Every business in the corporate world, measures their return on investment in technology upgrades, process automation and workforce upskilling. Yet, when it comes to soft skills, such as interpersonal communication, the management hesitates to invest, because the return on investment from a “soft skill” training is not quantifiable.
Interpersonal communication is not just a soft skill, but it is in fact, one of the most important factors which contributes positively to customer satisfaction, employee retention, productivity and profitability. It is a business-critical skill which the leaders of the company need to prioritise on their employee training agendas.
What are the effects of poor Interpersonal communication for businesses:
- Decline in Productivity-Lack of clarity at the workplace often leads to confusion, delays, rework, missed deadlines.
- Increased workplace conflicts-misunderstandings disrupt productivity by deranging collaborations
- Higher Employee Turnover-Undervalued & unappreciated employees feeling disengaged, look for other opportunities.
- Negative Customer Experience-Miscommunication weakens trust and damages long-term relationship with clients.
- Work-culture Erosion-Unapproachable managers create communication barriers which erode trust & collaboration which leads to Blame-culture.
How do we overcome the Challenge:
The following are a list of actions, that managements can and should consider. These actions if planned and implemented effectively, can contribute to strengthening of interpersonal communication skills in the organisation. Ultimately leading to minimizing the negative effects of the challenges.
1. Training programs: Employees need to be trained in Active listening,
Team-work, conflict resolution, and assertive communication.
2. Leadership modelling: Managers can be encouraged to rotate team leadership roles among team-members which in turn leads to empathy and respectful communication.
3. Feedback Mechanism: Fostering a positive environment where constructive criticism is normal and feedback is encouraged.
4. Technology support: Leveraging technology to support platforms where communication flows freely across departments, systems get updated avoiding communication gaps.
Let’s study the case of Google’s Project Aristotle where interpersonal communication played a major role in team success and performance.
Case Study: Google – Project Aristotle and the Power of Communication
Overview:
In 2012, Google pioneered an initiative known as “Project Aristotle” which sought to understand “what makes an effective team”. A team of researchers was formed in Google to investigate a vast number of teams in Google and analyse more than 250 factors of successful teams.
The project got its name based on the quote by Aristotle:
“The Whole is more than the sum of its parts”.
Main Goal:
To understand: Why do some teams succeed and others do not despite being equally skilled.
The Conclusion: It Wasn’t “Who” Was on the Team, but “How” They Worked Together.
After two years of study, Google found that interpersonal communication and group norms were more important than individual talent. The most successful teams shared five key dynamics — all related to interpersonal communication.
The Five Key Dynamics of Successful Teams
- Emotional Safety
“Will I get mocked at for my out-of-the-box ideas?”
Only when team members feel safe to present their ideas and thoughts without being judged critically, there is room for innovation through trust. Asking questions, giving constructive feedback can foster team’s progress.
- Dependability
“Can we count on one another to deliver quality work on time?”
The productive output of the team is largely influenced by how efficiently the team members have performed their duties and responsibilities.
- Structure and Clarity
“Are the goals, roles, and execution plans clear?”
Reducing the risk of miscommunication is possible only by fostering an open environment where messages flow freely.
- Meaning of Work & Impact of work:
“Do we find personal significance in our work?” &
“Do we believe our work matters and creates change?”
Having a shared belief that their work is meaningful and impactful has implications on the output.
Google’s Project Aristotle showed that interpersonal communication, is crucial for seamless collaboration. Even the brightest minds will not be able to perform in environments where communication is restricted, trust is non-existent, and the team has norms that discourage openness.
Large IT / BPO firms like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Genpact, etc. often invest heavily in communication skills training.
Banking / Financial Services firms (e.g. ICICI, HDFC, SBI) also run communication training for customer‑facing roles, call centres etc., which may have cost / revenue impact data.
Customer‑service-oriented sectors as in the hospitality industry (hotels, airlines, retail) where communication failures directly affect customer satisfaction, repeat business etc, mandate Inter-personal communication skills trainings.
An effective team is not one made of the best individuals, but rather one made of people with the best conditions that facilitate synergy and interaction.
CONCLUSION:
Investing in the training and development of interpersonal communication skills is a strategic business imperative. Organizations that understand this and implement it, are better positioned to innovate, collaborate, and succeed in today’s complex business environment.
