employees, since they have instant access to relevant information. This also creates a good impression with external parties, if they can see you keep up with the times.

6) You can avoid confusion and mistakes when people understand what’s happening. Simple errors in communication can lead to bigger problems down the line.

7) When changes are happening in a business (and this happens often for many organisations), employees sometimes need extra support. Making sure people understand why things are changing will increase their trust in you.

8) An open and transparent culture will help you identify and resolves a huge range of issues much earlier on, compared to in a situation where tensions are underlying and communication is hindered.

9) Communicating regularly about important issues will help people in your team feel like they are valued. This in turn helps with employee retention and productivity.

10) Maintaining an engaged and productive workforce is really the main goal of internal communication strategies, so if you get it right you should experience this for yourself.