Voice communication has remained a critical component of business operations for decades. From landlines to mobile phones and now calling capabilities available on any device, voice has proved its worth, especially in situations that demand fast decisions and solutions.
Today’s digital workplace has brought with it newer forms of communication, greatly shifting how we communicate and work. Emails and instant messaging offer advantages that voice communication doesn’t, such as a record of the conversation and the ability to craft a more thoughtful response.
Despite written communication platforms becoming prominent, voice has maintained its steadfast presence in business. As workplace interaction continues evolving, an important question emerges: In a world increasingly leaning towards instant messaging, is voice still essential to business collaboration?
The science behind voice communication
Though we have many tools available in our personal and professional lives to communicate in writing, voice remains a preferred choice of communication for many people, and for a good reason. When communicating verbally, it is much easier to understand someone’s tone, pitch, pace, and volume, which are crucial indicators of intent. For example, someone speaking with urgency will inspire that same urgency in others. If a project becomes stuck, one of the best ways to get it moving again is to pick up the phone.
Furthermore, voice communication can cultivate emotional connections between people. When we hear a familiar voice or sincerity in someone’s tone, it evokes a sense of trust and reliability. Speaking with your colleagues can better create a sense of camaraderie, which contributes to a cohesive team environment and good collaboration.
How voice communication drives collaboration and productivity
Voice communication enables real-time problem-solving
Voice communication excels in scenarios that demand instant feedback or immediate solutions. If a project becomes stalled or a task gets stuck, voice communication is one of the most effective ways to progress. This immediacy allows for dynamic exchanges and quick-fire ideation to get the project moving again. Moreover, asking questions or seeking clarification makes voice communication most efficient when dealing with complex issues or brainstorming sessions.
On the other hand, asynchronous communication, like emails or instant messages, often involves waiting for a response as that person might not check their messages or take their time sending a reply. While this delay may be fine in some scenarios, particularly when a well-thought-out response is needed, it prevents fast resolution of urgent matters and delays decision-making processes.
Voice communication enables relationship building
Voice communication plays a significant role in fostering stronger business relationships. Voice communication often encourages you to connect more with the other person; for example, you might chat about how they are before getting stuck into work. A point like this is especially important given that 52% of remote workers reported that poor communication impacts their trust in the team.
As such, voice communication is essential for team building. For instance, the shared experience of group calls or meetings can create a sense of belonging, contributing to a unified team. During these interactions, team members share ideas and information and learn about each other’s communication styles, thought processes, and viewpoints. This knowledge can foster mutual respect and understanding, which are essential ingredients in building a cohesive and effective team.
Lastly, voice communication can enhance the sense of unity among distributed or remote teams. Hearing a colleague’s voice can create a sense of proximity and shared purpose despite geographical distances. Such connection bridges the gap between remote workers and increases their feelings of involvement with the team, which can drive employee engagement and productivity.
Written communication leaves room for misinterpretation
When it comes to written communication, someone could misinterpret more than your tone. You have likely been in a situation where someone has misunderstood your written instructions; perhaps they were too complex or could have been expressed differently.
With voice communication, explaining concepts and instructions or asking questions becomes easier because you can explain how something works in a much shorter time than it takes to write detailed instructions. When speaking with someone, if any part of the process or instruction isn’t clear, you can discuss that on the spot, leading to fewer misunderstandings and a smoother communication process.
What is the future of voice communication in business?
Just like collaboration platforms such as SharePoint have evolved to meet the new needs of hybrid workforces everywhere, voice communication has moved beyond traditional phone calls. For example, Microsoft Teams includes voice calling capabilities to enhance and complement its existing chat and video features.
With this upgrade, the application serves as a one-stop shop, eliminating the need to switch between various communication platforms. People can engage in real-time voice calls, exchange instant messages, and share documents all within the same platform. Moreover, phone calls in Teams alleviate the dependency on traditional telephony for business communication. Instead of switching between computers and phones, people can make and receive calls directly through the Teams app.
Conclusion
Even though many of us leverage written communication, with some people preferring it, voice communication remains central to how we work. With its unique capacity to convey nuanced information and foster trust, voice communication continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening business relationships and driving collaboration.
Why choose Wyntec’s solutions?
As technology drives business today, your data and systems are critical to success. Implementing the right tools can be complex, but it does not have to be complicated. When you work with us, we ensure that you clearly understand the systems, platforms and services deployed.
Microsoft Teams Calling is one solution that we can set up for you. You might already use Teams’ chat and video capabilities, and we can help you make it your phone system as well. So, you have a single platform for your internal and external communication requirements. Please visit our Cloud platform and Infrastructure page for more information.
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