How to Build a Culture of Two-Way Communication

Communication is at the core of every human function. Without it, workers can&#;t know what&#;s expected of them, how to achieve their goals, or where to find support. A crucial part of effective communication is reciprocity &#; when communication becomes a two-way street, it allows each individual to participate freely and meaningfully. 

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&#;Nobody likes working at a company that doesn't take their viewpoint into account, that doesn't recognise the value of their voice,&#; said Julia Markish, director of advisory services at Lattice. &#;The act of asking, listening, and acting on employee voices will naturally help have an engaged workforce.&#; 

Building a two-way communication strategy can leverage the otherwise untapped insights of employees, and help them feel more connected to each other, to leaders and to the company as a whole.

What is Two-Way Communication? 

Two-way communication is an intentional style of interaction between two or more parties, where all participants are encouraged to share information and ideas, and especially to listen to what each other has contributed.

&#;There is always the risk of your message not landing with your audience,&#; Markish said. &#;Unless you engage in active listening back, you'll never actually know whether the message that landed was the message that you intended.&#;

Why it matters: Expecting and receiving timely communication builds trust, accountability, and respect among employees and managers. Two-way communication helps employees know they can count on meaningful responses, their ideas are being taken seriously, and they&#;re genuinely part of the team  &#; instead of a cog in the corporate machine.

Benefits of Two-Way Communication

Two-way communication is critical to the success of each and every business strategy, and largely benefits employees at all levels. 

• Improved performance. The better a company communicates, the easier it is to reach objectives and key results. While poor communication causes teams to guess the next step, great communication ensures everyone is on the same page, even as conditions and priorities shift. This helps everyone perform better at a quicker pace, increasing the productivity and performance of an organisation as a whole.
• Stronger teams. Developing authentic, meaningful relationships with colleagues can help them feel more connected and accountable to each other and to their shared goals. When employees feel comfortable and encouraged to have ongoing communication with their leaders and each other, it&#;s easier for them to ask for help and solve problems together.
• Better ideas. When employees are encouraged to collaborate instead of working in silos, their shared brainstorms can increase the quality of innovative ideas, and reduce the chance of redundancy. Individual efforts are often not enough to keep up with today&#;s complex business landscape. Bouncing ideas off colleagues is one of the best ways to innovate and share perspectives.

Ultimately, two-way communication creates an environment where employees feel confident to bring ideas to the table, ask questions, and identify areas for improvement without fear of retribution. 

Organisational cultures built on reciprocity and engagement are more likely to retain employees, because they&#;ll build a sense of purpose and belonging when connecting with colleagues. Some companies take things even further by making self-peer-manager feedback as part of their approach to performance. Even if your company isn't ready for that, two-way communication at the cultural level is still a must.

10 Simple Strategies for Encouraging Two-Way Communication

1. Invest in tools that make communication easy. 

Employees should have equal and direct access to communicating with each other synchronously and asynchronously. While some employees might have an easy time sharing their ideas and opinions in a public forum, other introverted workers might not have the same confidence. 

&#;Engagement surveys are going to be your best bet,&#; Markish said. But to work effectively, surveys should function as part of your larger communication approach, not a standalone tactic, she added.&#;If your only vehicle for soliciting concerns from employees is five minutes at the end of an All-Hands where you read through a sanitised list of questions, then that's not two-way communication. That's performative. Look around at your systems and processes to identify whether they all have a component of that two way communication.&#;

Inter-office communication &#; like instant messaging or employee feedback tools that let workers and managers share feedback easily &#; make it easier to share information in hybrid workplaces where employees have to communicate remotely or across time zones. The simpler it is for employees to share their opinions, the more often they&#;ll let their thoughts be known.

2. Have company executives lead by example.

When individual contributors see that leaders have bought into and spent time engaging with feedback from employees, they may feel more inclined to participate than if the guidance came solely from Human Resources management. Markish emphasised that HR teams need support and alignment from executives to make two-way communication an ingrained part of company culture.

