Informal Communication

What is Informal Communication?

Informal Communication is casual communication among employees in the workplace. This type of communication is not official and based on social bonds. It creates a situation where different employees communicate with each other, and work closely together or on a daily basis, irrespective of their formal positions and relationship.

Informal communication also refers to the communication that flows without a defined path and is known as grapevine. It means circulating information or gossip, and it’s direct, spontaneous, and flexible. It is also personal, unofficial, and mostly verbal.

Examples of informal communication include starting a conversation about the weather, exchanging humorous stories, sending birthday cards or wishes, or talking to each other at the mini-mart or grocery store. Informal communication can also be simple gestures without words, such as waving to say hello, facial expressions, body movements, or silence.

What is the purpose of Informal Communication?

Informal communication helps build strong relationships and company culture among employees, by allowing them to establish friendships, find common interests, and blow off steam from work in general.

Advantages of Informal Communication

Some advantages of Informal Communication are:

• Help build relationships among peers and management.
• Increase organizational efficiency where employees are able to freely express their opinions and ask questions without hesitation, thus increasing employee performance.
• Allows employees the opportunity to raise concerns, complaints, and issues with ease and where management can take appropriate action quickly and effectively.

Disadvantages of Informal Communication

Some disadvantages of Informal Communication are:

• There is a lack of secrecy since there are no rules to follow, and private information about the organization can easily leak out, which can cause significant damage to a company.
• It creates rumors and misinformation that spreads quickly.
• It’s an informal channel of communication that does not follow the established chain of command.
• It transmits inaccurate information and can sometimes be hurtful to certain employees and to the organization.
• Creates misunderstandings which lead to conflicts and misconceptions.

Conclusion

The right mixture of formal and informal communication helps make business communication more purposeful and pleasant overall. While there is no rule set in stone for how communication should happen, it generally helps for teams to be open to talking informally from time to time to help build strong relationships and foster a positive team culture.