The significance of internal communication for a modern company is paramount. Excellent communication increases productivity in the workplace. Communication barriers can lead to badly coordinated teams, hinderances while collaborating, and even a higher prevalence of consumer complaints. Effective communication is not only helpful for a company’s workforce, but it can also propel higher profits. Consider some ways that a corporation can conserve time and other precious resources by strengthening internal communication.
1. Speak Clearly and Succinctly
Half of the battle of a successful communication is hearing and understanding what the other person has said. A clear, concise speech reduces confusion that can get in the way of progress. In written communication, the message should be simple to understand so that everyone at the company reading the message is on-track. When a team is unclear about the instructions, deadlines, tools and equipment, or software needed to get the job done, it impacts the delivery and accuracy of the project. Managers must ensure that employees have an understanding of complex tasks or plans that may be assigned to them. Summarizing the message is one way to help everyone gain an understanding of recent developments quickly without having to read and scan tons of information
Educating members of the workforce in using the proper tone is highly critical for solid communication. The underlying tone can reinforce words of encouragement, or breed discouragement. A positive tone can inspire people and make them more passionate about projects. Reminding employees to be mindful of the tone that they use when communicating can reduce misunderstandings and arguments.
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2. Tell a Captivating Story
Throughout the course of civilization, humans have used storytelling to share important information, give instruction, inspire, or to record a historical account. To enhance the understanding with a corporate communication strategy, you can use a story to help everyone strive on point. Stories have the power to capture and lend emotion, which can invoke stronger bonding between managers, employees, and the rest of the workforce. A background story may also be used by employees who are explaining the company brand and the mission of its founders.
In a healthy internal communication environment, stories help executive members of staff and employees connect with each other. An honest and thought-provoking story can be internalized and can reiterate the purpose of reaching business goals or objectives. When your team is working towards a shared goal that has a significant purpose recognized, it can be obtained faster.
3. Hold Regular Meetings
Scheduling regular meetings for internal communication planning is key for a well informed staff. Employees and managers who lack the latest updates or have no knowledge of recent goals that are a priority slow their individual and group progress. Employees should be informed far in advance for meetings and the topics to be discussed so they are able to prepare responses and questions accordingly. Employees eager to make a difference and be heard will look forward to it.
Meeting up with your staff only once or twice a year can lead to poor communication on the job, distant working relationships, and even mistrust between employees and supervisors. Setting a consistent schedule for meetings boosts the quality of internal communication and offering incentives may be a thrilling incentive to provoke higher participation in meetings that have a poor attendance.
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4. Allow and Provide Feedback To Employees
Employees’ input and suggestions should be encouraged in a corporate environment. It is difficult for executive level employees to get the clear picture that lower ranking employees have. At the end of the day, departments in a workforce are held responsible. The up-close and personal experiences of workers can point to bottlenecks in the pipeline of productivity, and they can recommend meaningful solutions.
Some internal communication examples that encourage thoughtful feedback include:
- Allowing anonymous contributions of ideas anytime of the year.
- Presenting every worker with an opportunity to give input
- Rewarding employees who come forth with exceptional ideas.
- Encouraging respectful communication between the parties involved.
Presenting feedback to employees is just as important as receiving it. Evaluations can help workers understand their performance and make improvements when needed. Managers that give employees additional feedback in private can help them improve while making company goals materialize faster. When employees know where their strengths and weaknesses may be, they can set changes in motion to perform better.
5. Develop the Human Resources Department
Human resources are immensely valuable to a company. The administrators and their assistants are capable of cultivating harmony within a workforce by coordinating their efforts.
A strong human resources division can encourage better internal communication. If an employee believes that something was done wrong or that they were treated unfairly, they can get mediation or put forward a claim.
If workers are afraid that their responses or opinions may result in backlash, then they are less likely to speak up. Members of a company should feel comfortable so that communicative efforts are genuine. Ensuring that job security is not threatened because of workers voicing their opinions to human resources will give many the confidence to offer feedback and suggestions at any time.
6. Use the Convenience Technology Provides
Aside from face to face interactions, internal communication can be transmitted in a number of ways. Some of the ways for managers, employees, and administrators to reach out to each other include:
- Internal Phone Systems
- Video Conferencing
- Apps
- Workflow Management Software
- Serious Games
Although technology provides many conveniences, it is crucial to shield business correspondence and communications as well. Maintaining strong security protections and protocol can protect the confidentiality of internal communication and other processes online and offline. Using encrypted, complex passwords can ensure that internal communications are kept private.
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Good communication creates a pleasant work atmosphere that raises employee morale. Leaders who value communication can make smarter decisions on behalf of the company. As a matter of fact, many companies are using gamification with video games such as ADA or Mars to carry out internal and external communication.
Although external communication between the company and the customers will always be important, internal communication between staff and managers is essential for daily operations and the success of any corporation.