Business communication can be formal or informal as well as internal and external.
What is informal business communication?
Informal business communication involves less important business matters, other issues such as social occasions and gossips. All the channels of communication are unofficial and only exist between informal groups within a business organization.
It plays a crucial role for business managers in building relationships, fostering collaboration, and creating a supportive and productive work environment.
Informal business communication tends to be either written (e.g. posters, notice boards, etc.) or verbal (e.g. meeting someone on the hallway, chit chats in the elevator, small talks during lunch time, in meetings before the official agenda begins, etc.).
Informal business communication can be either internal or external:
- Informal internal communication. It moves messages along the informal organizational structure and unofficial lines of activity.
- Informal external communication. It moves messages to and from outsiders such as journalists, customers or the local community.
How business managers use informal business communication?
Business managers utilize informal communication in various ways to enhance their relationships with colleagues, promote open communication, and foster a supportive work environment. Here are some specific examples of how managers employ informal communication.
USEFUL WAY: Some business managers think that informal communication is useful because:
- Informal communication can help to create among employees important feeling of belonging to the business and social cohesion.
- Informal communication can be used management to test out new ideas to see the unofficial reaction. If feedback is positive, the firm might move forward with the idea. However, if feedback is negative, the firm might never make an official announcement.
- Informal communication can help to clarify official messages or develop them further by talking them over with subordinates in a casual manner.
USELESS WAY: Some business managers think that informal communication is not useful because:
- Informal communication may waste lots of valuable working time which should have been spent on completing tasks.
- Informal communication can spread rumors among stuff leading to the creation of internal conflicts.
- Informal communication may result in informal groups ganging up together to resist official management decisions.
In summary, this article introduces that much of informal business communication is not necessarily about work, but it might just be social interaction about non-business-related topics. By utilizing informal communication effectively, managers can strengthen their connection with employees, promote open communication, and contribute to a thriving company culture.
