hows to improve communication at your company

7/25/2019 Hows to Improve Communication at Your Company

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7 Ways to Improve Internal Communication at Your Business

Internal communication is important for any organization to function effectively. Employees

should feel that they can easily communicate with their team members as well as upper

management, because this contributes to productivity and overall results. The following list

includes actionable steps for improving internal communication:

Make Sticky Information Accessible

Every organization has its own set of internal knowledge, or sticky information, that all

employees come to understand. It can take time to learn how the company does things, from

protocol for preparing client!facing documents to other types of best practices. "elp

employees learn this information faster by including it as a part of training and by creating

internal documents to be used for reference.

Make the Mission an !ision Clear

Take the time to e#plain the company values and mission, whether as part of corporate

training or as a regular reminder to employees. $hen employees are unified in their

understanding of the company goals, they will be able to communicate with one another more

effectively in order to reach them.

Stren"then Connections

%ot only should communication be improved between team members who work together, but

between employees and their managers. &ake sure to address this during management

training programs. &anagers who take the time to get to know their employees and are

willing to listen to them will find it easier to communicate and keep direct reports on task.

$hen employees feel that managers are able to address their individual concerns, they are

more likely to feel connected.

Create #pen $ialo"ue

'eep employees up!to!date on company changes, progress and future plans. This could be

through a bi!monthly newsletter or at company meetings. (urthermore, allow employees to


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be involved in this discussion. Encourage )uestions and comments, and show that all ideas

are welcome. Employees are more likely to communicate well when they feel they have a

part in where the company is headed.

%ncoura"e Information Sharin"

*rovide an online platform for knowledge sharing. Employees are likely reading about

industry news and trends on a regular basis, so offer them a place to share this information.

+y having an opportunity to show what they know, employees will be eager to stay involved

in this endeavor. %ot only will this create more energy and purpose behind communication,

but the sharing of valuable insights will be helpful to business.

#nline &ro'ect Mana"ement (ools

There are many types of online tools that can be used to facilitate communication. These

tools can help keep track of a proect-s progress so that everyone knows what is left to be

done. $hile face!to!face communication is always important, online tools can aid in this

process by saving time and helping to document the work.

&lan %)ternal %vents

reate opportunities for employees to meet outside of the office. %othing hinders

communication more than when there are employees in the company who haven-t truly met

one another. *lan a holiday party or a happy hour after work. This also gives employees

something to look forward to, which can facilitate improved engagement and stronger

communication.


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5 Proven Ways To Improve Your Company's

Communication

Effective internal communication is incredibly important to any company, and any

entrepreneur. +ut skillful communication is so much more than that: communication can

mean the difference between your business succeeding or failing. %owadays, sending regular

emails and making *ower *ointsfor your important meetings is not enough.

/ccording to the "olmes 0eport, companies with effective communication strategies have

123 higher returns to shareholders, more engaged employees, and less employee turnover.

onversely, among 144 corporations surveyed over a year, an estimated 562 billion was lost

due to employee misunderstanding or error due to poor communication.

If you want to lead your company to success 7 and scale to a degree which would enable

that level of success8 your communication strategies need to be updated. "ere are five ways

that you can level up your communication

9. *ea by e)ample+

(irst!time entrepreneurs may not yet have a skill set that includes clear communication 7 the

lynchpin to any effective leader-s arsenal. easoned entrepreneurs know that being the first to

share, comment, give feedback, and answer )uestions is the best way to encourage youremployees and teammates to do the same. +eing a great communicator sets the stage for

everyone around you, so do your best to keep an open door policy with lines of

communication wide open.

;. ,eep your company-s mission an vision at the forefront+


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Enterprise social networks like *odio,>en?esk,(resh?esk, or ales(orce hatterare

absolutely necessary, and make short work of problem solving, proect updates, and cross!

departmental info sharing whether your employees are in the ne#t room or in another country.

1. $ismantle the hierarchy+

In business, hierarchies create communication ams, and more and more companies are doing

away with them and for good reason. Team structures are more effective and more efficient.

@ess bottlenecked decision!making and accessible leadership encourage fluid

communications leading to faster results and added adaptability. This approach may be

challenging at first, but it will lead to greater ease in the long run.

A. Make communication into a habit+

Establish regular communication processes that happen on a schedule: weekly conference

calls, monthly online newsletters, )uarterly employee reviews, etc. "abitual communication

eliminates time wasted searching for information that should be forthcoming and transparent.

?efined rules help everyone rela#, and work on higher priority business.

