communication – Economía Creativa

I think we’ve all been in a situation where we haven’t been properly understood or listened to, either privately or in the workplace. Such situations are very frustrating and make us lose the enthusiasm and motivation to continue cooperation and maintain interpersonal relationships. The matter is much more serious when it happens in the workplace, because not only the employees may suffer, but also the organisation itself.

In today’s dynamic, technology-driven business environment, communication is more important than ever. Effective communication is the lifeblood of any organisation and plays a crucial role in its success. But for it to be effective, we need more than just a simple exchange of information or visibility on social media. Effectiveness is about being creative throughout the communication process, understanding the emotions and intentions behind the information, and building trust and long-term relationships.

Which are the side effects of ineffective communications in organisations?

The road to success is long and bumpy, and when it comes to communication in companies, there are no exceptions. Such typical communication challenges in the workplace must be faced early and acted on an ongoing basis. The most important thing is to approach them appropriately. And here they are:

High Turnover: Poor communication and little or no emphasis on creative work practices can lead to a toxic and high-stress environment, causing high employee turnover. Replacing employees, especially high-level ones, can be costly for the company.
Outdated practices and lack of innovation: The lack of creative practices in the workplace may affect the company’s innovation and development, which may ultimately lead to stagnation and lack of interest from new customers. Such a static company may discourage a talented workforce.
Work Duplication: In some cases, certain employees become the “gatekeepers of information,” leading to work duplication. When these employees leave the company, they may take a lot of institutional knowledge with them.
Ego and Attitude: Personal egos and attitudes can hinder effective communication. This can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts.
Passive Listening: Effective communication requires active listening. However, passive listening, where the listener does not fully engage in the conversation, is a common problem.
Cultural Differences: In diverse workplaces, cultural differences can lead to misinterpretations of words and gestures, causing miscommunication.
Poorly Written Communication: Communication that is not clear and concise can lead to misunderstandings and confusion.
Lack of Clear Communication Lines: Without a clear understanding of who is in charge of what and who answers to whom, employees may be uncertain about who to turn to with questions or concerns. This can lead to a lack of accountability and confusion.
Reactivity Instead of Proactivity: Reactive communication, where issues are addressed only after they arise, can lead to problems. Proactive communication, on the other hand, anticipates and addresses potential issues before they become problems.
One-Way Communication: Assuming that employees, clients, consumers, and other stakeholders, understand every piece of information they are given and never have anything to ask can lead to communication problems. It’s important to provide opportunities for questions, comments, or feedback.
Lack of Communication Standards: Without clear communication standards, messages can be misunderstood or lost.
Heavy Use of Jargon: Using too much industry-specific language can make communication difficult for those not familiar with the terminology.

Meeting these challenges requires a proactive approach, including ensuring clear communication channels, promoting active listening, respecting cultural differences and encouraging open and transparent communication. However, all these indicators will not be enough without creativity and everything that comes with it. Originality is the secret of effective communication in companies.

What is creativity and why is it crucial for effective communication in business?

According to Economia Creativa Manifesto:

Creativity is not just something you do; creativity is a way of being, living and working, experiencing, feeling and sharing life. In consequence, unlocking people’s creative potential opens the door to infinite possibilities and to fulfilment. Thus, creativity is the power of being; the engine of the Four Industrial Revolution that when enhanced collectively, can transform society achieving prosperity, equality and sustainability.
Economia Creativa

Creativity plays a key role in communication, both in the business environment and in the workplace, supporting originality, relevance and clarity. Nowadays, with all the information coming from everywhere, it is our message that should be noticed among many others. It’s not just about the information itself, but about making our message stand out from the crowd, attracting attention, arousing curiosity and thought, be something surprising or even shocking, but definitely, staying in the mind for a long time.

Creativity involves empathy and attentive listening. Empathetic communication can help build strong relationships with customers and employees (the statistics show that 96% of people would like a more empathetic approach to communication in the workplace), foster trust, loyalty, and ultimately improve the success of the business. Attentive listening, on the contrary, is more than just listening to what someone says, it is the ability to listen to information that may not have been said yet, it is the ability to pick up on small intentions, wishes or doubts; it is also the speed and way in which we react, as well as understanding and the aptitude to put ourselves in the shoes of a person who wants us to signal something. Besides, effective listening encourages others to listen to us and respond to what we say. We need to see and hear beyond the mere exchange of information.

Now that we know that effective communication is creative communication, let’s focus on companies that use creative communication practices, i.e., for example, invest in internal tools, training and resources to improve communication and provide all employees with the information they need to achieve success.

So what is the role of such communication and what exactly does it bring to the organisation?