&#;HR teams need to take the role of loudspeaker, not content creator,&#; Markish said. &#;Communication expectations are operational. They need to be coming directly from leaders or chiefs of staff.&#;

One way to bring leaders into the fold is through focus groups or training sessions. Training leaders to model and endorse the values of two-way communication will help employees across the organisation see it, value it, and understand how to implement it themselves.

3. Use meetings effectively, not redundantly. 

Recurring meetings, forgotten agendas, and missing stakeholders create a recipe for hybrid disaster. When employees have to attend meetings just for the sake of it, they become disengaged and resentful of collaboration. 

Sustainable manufacturing company Trane Technologies found a way to reduce meaningless meetings with a strategy of cutting right to the chase. They implemented check-ins called &#;What Matters Most?&#; between managers and employees, which involved &#;having one on one conversations, really getting to know your team, and understanding what they value,&#; said Teodora Vassileva, a regional learning and development leader at the company. 

Vassileva&#;s team created an automated survey where employees identify three things that matter most, and send responses to their manager. Managers are then required to meet with the employee within 30 days to discuss employees&#; responses. 

&#;When managers see the [employee&#;s response], they might assume &#;she really wants work life balance &#; she must not be getting it&#;,&#; Vassileva explained. &#;But really she means that it's great. Like, &#;I get to work from home and you allow me to do that. That's very, very important to me right now&#;.&#; 

Following a survey with a meeting for listening is just one example of effectively closing the loop. Managers can also support effective communication by using one-to-ones to review feedback instead of running through tasks, or encouraging employees to meet with colleagues on other teams. 

4. Recognise and reward employee contributions.

Feeling overworked and underappreciated was the leading pain point when we surveyed UK employees in &#; 44% of them said it was the top reason they considered switching jobs. But in that same survey, only 19% of HR leaders thought it was a reason employees were quitting. This disconnect between both groups could be more deeply understood with effective communication.

More than twice as many respondents said they'd consider leaving a job due to feeling overworked and under-appreciated, rather than better compensation.

&#;Uplifting our people, culture, and communities&#; is one of the values that drives Vassileva&#;s team. &#;Absolutely everything we do is tied to that,&#; she added, and encouraged People teams and managers to think about what that looks like at a macro and micro level.

HR teams, executives, and managers can all pitch in for employee recognition. Make positive feedback celebratory by publicly sharing wins during meetings, on instant messaging, or through department-wide emails. Offering praise regularly helps employees know they&#;re doing a good job individually, and that they&#;re on the right track to make an impact for the team.  

5. Make your office space more accessible.

In hybrid environments, it&#;s crucial to ensure remote employees have the same access to meetings and collaboration as everyone else. That means making video or conferencing available to every meeting attendee, regardless of their location, so they can participate in group conversations synchronously.  

For meetings delivered over video or audio, enabling captions, transcripts and recordings can help employees see, hear and process the communication in the way that is most accessible to their needs, and be able to reference information later if they&#;re unable to take notes.  

For companies returning to in-person workplaces, leaders should think about the design of the physical spaces so employees can interact and connect with each other easily, while still having space and time to focus on their work. 

Keeping office doors open or having virtual office hours held regularly makes leaders more accessible to individuals who want direct access to share their thoughts and ideas.

6. Launch a mentorship program.

Support employee development with the resources you already have by pairing new and seasoned employees together to foster mentorships within the workplace. When employees are encouraged to connect with colleagues outside of their functional teams, they share institutional knowledge they might never have accessed otherwise. 

HR teams can provide guidance for mentors and mentees to contribute to the relationship, such as setting a cadence for meetings and structuring feedback to promote exchange of ideas. 

Employees can use what they learn from each other to work on their professional growth and solve departmental challenges, both of which benefit development, performance and learning across the organisation. Managers can even have employees include insights from their mentors in developmental reviews or conversations about career tracks.

7. Establish communication norms in your onboarding process.

Employees spend the first few weeks of a new role trying to absorb a fountain of company information, yet it can feel more like trying to drink water from a firehose. Clearly explaining communication norms from the onset of their employee experience can help workers understand what to expect from their new company culture. 

