Communication is one of the most vital elements to keep a team running smoothly, effectively and efficiently.
But team communication can come with a whole host of challenges too, whether the company in question helps people sell homes online or is a manufacturing company ir indeed, something else. Communication is one of the basic cornerstones of any successful business. However, we often don’t think carefully about how we can improve communication within our business.
Poor communication among your team can lead to costly mistakes, workplace disagreements and low morale and poor wellbeing amongst your staff. In short, good communication is completely essential.
Having clear and effective communication means your team members will know what’s happening, what’s needed from them and will give them a greater sense of ownership and value within the team.
So how can you improve team communication in your business? Here are some top tips for improving communication in the workplace.
- Have an open door policy. Make sure that your staff know so that they can ask any questions, voice any concerns and pitch ideas at any time of the day. As a leader, your priority should be maintaining open and honest communication with all of your team members. This means that if anyone in your team is in trouble or under stress, they will feel comfortable talking about any problems, which have a knock-on effect on their work. For example, something as simple as an employee may need to get a $1000 loan to help with their finances which could be causing them a great deal of stress, and talking things through can make a world of difference. By honouring an open-door policy you’re demonstrating to your team that their opinions and voice are valued and being heard.
- Team building activities to boost morale. Improving communication on all members of your team is vital if you’re looking to improve your overall success. but learning to communicate well doesn’t need to be dry. Get your team involved in some hands-on and fun team building activities. Not only will they boost morale but I have people talking to each other more easily which is half the battle of improving communication.
- Become a pro at taking and receiving feedback. Many of us have an inherent fear of honest feedback. You might find that you become unnecessarily defensive when someone is trying to offer you constructive feedback. As a team, learn to get good at giving and receiving constructive feedback. Remember that feedback is about your ideas rather than about you as a person.
- Make sure responsibilities are clear. One big downfall in many companies’ communication is that it is not clear what is actually expected of team members. To improve communication amongst your team, make sure that there is a clear and consistent way that tasks and responsibilities are documented. Maybe you have a big whiteboard in a communal space that chats everyone’s role in an upcoming project. This way there can be no doubts about who is responsible for what.
- Don’t be afraid to call. Many teams communicate via text or emails, and this method has many advantages. However, there are certain instances in which a cool or a video chat would be a much better option than email. Not only does a call give you an instant response but it’s a lot easier to digest large amounts of information when it’s spoken instead of in text form. A call also gives you the advantage of better understanding how your other team member sees the problem at hand, by picking up on their more subtle signals.
- Use collaboration software. Collaboration software can be a fantastic tool when it comes to communication amongst teams. Using online collaboration software means that your team can communicate effectively even when they’re not in the same building. So many teams are now scattered across cities with so many more of us working from home, but don’t let geographical distance get in the way of good communication. With so many incredible options for collaboration software you are sure to find a program that fits your exact needs.
