Once an organization is like a machine, it won’t work as efficiently as possible. By contrast, if your business functions like a living body with hand and foot in a dependent connection, the subsequent fruit gathered will be amazing. All share their efforts to achieve the same goal. To do so, you should help the communication between your employees.
1. Evaluate current channels and methods of communication
Make status assessment!
Before taking any approach, step back and look at how the current situation is. When analysing your in-house communication status, note what processes are effective. Which departments or individuals have developed good communication? Is there any evident communication gaps? Can you apply what is working well to the areas in need of help, or do you need to build a workplace communication system from the ground? Invest in current channels and methods to make right decision.
2. Set up the office in ways that facilitate easy communication
Is it necessary to remove partitioned walls?
Look at your building and human resources arrangement, and try to find ways of improving it. For example, are the members of marketing team situated together? How about finance department? Is it the same? As there are the ones to come and the ones to go, the desks are filled and left abandoned. That’s why the initial orders you make can be lost. Also, would their works be made easier if you remove the partitioned wall that separates them? Are they given enough tools and space (for example, large tables, memo boards, others) to get optimal communication and work efficiency?
3. Encourage familiarity
Break the ice by utilizing holiday parties
One of often-referred reasons why employees fail to raise their ideas is reservedness and insufficient familiarity. Give your team chances to get more acquainted through short chat, team lunch-out, holiday party, etc.
4. Leverage CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
CRM will help employees keep track of the company’s interaction with customers. It will help avoid inadequate connection among workers as related to customer services and the like. For example, after receiving an email from a customer, employee A forgot to respond. The customer was angry to call your company. Employee B received the call without being aware of the problem. Employee B asked the customer to be patient for him to gather information from employee A. The customer was angry, hung up the call and rejected working with the company.
5. Start a blog or newsletters for the company
Start company blog for more engagement and sharing.
If your labor size is large, this option specially works. Just create newsletters or a blog dedicated to updating the human resource changes, highlight different departments’ goals cum achievements, status inside and outside the working place. Engage your workers in blog and newsletter posting.
6. Develop clear and comprehensive employee guidelines
There should be such guidelines for newcomers to be more easily familiar with the company working styles and policies; goals, missions and operations of the whole company and the particular role. For instance, the guideline includes the followings:
- Company mission and vision
- Company structure, roles of departments
- Terms of employment
- Communication standards, protocols
- Codes of conducts, expectations, dress
- Guidelines to safety and health
Bear in mind that make a clear guideline; at the same time, it shouldn’t be stiff and too strict regulations that may pressure new hires and make their reserved communication. Added in the guideline should be the communication item that specifies the company encourages employee engagement communication for more understanding and productivity. Generally, such guidelines help employees share a common understanding.
7. Leverage mobile technology advantages
Mobile devices help with communication on the go.
In the digital age, companies should make best use of benefits that such devices as smart-phones, tablets bring. When appropriate, offer mobile devices to your workers so that they can keep on communication however they are being far from each other. This communication option is specially effective if being applied to your remote workers or/ and freelancers.
8. Ask your workers to share their feedbacks and concerns
Try to open the door to your employee's brain.
If you want to know how communication between your employees is, ask them. Figure their comfort level approaching others in the company. Ask whether they have an idea of who to contact if there arises a specific situation. Also, ask them for tips on how to enhance internal communication. This can be done through meetings for developing strategies of strengthened in-house communication, personal conversations. For honest responses, don’t forget to utilize a short questionnaire survey (with participants named anonymous). After gathering what you want to know, deal with them well so that your employees feel their voice is being heard and the workplace communication become smoother.
What methods have you utilized for internal communication improvement? Have they worked out? We would love to know!
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