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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWorkplace communication skills are observable habits: sharing information clearly, listening to understand concerns, adapting a message to its audience, giving useful feedback, and handling disagreement respectfully. They can make collaboration and performance-management conversations more productive, but no single skill guarantees workplace success.
What are communication skills in the workplace?
Communication at work is more than speaking confidently or writing polished emails. It includes making information useful to the person receiving it, inviting questions, responding thoughtfully, and making sure people know what happens next.
SHRM’s 2025 competency checklist describes communication as crafting and delivering concise, informative messages; listening to and addressing concerns; and transferring information across organizational levels. It also identifies listening, relationship building, teamwork, and conflict management as relevant capabilities. SHRM’s communication competency treats these behaviors as part of effective work, not as a guarantee of a particular result.
How can I improve my communication skills at work?
Make your purpose and request clear
Put the reason for a message near the beginning. Include the context the recipient needs, the action you are requesting, and when it is needed. For an email or chat update, use a descriptive subject or opening line and make the main request easy to find. This is a practical way to apply SHRM’s emphasis on concise, informative communication.
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For example, instead of writing, “Just checking in about the report,” try: “Could you review the draft budget by Thursday at noon? I need your approval on the staffing assumptions before I send it to Finance.” The second message identifies the task, deadline, and reason.
Listen to understand, then confirm
Give the other person room to finish. Ask a clarifying question if something is unclear, summarize the central concern in your own words, and confirm the next step. Listening is not simply waiting for a turn to speak: it helps surface the concern that needs to be addressed.
SHRM’s communication competency includes listening to and addressing concerns. Its civility guidance also recommends active listening, polite discourse, and considerate responses. SHRM’s Civility Index reported that nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers had experienced or witnessed workplace incivility within the previous month, according to SHRM Research on Civility, Conflict and Expression in February 2024.
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Adapt your message to the audience and channel
Choose the amount of context and the format that will help the intended reader or listener understand and act. A brief status update may suit a shared chat; a decision with trade-offs may need a written record or a discussion where people can ask questions. Early-career communication challenges can include professional writing, appropriate participation in meetings, audience-centered messaging, and professional language. A SHRM contributor recommends realistic practice, feedback, and reflection as ways to develop these skills. SHRM’s guidance for early-career professionals presents audience-centered messaging as a foundational skill.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →There is no universally best channel. Consider the purpose, urgency, complexity, audience, and need for a response. A spoken conversation can allow immediate clarification; an asynchronous written message can give people time to review and respond. For important decisions, use the channel that supports discussion and leaves a clear record of the outcome.
How do I give useful feedback?
Useful feedback identifies a specific behavior, explains its effect, and offers practical guidance for what to do next. Avoid relying on vague praise or criticism that leaves the recipient guessing.
For example, rather than “Great job on the update,” name what helped: “Your summary clarified the next steps, so the team could keep the work on schedule.” For improvement, describe the observable issue and a forward-looking adjustment: “The client proposal went out without the revised pricing table. Please use the final-review checklist before sending the next version.”
SHRM’s feedback guidance says effective feedback should be specific and objective, identify strengths and areas to improve, and provide practical direction for future action. Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, CHRO at SHRM, told SHRM: “Effective feedback must go beyond a mere checkbox mentality. If we reduce it to a transactional task, we risk delivering input that is imprecise, lacks meaningful direction, and fails to provide actionable insights.” The quote appears in SHRM’s April 4, 2025 article on feedback. Read SHRM’s feedback guidance.
The same article reports that 80% of employees who said they had received meaningful feedback in the prior week were fully engaged, attributing the figure to Gartner. This reported association does not establish that feedback caused engagement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should I handle disagreement with a coworker?
- Listen first. Let the other person explain their reasoning without interruption.
- State the disagreement plainly. Identify the point at issue and the relevant facts or concern, without making it personal.
- Ask about their reasoning. A question such as “What risk are you most concerned about?” can reveal information that changes the discussion.
- Respond considerately. Keep the exchange polite and focused on the decision or work, even if you do not agree.
- Clarify what happens next. Record the decision, owner, and next action when the issue affects ongoing work.
These habits reflect SHRM’s civility guidance on active listening, polite discourse, and considerate responses. They do not require avoiding disagreement; they help keep disagreement useful rather than personal.
How do I communicate effectively with my manager or coworkers?
For a manager, make it easy to understand the status, the obstacle, and the decision or support you need. For a coworker, be clear about responsibilities and dependencies, and invite clarification when expectations differ. After an important conversation, confirm the decision, who owns each task, and the next action.
This matters in performance management as well as day-to-day coordination. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) says, “Excellent communication skills are essential for good performance management.” Its Performance Management Competencies guidance on communication connects communication with setting expectations, maintaining working relationships, enabling feedback, involving employees in planning and development, and recognizing contributions.
Recognition and collaboration are also workplace concerns: SHRM’s April 4, 2025 feedback article reports that, in the 2025 SHRM State of the Workplace Report, 34% of U.S. workers reported a lack of recognition for contributions, 25% cited insufficient collaboration or support, and 15% felt performance evaluations were unfair. These figures describe reported concerns; they do not show that communication skills alone resolve them. SHRM’s article provides the reported figures and context.
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