Inspirational and motivational quotes often come from those who have broken barriers, paved the way for others, and achieved their goals. Though they may seem frivolous, workplace communication quotes can reveal valuable insights.
According to Pumble, a staggering 86% of employees and executives say poor collaboration and communication are the main cause of workplace failures. Communication is the bedrock and lifeblood of any organization and its success.
Effective communication is essential, and quotes about teamwork can help inspire your team to collaborate and connect more deeply. If you’re looking for workplace communication quotes to get your team back on track, keep reading because we’re going to provide 10 insightful quotes.
Why is Workplace Communication Important?
Communication poses many benefits and advantages, and a lack of communication can create many negative outcomes.
For example, poor communication in the workplace can lead to siloing, toxicity, poor teamwork, decreased productivity, and more. Good communication on the other hand can bolster teamwork, increase productivity, and create a more positive work environment.
Teamwork and communication go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. If you want your teams to be as effective and efficient as possible, high-quality workplace communication is a necessity.
10 Workplace Communication Quotes
Quotes can seem inconsequential, but they can have a huge impact on your team. Quotes on communication in the workplace can help employees see the importance of communication, understanding, and collaboration.
We’re going to provide 10 of our favorite communication quotes for the workplace from a variety of sources from different backgrounds, emphasizing that communication is a universal must-have regardless of field or industry.
There are also countless quotes available. If none of the quotes listed below resonate with you and your team, don’t be afraid to look for quotes that are more in alignment with your team and vision.
Without further ado, here are 10 workplace communication quotes:
“A lot of problems in the world would be solved if we talked to each other instead of about each other.” — Nicky Gumbel
Communication is how we work together to solve problems and achieve our goals. Many of those problems are caused or worsened by a lack of communication, and this quote highlights the importance of communication in solving those problems.
It also notes that people often don’t communicate effectively. Instead of talking to each other, we often end up talking about each other. More often than not, that creates drama and encourages toxicity in the workplace.
“Communication works for those who work at it.” — John Powell
This is a great quote about communication because it highlights that communication is a skill. It’s not something we’re all naturally good at. We have to work constantly at being better communicators if we want to reap the rewards.
Like any other skill in the workplace, you have to actively focus on it. Whether that’s through team building, changes in procedure, open door policies, or something else, the lesson to learn from this quote is that effective communication is something that takes effort.
“In teamwork, silence isn’t golden, it’s deadly.” — Mark Sanborn
Something quotes about working together often miss are the red flags, the things to look out for. This quote emphasizes something many overlook, which is that silence is not a good sign when it comes to teamwork.
If teams are working silently, it’s often a sign of actively disengaged employees or other issues. Effective teamwork requires communication, and you can’t communicate effectively in silence. Teams need to be communicating with each other on a regular basis.
“If you aren’t super crystal clear on what the purpose is for having a conversation. then you’re just going to escalate or cause a rift or best-case scenario, spin your wheels.” — Aden Nepom
Good communication quotes give you new knowledge or insight, and this quote from our podcast episode—Difficult Conversations—does exactly that.
Communication for communication’s sake is often a mistake. Communication should be made with intent, and if you want your conversations to be successful, they need to have a purpose.
Are you trying to assist an employee? Provide constructive feedback? Explain a new concept? You should know exactly why you are having a conversation and what you hope to achieve with it.
“I think for any relationship to be successful, there needs to be loving communication, appreciation and understanding.” — Miranda Kerr
Not all quotes on communication have to be game-changing. This quote serves as a reminder that successful relationships, business or personal, require understanding and appreciation rooted in communication.
Good workplace relationships help propel teams forward to success, enabling better teamwork. And those good relationships require things like trust that can only be built upon a framework of effective and meaningful communication.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb
Like the last quote, this one probably isn’t going to completely change your perspective on communication and teamwork. However, it can remind you and your team that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
High performing teams do so well because they understand that everyone has a role to play. They know that teamwork is essential to achieve their goals, and they fulfill their role within a team to make that happen.
“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” — Babe Ruth
This quote stands out from the other workplace communication quotes because it acknowledges something that people often miss; it doesn’t matter how talented the individuals on a team are if they can’t work together effectively.
A team is only as strong as their ability to work together. Having the best marketer and graphic designer on the same team doesn’t mean much if they can’t work together to come up with a great idea.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw
This is one of our favorite communication at work quotes because it goes beyond simply telling people to talk to each other. It emphasizes that saying something doesn’t always mean it was heard and understood.
The people we talk to can’t understand what’s in our head. Sometimes you say something, and the meaning just doesn’t get across. It’s important to ensure that our message and intent is actually understood when communicating.
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” — H.E. Luccock
Like the African proverb included earlier, this is one of our favorite workplace communication quotes because it is a creative reminder that we all have to work together to complete tasks and achieve our goals.
You can’t have an orchestra with just a violin, and you can’t have a team with just one member. It’s essential to have a full team who are fully engaged and committed to the team and project, all working together towards a common goal.
“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing.” – Rollo May
The best and most effective teams have a strong sense of community and belonging in their workplace and within the team. That doesn’t happen without regular communication rooted in a desire to understand and appreciate others.
If you want your teams to have a powerful bond and connection that enables them to cooperate effectively, then you need to prioritize communication to encourage building that sense of community and belonging.
Workplace Activities for Good Communication
While workplace communication quotes are a great way to emphasize the importance of teamwork and highlight valuable insights, there are other ways to bolster communication. Team building is one of the most effective ways to improve communication.
At TeamBonding, we have been doing team building events for over two decades and have a variety of events designed to boost communication in the workplace. Here are a few events to consider that focus on communication skills:
- Effective Communication
- With this event, your team will be coached by an expert on a variety of communication techniques. It is specifically tailored to address the problems with modern communication as well, touching on things like email and virtual conversations.
- TeamProv
- This event focuses on developing trust and listening skills through fun, group improvisation games. Participants bolster a variety of soft skills like communication while having fun together and building powerful, lasting bonds that bolster teamwork.
- Emotional Intelligence for Teams
- Emotional intelligence is a key part of effective communication, and this workshop provides the tools and guidance needed to improve emotional intelligence. In this lively and interactive event, participants learn how to hone interpersonal skills such as resiliency, flexibility, and self-regulation.
- Team Songwriting Experience
- Everyone gets to be a hit songwriter with this event that improves communication, teamwork, and creativity. Participants work solo or in groups with an expert songwriter to compose and perform songs together, encouraging teamwork, communication, and creative expression.
Prioritize Communication with TeamBonding
There’s one thing that all high performance teams have in common—good communication. It is an essential skill that is necessary for teams of all shapes and sizes. Workplace communication quotes can help you inspire team members, but sometimes that’s not enough.
If you’re ready to take communication seriously and give it the focus it deserves, consider partnering with TeamBonding. We have numerous communication focused activities and are ready to help. Get in touch with us today and start improving your communication skills.