Even if your company has only two people, communication skills are a vital part of any

successful venture, and staying up to date with the latest communication techni)ues can make

your company more efficient, more lucrative, and more satisfying.
https://podio.com/https://podio.com/https://www.zendesk.com/https://freshdesk.com/helpdesk-softwarehttps://freshdesk.com/helpdesk-softwarehttp://www.salesforce.com/chatter/overview/https://podio.com/https://www.zendesk.com/https://freshdesk.com/helpdesk-softwarehttp://www.salesforce.com/chatter/overview/


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/0 Smart (ips to Improve Workplace Communication

In nearly every aspect of life Bboth professional and personalC, communication is crucial to

success and happiness.

0elationships cannot thrive without open communication, and the same goes for businesses

both large and small.

The )uality of a businessDs internal communication often says a lot about the company itself.

@et poor communication get worse, and your organizationDs days may be numbered.

(ortunately, there are plenty of ways you can improve 1orkplace communicationin yourbusiness.

2+ Check in 1ith %mployees on a 3e"ular Basis

hecking in with employees is essential. &eet with them regularly either in!person or online

every few weeks or months, inviting them to discuss their thoughts on their proects, tasks,

and the organization as a whole. They want to be heard, and they want to share their thoughts

and opinions. This willimprove internal communicationthroughout your entire organization,

as well as empower your employees and keep them comfortable in their positions.

4+ Make Internal ,no1le"e 5 $ocuments %asily Available

(or newer employees, it can be difficult to learn the ropes of an organization and how it truly

operates. ince most companies work from a specific set of internal knowledge, thereDs

usually already a built!in training program at your disposal. &aking internal knowledge

easily available via documentation on your social intranet is a great way to keep

communication flowing.

/+ Assess Your Current Internal Communication Methos

ItDs not easy to improve something if you donDt know whatDs holding you back.

ommunication methods such as email, telephone, messaging, in!person communication can

all serve a valuable purpose and come along with a variety of benefits. "owever, some may

be more useful than others. Email, for instance, is probably not the best way to have a

conversation with someone. &any organizations are replacing email with social intranet

software with collaboration tools. o make a list of your current internal communication

methods, and you might find that your organization is missing something or relying too

heavily on one particular method, in which case it might be time to make some changes.
https://axerosolutions.com/blogs/timeisenhauer/pulse/282/10-simple-secrets-to-totally-rock-your-internal-communicationshttps://axerosolutions.com/blogs/timeisenhauer/pulse/282/10-simple-secrets-to-totally-rock-your-internal-communications


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6+ Implement Social Intranet Soft1are

$hen attempting to improve workplace communication, social intranet softwareis at the

top of the list. omprised of a variety of tools that can help improve daily business processes,

an intranet also features a robust internal communications platform that allows for easy

retrieval of old conversations. It also empowers employees to bounce ideas off each other in a

udgement!free environment. The popularity of social intranet software is growing at an

e#ponential rate, and the technology is continuing to move in a forward direction.

+ 8ave an 9#pen $oor9 &olicy

ne of the biggest obstacles that employees face is how they can communicate with

managers and Es. They may not feel comfortable approaching the boss, and as a result of

this apprehension, many employees may choose to avoid bringing up important points, thus

blocking the flow of communication. "aving an Fopen doorF policy where your employeesfeel comfortable bringing anything to your attention, at any time, can be immensely

beneficial to your businessDs internal communication, not to mention make you more

approachable. /nd if theyDre not approaching you, always remember G9 above ... check in

with employees on a regular basis.

:+ (ake Avanta"e of Social Meia

ocial media has proven to be a powerful aid for businesses to communicate with

customers ... yet it often goes overlooked how effective it can actually be to improve

workplace communication. Employees can like, comment, and share with one another

interesting posts that may relate to your organization.


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thereDs nothing more important for a team than for each of its members to have a similar

mindset.

=+ Sen #ut an Internal >e1sletter

$hen things get busy, it may be difficult to keep tabs on whatDs happening in

your organization. /n internal newsletter is an e#cellent tool for ensuring that every

employee is up on recent happenings, whether they be small or monumental in nature.

Typically, internal newsletters work best when theyDre sent out weekly, but you

can e#periment with how often you push them out.

20+ 3earran"e Your #ffice

If youDre working within a physical office, one of the best steps you can take to improve

workplace communication is to rearrange the way it is designed. &any offices make use ofcubicles and partitions, for e#ample, which can isolate employees and put a damper on

communication. 0earranging your office to make it more FopenF in design will help open up

the floodgates for communication and collaboration, not to mention make the space more

enoyable to work in.

22+ .ocus on Company Culture2

(ocus on company culture and integrate it into your workday. This can be a great way to

make employees feel more connected to each other and the organization itself.


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26+ Allo1 Your %mployees the #pportunity to 3echar"e2

$orking long hours can be e#hausting, especially when mindset is considered. $hen

youDre in need of a recharge, it can be very difficult to communicate effectively with others.

ive your employees the opportunity to step away when need be. $hether this means taking

an e#tra hour for lunch or simply asking for the occasional personal day, youDll get better

results out of granting your employees the chance to reboot themselves than running too tight

a shift.