&#;The way we communicate has to be born of your operating rhythm, style, and team,&#; Markish said. &#;It probably will fall flat otherwise.&#;

If your company has specific communication norms &#; such as a day of the reserved for no meetings, or a time frame for expecting responses to instant messages &#; make it clear that everyone is expected to observe them. Don&#;t forget to document your norms in a central, accessible place that employees can regularly reference, such as a company-wide intranet or your HRIS. 

8. Schedule team-building events regularly.

When employees feel connected to the rest of their team, they&#;ll be more comfortable sharing their ideas candidly. Having dedicated time for building relationships at work can help employees become more connected to, accountable to, and supportive of each other. 

Scheduling events once a quarter (or even more frequently) will give employees a chance to mingle with colleagues in a more casual setting. 

Team-building doesn&#;t have to be team-specific, though. Especially in remote environments, not everyone regularly interacts with individuals who work in different departments. Regularly making time for lunch, coffee chats, or other short meetings can improve cross-functional collaboration, connectivity, and feedback. 

9. Look for dips in employee feedback. 

When tracking employee satisfaction and experience through engagement surveys, Vassileva said signs of disengagement can be found in the volume of responses &#; not just the contents of responses themselves.

&#;When we don't get a lot of feedback or reception, that's a very big indicator that engagement isn't happening,&#; she said. 

If participation or adoption rates fall unexpectedly, that&#;s a form of communication in itself. Taking time to speak with employees &#; such as the &#;What Matters Most?&#; conversations or focus groups &#; can help managers keep a pulse on why employees attitudes are changing. Perhaps they don&#;t have time to participate in engagement surveys, which is an indicator of being overworked. Or they don&#;t believe the survey results will lead to productive changes, which means they&#;re sceptical of HR and leadership. Either way, it&#;s worth finding out what&#;s underneath the lack of responses. 

10. Align feedback methods with employee needs.

Make sure the efforts put in to employee feedback and recognition are aligned with the way employees want to be praised &#; otherwise, recognition programs become a misguided effort. 

In a survey of workers by Blackhawk Network, 75% of respondents whose employers deliver recognition and rewards programmes said they don&#;t actually recognise people the way they&#;d prefer. Over half of respondents wanted to be publicly recognised alongside colleagues, while 48% wanted to be privately recognised by their manager. Ultimately, 83% of respondents said receiving recognition would increase their productivity and loyalty to their company.

It&#;s easy to look at other companies making headlines for innovative people strategies, but external benchmarking can be distracting and irrelevant to what your company can reasonably and effectively achieve. Conducting a survey about current communication norms and needs is the perfect place to start.

&#;You can gather inspiration externally, but the people that you are accountable to are your employees, not anybody outside of the organisation,&#; Markish said.  &#;If you're able to hold up a mirror and really get specific, that can help your company get aligned on a lot of processes.&#;

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Lattice helps businesses reshape their people management strategies to make work more meaningful. To learn more about making the most out of employee engagement, download our eBook, How to Use Real-Time Engagement to Build a Winning Culture. 

What is two-way communication?

Two-way communication refers to the exchange of information between two or more parties. It is an interactive form of communication where senders and receivers alternate roles in the communication process and provide feedback to one another.

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A key element of effective two-way communication is the feedback process. Feedback allows the original sender to know whether their message was accurately received and understood by the other party. The receiver can ask questions, provide input, clarify misunderstandings and express their perspective. This feedback loop is essential for reaching mutual understanding between the communicators.

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Two-way communication vs One-way communication

In two-way communication, both parties are actively engaged in the exchange of ideas, opinions, feelings and information. There is a continuous feedback loop where the sender's message is received and understood by the receiver, who then responds with their own message. This back-and-forth flow allows for clarification, confirmation and discussion.

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In contrast, one-way communication only involves a sender transmitting a message to a receiver without any feedback or response. Examples include a speech or lecture where the audience passively receives information without interacting with the speaker. One-way communication lacks the feedback loop to check understanding or tailor the message.

Types of two-way communication

Two-way communication comes in many forms, including verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.

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Verbal communication

There are 3 main channels where verbal communication can take place:

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&#;In-person: In-person conversations allow for real-time exchange of information and feedback through spoken words. Tone of voice, inflection, and other vocal cues add additional context.

