‘Businesses lose $64.4million yearly to poor communication’

Founder and Executive Vice Chair of Poise Nigeria Limited, Mavi Isibor, said the cost of poor communication is enormous and can lead to substantial losses by business.

Quoting a recent report from Harvard Business Review Business Communication Statistics, she noted that companies with over 100,000 employees lose $64.4 million yearly to miscommunication, while smaller companies with about 100 employees lose up to $450, 000.

Citing the report, she said trust and credibility are also lost, with one in five business leaders claiming to have experienced heavy losses due to miscommunication.

“Also, 68 per cent of business leaders who lost deals to miscommunication said it caused them $10, 000 or more each time they have had a miscommunication error,” he said.

Speaking at the formal launch of the Aptis English proficiency test in Lagos by the British Council and Poise Nigeria, Isibor said the flexible and reliable English assessment is tailored to improve business communication skills, and workplace communication, boost employee confidence and improve business performance.

Noting that proper communication is essential, Isibor described Aptis as a powerful catalyst for transformation, adding that it would provide a comprehensive evaluation of English language skills, a key ingredient for business communication.

“Aptis empowers employees to pinpoint areas for improvement, track progress as well as measure staff development. I am confident that it will be a game changer and help businesses achieve their goals and reach new heights.”

Director of examinations in Nigeria for the British Council, Deep Adhikari, described it as the smarter way to evaluate English, adding that it covers writing, reading, speaking and listening. Adding that it would change the way communication is perceived, he said it is a great tool for businesses and would create opportunities for better livelihood.

Shedding more light on English Testing for Businesses, Uchechi Awaraka, said it provides reliable results for all four language skills mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and is trusted by governments and institutions in over 85 countries.

“Ensuring people’s performance in the workplace, it helps ensure your staff have the right skills to communicate with international partners and contribute to business growth. As part of efforts to empower organisations for growth and excellence as well as enhance corporate culture, Poise Nigeria has been appointed official reseller in Nigeria on behalf of the British Council,” she noted.

The launch event, which was attended by representatives from various organisations, including industry leaders, highlighted Aptis as a powerful tool for business development, skill development and career progression.