2+ Stren"then Connections Bet1een Mana"ers an %mployees

In many organizations, managers and employees work hand!in!hand each other. This isnDt

always the case, however, and itDs not uncommon for employees to simply report to

managerial staff with status updates. +y encouraging stronger, more collaborative

relationships between employees and managers, youDll be doing an important thing forimproving internal communication in your organization.

2:+ $on?t Chastise Min"lin"

(or some managers and Es, water cooler chatamong employees can seem like wasted

time, which can easily e)uate to wasted money in the mind. Employee mingling is an

essential aspect of relationship!building, however, as you canDt e#pect people to get to know

each other if all theyDre discussing is work. If your employees feel like mingling and having

an off!topic conversation or debate during the workday, let them.

27+ $iscoura"e #ne@Way Communication

&any businesses take a top!down approach to communication, which has been a classic

constant for decades. ne!way communication may provide an element of control, but itDs not

going to do you or your employees any favors whatsoever. Instead, allow for communication

to be a two!way street, as youDll see a number of benefits by taking this approach.

2;+ &lace Importance on 3e"ular Content Creation

reating content for blogs and wikis can have both internal and e#ternal implications, most of

which will be positive for your organization. +y encouraging your employees to create and

publish )uality content, youDll be empowering them to inect their own personality into the

company, which in and of itself is a form of improved communication. *lus, employees can

FlikeD and comment upon their coworkers posts 7 another effective tool for fostering a

productive discussion.

2=+ Incorporate Mobile (echnolo"ies

Today, more and more people are using smartphones and tablets for everything. &obiletechnologies arenDt going away, and since many modern employees find themselves outside
https://axerosolutions.com/blogs/timeisenhauer/pulse/370/water-cooler-chat-10-smart-reasons-to-encourage-ithttps://axerosolutions.com/blogs/timeisenhauer/pulse/370/water-cooler-chat-10-smart-reasons-to-encourage-it


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of the office on a regular basis, embracing them now is of the utmost importance. This could

mean creating apps specific to your business or using mobile technology for conferencing

among a variety of other approaches.

40+ Atten Conferences as a (eam

Just about every industry has its own set of conferences throughout the year. /ttending

conferences as a team is an e#cellent way to open up communication and discuss with

employees how your organization might be able to move forward in your industry. /s with

any type of retreat, conferences can be great for team!building, and they donDt have to

e#pensive or difficult to attend if you plan things out ahead of time.

42+ se a C3M &latform

$henever customers are involved, do everything you can to ensure that your employees arecommunicating with them efficiently. Ksing a 0& platform is a great way to keep

employees on the same page regarding a ticket or in)uiry, which will help get your customers

the answers they need as )uickly as possible. therwise, communication breakdown may

occur, resulting in a number of hurdles that can have an effect on customer retention.

44+ &ut #rers in Writin"

*utting things in writing is the only way to make sure that everyone understands an order

properly without misconstruing things. This is especially true when youDre dealing with a

large number of employees. /lways live by the philosophy that if itDs not written down, it

doesnDt e#ist.

4/+ Scheule $aily Status Meetin"s

The more you can do to remind every team member of their tasks and the current status of a

proect, the better. ?aily status meetings can be held either in person, via teleconferencing or

via the web, and they donDt have to last for more than 94 minutes. If you have the lu#ury of

having everyone on your team located in the same time zone, try to schedule a meeting for

the same time every morning.

46+ Ientify an 3each #ut to Shy %mployees

%o matter how you cut it, some people simply tend to be shy, even if theyDre adept at what

they do. Identifying and reaching out to shy employees can help break down the barriers of

workplace communication they may have imposed for themselves, especially if you show a

genuine interest in them. ?onDt forget, however, that this can be a lengthy process 7 shyness

doesnDt dissipate overnight, after all.


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4+ %ncoura"e !ieo Conferencin" for 3emote %mployees

$hen youDre managing remote employees, relationship!building can sometimes be difficult.

ne answer to this all!too!common issue is video conferencing, which helps put a face to the

voice of your employees when you might not actually see them in person for a long period of

time. This is a great way to get to know the freelance9rs you work with, especially if you plan

on enlisting their services long!term.

4:+ se an Anonymous 9Su""estion Bo)9

/s old!school as it may sound, this is another way to improve workplace communication.


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many cases, youDll be able to compile data about your company that actually shows increased

performance and productivity. This is a great way to let employees know ust how much of an

impact open communication has on an organization. Either way, celebrating what youDve

achieved will only boost the moods of everyone.

In Conclusion

/lways keep in mind that trying to improve workplace communication within your

organization is a time!consuming process that is best approached by using a number of the

above tips at the same time. If you put in the work, however, youDre bound to see positive

results.

hows to improve communication at your company

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