Workplace Communication
No matter how many employees a company may have, one of the most critical factors in determining success is workplace communication. How information is exchanged between employees, and third parties if your practice has decided to outsource its medical billing tasks, is vital to the efficient operation of all business activities. Assigned tasks cannot be completed effectively if the lines of workplace communication have become tangled or damaged. Effective workplace communication requires the cooperation and input from everyone involved from the ultimate decision maker for the business all the way down to those that handle the smallest details of the day to day operations.
Workplace Communication Information For People
The information that needs to be given to people in order for them to properly perform their duties must be given in a way that can be easily understood but also allow for an employee to feel that they are a vital part of the company. Enough details about the task must be communicated to ensure success while not leaving the employee feeling that they are being micromanaged. This can become a very fine line when handing off medical billing responsibilities to a third party vendor. Adequate information must be passed on but it must be kept in mind that as professionals the billing company has established procedures which they have determined work best for them.
The timing and frequency of workplace communication is also a factor that must be carefully weighed. Important information must be delivered as it is required without the need to wait for some sort of scheduled meeting which may delay the implementation of a necessary activity. At the same time, holding regular meetings just for the sake of having meetings even though there is no important information to be shared is a waste of valuable time and company assets. Objectives are much more easily met when information is shared in a timely manner. It is also important that employees understand the information that is presented to them so a training program should be developed and put into place for those that will be dealing with any type of sophisticated data such as that involved with finances. This is especially important for sensitive personal information that may need to be accessed when performing medical billing duties.
Keep in mind that workplace communication relies on listening as much as it does on talking. Every effort should be made to understand what is being said by actively listening and then repeating back the important information in your own words to ensure that all parties involved are on the same page. If communication is being handled through letters or email make sure that you read through your correspondence several times before sending to ensure that no misunderstanding may occur due to confusing or ambiguous language. Misunderstandings can easily occur without face to face communication where much of the information passed on is through nonverbal clues rather through just the words.
Effective workplace communication will go a long way in making all day to day tasks much easier to accomplish. Remember that workplace communication is not limited to just those people that work directly together in the same company. If your practice has chosen to outsource medical billing, or any other facet of the business for that matter, then workplace communications skills are just as important when dealing with those performing the outsourced duties.
