Building Trust Through Open Communication

  

What is open communication?

Open communication is when all parties are able to express ideas to one another without any fear or doubt.  On the other hand, closed communication is when only one person is actively communicating with the other party.

Role of open communication in organization

Psychological safety in the workplace comes from being open and honest. So, open & honest communication is known as a strategy that helps to build trust in the working environment. It causes stress free working environment inside an organization. Working environment should be a place where individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment or betrayal. 

When considering open communication, Hiding information can create more anxiety and animosity. If there is anything that you think others have to know that is important, you should let them know rather than hide. Otherwise, later it can cause more anxiety & exhaustion. Also if there is anything that is not important, Unnecessary, not affected in a good way, creates conflicts, or causes damage, so if you’re not sure if you should say it, then it’s probably best you avoid saying it. If your staff doesn’t trust you and vice versa, then it can be really tough to build that trust within your team, so starting from the ground up is the most effective way to build commitment and trust.

The working environments with employees who openly communicate with each other tend to have very less stress because no hard hidings inside them and well express themselves & their ideas in a good manner. They can collaborate better, solve things as a team, ask for help without overthinking, Improve employee loyalty and productivity, and create a sense of ownership inside organization. So this profits organization in a more productive way.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Workplace Communication (Explains the psychological tension that occurs when people have conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours)

When employees feel compelled to act in ways that contradict their beliefs or values due to unclear or restrictive communication practices, cognitive dissonance occurs. This tension can lead to stress, decreased job satisfaction, and reduced productivity. Open communication helps to minimize these conflicts by promoting transparency, honesty, and shared understanding (W, 2024).

The below video can help you to learn more about cognitive dissonance

References

1 .  W, S.L. (2024) Teamwork makes the budget work: a success story in conflict resolution. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/teamwork-makes-budget-work-success-story-conflict-resolution-wong-xbmuc/.