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&#; . calls make two-way verbal communication possible over distance. Conversation flows naturally, and questions can be asked and answered fluidly. 

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&#; Virtually. Video conferencing via services like Zoom or Skype combines verbal conversation with visual cues. This helps replicate in-person interactions when physically meeting isn't possible.

Non-verbal communication

There are a few different types of nonverbal communication:

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&#; Body language: Body language like facial expressions, gestures, and posture provides non-verbal cues during in-person interactions. These unspoken signals help convey additional meaning and nuance.

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&#; Vocal cues: Tone of voice, pacing, volume, and inflection add non-verbal context to verbal conversations over the or video chat. Vocal cues complement the spoken words.

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&#; Textual cues: In written forms of communication like texting, emojis and text formatting like bold or italics help convey non-verbal information to add expression.

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Written communication

Two-way written communication can occur in a variety of formats:

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&#; : allows for two-way written communication with the ability to exchange messages back and forth containing questions, feedback, and responses.

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&#; Texting: Text messaging and online chat platforms like Slack or Facebook Messenger enable real-time written conversations. This provides an instant feedback loop.

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&#; Social media: Social media like Twitter or Reddit allows for written discussions to flow organically. Users can interact through posts, replies, comments, and messages.

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Why is two-way communication important?

Two-way communication is vital for promoting understanding, building relationships, and encouraging engagement. Unlike one-way communication, two-way communication allows for an open exchange of information. Through this back-and-forth dialogue, people can gain clarity, resolve ambiguities, and check their understanding.

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&#;&#; Promotes understanding

Two-way communication promotes understanding by giving recipients a chance to ask questions, clarify details, and provide feedback. This prevents miscommunications and ensures everyone is on the same page. The feedback loop also helps ideas get conveyed more accurately.

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&#;&#; Builds trust and stronger relationships

By opening up two-way communication channels, employees feel heard and valued. Their opinions and input are actively sought out and considered. This fosters a sense of mutual respect and connection. 

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&#;&#; Encourages active listening and engagement

When employees know they'll have a chance to respond, they become more attentive and involved. They listen carefully instead of passively receiving a one-sided download of information. This leads to richer discussions and idea exchanges.

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Benefits of two-way communication

Two-way communication provides many benefits for organizations and employees.

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Some key benefits include:

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Improved productivity and efficiency

With open channels for giving and receiving feedback, employees can clarify expectations, solve problems quickly, and collaborate more effectively. This leads to smoother workflows, faster task completion, and overall improved productivity. Two-way communication enables managers to provide guidance, motivation, and resources to help employees work more efficiently.

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Better decision-making and problem-solving  

By sharing ideas and insights in both directions, two-way communication allows for better-informed decisions. Rather than managers dictating plans, two-way dialogue enables teams to pool their knowledge and experience to make smarter choices. Encouraging input from employees directly involved in operations also helps identify potential problems early. Issues can then be addressed before they escalate or cause significant disruptions.

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Increased job satisfaction and employee morale

When employees feel heard and valued, they tend to have higher job satisfaction. Two-way communication demonstrates that their opinions matter. It also builds trust between managers and employees. This inclusive environment boosts morale across the organization. Employees who actively participate in planning and decision-making also gain a sense of ownership over processes and outcomes, further motivating them to perform well.

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How to encourage two-way communication in the workplace

Effective two-way communication is crucial in the workplace for productivity, efficiency, and employee satisfaction. However, many organizations struggle to foster environments where open and constructive dialogue can thrive.

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Leaders can encourage more two-way communication in the workplace by:

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&#; Creating an open and inclusive environment

An open organizational culture starts from the top. Managers need to actively listen, invite participation, and make employees feel their voices are heard. Having an open-door policy and making yourself available for discussion encourages people to speak up. Transparency about company goals, operations, and decisions also promotes openness.

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&#; Providing training on effective communication skills 

Many employees want to improve their communication abilities but don't know where to start. Investing in formal training teaches practical techniques for active listening, giving constructive feedback, resolving conflicts, and holding productive meetings. Role-playing exercises help cement these skills.

