Clear and effective communication is essential in all aspects of life, whether interactions occur informally or within the business setting. Communication builds relationships because it allows human beings to interact, share their ideas, commentaries, and recommendations, negotiate, and collaborate, among others. Good communication is one of the strong foundations of relationships because it is through our personal interactions that we get to know other people. From an authentic Christian standpoint, communication is also important because it allows us to fulfill one of our duties, which is to advocate Christianity through our interactions with other people in the community. Furthermore, through our words, we would be able to set examples for other people, give words of encouragement or praise, and express our gratitude. It is through our words that our thoughts and emotions are realized – the self-expression of Christian views and ideals. Aside from showing our commitment to our religion in thoughts and in deeds, we use communication so we can also stand by our commitment in words.
In the business setting, communication also strengthens interpersonal relationships, but it plays a more important role in affirming the foundations of an organization. The organization has a mission and a vision, a philosophy about business and management, and goals and objectives for growth and development. Apart from these, the organization also implements a Code of Ethics that is expected to instill moral responsibility and guide thoughts and actions among all individuals in the workplace. For employees and staff to know their moral responsibilities, leaders in the organization must communicate the Code of Ethics to all individuals in the organization. Communication also enables leaders to set moral standards and expectations. If communication in the organization is unclear and ineffective, then employees and staff would fail to understand the Code of Ethics they need to follow and the ways through which they should abide by these laws and organizations, and how they should behave or act in the workplace. Therefore, clear and effective communication, in this case, is valuable in business and management because it would facilitate the alignment of the organization’s standards, Code of Ethics, goals and objectives, with the actions and decisions of employees and staff.
From a Christian viewpoint, clear and effective communication is important because it plays a role in sustaining Christian values not only in the workplace but in other social settings as well. Within this context, communication is an instrument to uphold Christian values because it contributes to the resolution of conflict. Conflict brings about various problems not only in the organization but in our everyday relationships as well. Conflict disrupts our routine and sometimes prevents us from accomplishing our daily tasks and responsibilities. In addition, conflict may also breed unconstructive or detrimental outcomes, especially if two parties argue against each other. The Christian worldview highlights the importance of peace and harmony. As Christians, it is our responsibility to maintain good relations with our neighbors as it is one of God’s commandments. Conflicts may be unavoidable but as Christians, we should be able to resolve them in a nonviolent and diplomatic fashion. Good and effective communication would then help us become diplomatic in terms of facing and resolving conflict whether in our personal or professional lives.