What is communication? The act of transmitting information between individuals. For working together, maximum collaboration and team work, effective communication is the key. In a work environment, there are various modes of communication which people may choose to apply to work together. For example:
- Email Conversation
- Phone Conversation
- Video Conversation
- Face-to-Face Conversation
As mentioned effective communication is the key to work together and collaborate. Which communication is most effective?
In 2008 Survey, below data was gathered.
As per the survey, Face-to-Face communication and Face-to-Face communication at the Whiteboard was perceived as most effective.
When a team is working together and co-located, there exists an opportunity for Osmotic communication: indirect information transfer through overhearing conversations or simply noticing things happening around someone.
In an Agile team, effective communication is the fundamental requirement. With several communications available for team members, in my opinion, the best one will be as per the situation. The team has to adapt to the situation and understand which mode will be most effective. Few conversation can be very short and can be handled via email. For few one has to meet someone and converse face to face, and for some conversation with face to face at a whiteboard. Choosing the right mode of communication can definitely improve teams ability to work faster and respond to an incoming change.