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&#; Implementing feedback mechanisms and encouraging constructive criticism

Actively soliciting input shows employees their perspectives matter. There are a few ways to do this:

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• Conduct regular surveys to gauge engagement levels and concerns
• Have skip-level meetings where employees can speak openly to senior managers
• When criticism arises, avoid being defensive and thank people for their honesty

Examples of two-way communication in the workplace

Two-way communication occurs in many different contexts, but some of the most common examples include:

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&#; Team Meetings and brainstorming sessions

Team meetings provide a forum for colleagues to exchange ideas, provide updates, and make decisions. Effective two-way communication allows for constructive debate, clarification of ideas, and consensus building. Team members should listen attentively, ask questions, and provide feedback during meetings. The goal is to reach an understanding, not just state opinions.

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Brainstorming sessions thrive on two-way communication. Team members build on each other's ideas in a collaborative setting. Listening to others' perspectives spurs new creative thinking. Clarifying questions help refine proposals.

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&#; Performance reviews and feedback sessions

Performance reviews and feedback meetings rely heavily on two-way communication between managers and employees. Employees provide updates on their work and future goals. Managers give constructive feedback. There should be open dialogue to ensure understanding on both sides.

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&#; Customer service interactions 

Customer service requires clear two-way communication to understand customer needs and provide helpful solutions. Customers explain issues while service agents actively listen and then respond. If anything is unclear, both parties can ask clarifying questions. The goal is to resolve the customer's problem through this collaborative dialogue.

Barriers to effective two-way communication

Two-way communication is essential for understanding, clarity, and meaningful relationships. 

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However, there can be barriers that prevent effective two-way communication. Some key barriers include:

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Language and cultural differences

When people speak different languages or come from different cultural backgrounds, communication barriers can arise. Words, gestures, and body language can be interpreted differently across cultures. A lack of sensitivity to cultural norms can hinder mutual understanding. 

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Lack of active listening skills

Two-way communication requires active listening skills from both parties. When people do not pay close attention, make eye contact, or provide feedback, communication breaks down. Assumptions and misinterpretations occur when people do not actively listen.

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Distractions and interruptions

External distractions like background noise, mobile devices, and multi-tasking can disrupt two-way communication. When one party frequently interrupts the other, it prevents proper understanding and reduces engagement. Staying focused and minimizing distractions is key.

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&#; Overcoming barriers requires awareness, cultural sensitivity, active listening skills, and minimizing distractions. With effort from both communicators, obstacles can be addressed to enable more effective two-way communication.

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7 Tips to improve two-way communication skills

Effective two-way communication requires constant effort and practice.

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Here are some tips for improving your two-way communication skills:

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1. Practice active listening

When others are speaking, focus completely on what they're saying without interrupting. Maintain eye contact, nod to show understanding, and reflect back key points to ensure clarity. This shows you are engaged and understand the message.

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2. Ask clarifying questions

If you need more context or details, ask follow-up questions. Saying things like "Could you elaborate on that point?" or "What did you mean when you said X?" encourages others to provide additional info to prevent miscommunication.

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3. Provide feedback

Share your reactions, thoughts, and input during conversations. Feedback shows you are listening and helps continue the two-way dialogue. Provide feedback in a clear, constructive manner focused on the topic at hand.

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4. Encourage open dialogue

Make others feel comfortable speaking freely and honestly with you by being approachable. Maintain an open body posture and be mindful of your tone. Invite others' perspectives through language like "I'd love to hear your thoughts on this."

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5. Paraphrase key points

Restating or summarizing important points in your own words helps reinforce mutual understanding. Say things like "So in other words..." or "Just to make sure I understand..." as you paraphrase.

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6. Be aware of nonverbal signals

Note others' body language, facial expressions and tone of voice as they speak, as these provide additional context and insight into their feelings and perspective beyond just their words.

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7. Avoid interruptions and distractions

Being fully present during conversations without interruptions demonstrates respect and focus. Don't interrupt others and minimize external distractions to concentrate on the dialogue.

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Making two-way communication skills a regular habit will lead to more productive, meaningful dialogues and stronger relationships.

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