Improving Business Performance: According to research , companies that use good and creative communication practices are three and a half times more likely to achieve better results than their competitors. Such communication contributes significantly to internal efforts with team members that directly affect customer relationships—and therefore, the company’s bottom line.
Implementing Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace: Emphasising creativity can lead to increased productivity, innovation, and improved communication. Highlighting creativity at work encourages open communication, fosters a more satisfied workforce, and contributes to growth and success of the company.
Employee Engagement and Productivity: Creativity in internal communications can help employees feel valued and increase their productivity – nearly 70% of the workforce would be more productive with effective communication in the workplace, loyalty, and engagement- research shows 85% of employees are unengaged, and a big part of employee engagement is internal communication -by empowering individuals, builds trust, adding strength to their natural abilities, and fostering a more artistic, energized, and engaged workforce, ultimately leading to improved teamwork, productivity, and profits.
Enhanced Message Delivery: Creativity in communication helps ensure that messages are clearly delivered and completely received, minimising uncertainty, ambiguity, and misunderstanding, by capturing attention, maintaining engagement throughout the message, and ensuring that the message is clearly delivered and completely received. It can move communications from poor to fantastic, capturing attention and maintaining engagement throughout the message.
Role in Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Creative thinking is imperative in communication at the workplace, especially in making difficult decisions, solving problems, resolving conflicts, generating innovative ideas, and developing leadership skills. It enables leaders to remain open to new ideas and flexible in their approach.
Originality and Relevance in Communication: Creativity can help improve communication by offering something new, different, or unexpected that captures attention and curiosity. It allows for original and relevant storytelling, making messages more impactful and memorable
Clear Expectations: Effective communication based on creativity ensures that employees are more open, have greater trust in management and the team, and understand their roles, responsibilities and performance expectations. This transparency helps them stay focused and aligned with company goals.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction. Better business communication also means better customer satisfaction. If there’s poor communication within an organisation, two things happen when it comes to customer service and satisfaction. First, employees in customer-facing roles won’t have the information they need. Which is the second thing?

The importance of developing an effective communication strategy. Success Stories.

A well-crafted communication strategy ensures that important information is relayed to the right people, both internally and externally. This alignment of information across the organisation can enhance the efficiency of the workforce, as employees are better equipped to accomplish their tasks successfully when they have complete and accurate information.

Strategic communication also plays a vital role in shaping public perception of an organisation. The right message can enhance a brand or an institution’s image, while a poorly crafted one can damage it. Therefore, it’s crucial to carefully plan and execute communication strategies to ensure they align with the organisation’s goals and resonate with the intended audience.

Success stories of efffective communnication:

Slack: Slack emphasises effective business communication techniques, such as active listening, message delivery, and asking for feedback. The company recognizes the importance of good workplace communication in improving teamwork, collaboration, and conflict mitigation. By focusing on these communication strategies, Slack aims to boost engagement, encourage creative thinking, and build better relationships with employees, colleagues, and clients.
Blink: Blink advocates for 10 effective organisational communication strategies for the modern workplace, including creating a corporate communication plan, encouraging one-to-one conversations, providing digital access to organisational tools and resources, and enhancing employee engagement to drive commercial results in all teams. These strategies aim to improve internal communications and foster a more connected, creative and engaged workforce.
Stagecoach: Stagecoach, a leading public transport company, has been recognized for its effective internal communication strategies. By providing a digital front door to the organisation’s tools and resources, Stagecoach has improved employee engagement and driven commercial results across all teams. This approach has contributed to a more connected and engaged workforce, enhancing internal communication within the company.
TED: TED, known for its influential talks and conferences, has demonstrated successful external communication strategies. Through its compelling website content, blogging, and thought-provoking talks, TED effectively communicates its brand purpose, development, and personality to the public. This has allowed TED to create powerful and positive relationships, contributing to its long-term success and impact.
Amazon: Amazon is recognized for its effective external communication strategies, particularly in marketing and client-facing interactions. The company’s successful use of email marketing as an external communication strategy has been cost-effective and impactful, allowing Amazon to effectively communicate its brand purpose and engage with its customers, contributing to its sustained success and growth.

It takes creativity to break through and last. Technology alone is no longer enough; technology is the tools that create magic, only in the hands of the creatives.
Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

In order to be properly heard and understood, it is no longer enough to just be present on social media or regularly send newsletters to customers, and wait for a response. Creativity in communication is essential, from the very beginning, throughout the whole communication process, and it never stops, constantly looking for new, more original ways of exchanging information, audience development and brand building. It takes creativity to break through and last. Technology alone is no longer enough; technology is the tools that create magic, only in the hands of the creatives. Investing in the right people with a creative approach is currently a milestone in many companies and only the best of the best know about it. These examples above demonstrate how companies like Slack, Blink, Stagecoach, TED, and Amazon have successfully implemented creative communication strategies to improve internal and external communication, enhance employee engagement, build positive relationships, and effectively communicate their brand purpose and values to their target audience, and drive organisational success. It is important that companies recognize the importance of creative communication and strive to improve it at all levels.