Guideline to Improve Internal Communication in Your Organization

“Communication is the key to personal and career success”- Paul J Meyer

Communication is a vital part of our lives, be it personal, professional & social. The very basis of a strong relationship is communication and this applies to both in our individual as well as our professional lives.

It is an extremely strong means of cementing relationships and conveying what you want to say. Good communication in organization increases productivity, decreases employee turnover and makes the office atmosphere positive.

We give you some guidelines on how to improve workplace communication:

1. Check with the employees on a regular basis

Keeping in touch with your employees is an essential part of a good communication. Meet them every few weeks or months either in-person, online, on phone calls, or messages. So why is this necessary? Every employee wants to be heard and acknowledged. Everyone wants to share their thoughts and opinions. It can be regarding a project, some issue which is bothering them or simply as we mentioned above they want to be heard. Sometimes, it can be the other way round also. You, as a manager want to discuss something important or want an opinion of your fellow team-mates. This process will improve the overall internal communication. Simultaneously it will empower your employees positively and help them reach a comfort level.

2. Leadership and change must go hand-in-hand

In most organizations employees follow the leader. To be the pioneers of change and good communication, leaders and managers must be the advocates of effective knowledge sharing, transparency and employee engagement. Of course, dedicated personnel may give advice on various issues pertaining to the organization. However, the department heads and managers must back them up. It has to be a collaborative effort. When businesses support organization centric conversations, employees in turn become productive at their jobs. Results will be improved performance, engagement, and retention of employees.

3. Employee Surveys

Timely employee surveys will ensure the expectation from the employees and will take note of any discrepancies within the team. Loopholes within the communication channel, the team are daunting as it can lead to escalation and eventually hamper the overall performance which can mar the organization’s productivity. To get the answers and understand the current state of situations, regularly run employee surveys.

4. Reduce unnecessary emails and meetings

Yes, as mentioned in the above point regularly holding meetings are important, but too much of meetings and unnecessary email communication can be time consuming. Moreover, they can hinder the workflow or a project. There are many online tools which can accomplish the task of information dissemination without interrupting your regular workflow. We will list them in the later section of the blog.

5. Be clear in putting forth your company’s ideology

As a manager you want your employees to focus on their goals and give the required output. But do the employees know what do you exactly want from them? This can happen only when they know your company’s manifesto so that they can work accordingly and give the desired results.

6. Listen

Invariably one of the most important factors in effective communication is listening. Being a good listener is as important as being conveying what you feel or speak. Many a time the root cause for miscommunication is listening incorrectly or reacting after only after half of the communication is delivered.

7. Body Language

Humans communicate without speaking, yes and that is called body language. We sub-consciously give out signals through our body language that may create a negative effect on our communication even though we don’t intend to. And you should especially take care while being in the professional arena. Raising of eyebrows, pursing of lips, a disinterested facial expression, continuously checking on your mobile while speaking, are major roadblocks for a great communication to take place. When speaking with your fellow colleagues, one should give him/her undivided attention. Discrepancies in communication due to bad body language shows that your employee is of little value and you have no intent of telling him anything and that you are bound by compulsions.

8. Preparation

Preparation is very essential for a great communication, especially when you have important meetings, client calls, group discussions etc. Before every meeting brief yourself on the points which you are going to talk about. If you don’t know how exactly to go about, then you may fumble, get confused and eventually waste yours’s and others time. This kind of preparation not only translates into effective communication but also paves the way for productivity, professionalism and respect from others.

As mentioned in the previous point we now take a look at some of the tools you can use for improving communication in your organization.

• To forgo unnecessary meetings and emails, organizations can use enterprise social networks like Podio, Fresh Desk, and Salesforce Chatter. These are typical tools when you want to convey information but don’t want to hold meetings as it will interrupt the workflow. With content, conversations and processes all structured into one tool it creates the focus and clarity to get your work done.

 

• Social Intranet Software: This is a central portal technology where everybody can access the required information, any sort of communication at one place. Not only it makes for effective communication but also saves business money by lowering the maintenance costs.

• Podcast: Podcast is an audio file which is available to stream or download. Podcasts were earlier used on desktop computers or laptops but slowly now they are being available on mobile devices also. A podcast is a great means of reaching the internal workforce. For e.g. – an internal podcast can cover messages from the CEO, any new communication, any employee related news or assistance.

• Gamification: It is the technique of applying game design techniques to engage employees to reach their business goals. Gamification is a very practical technique which can be used to motivate better performance.

  Conclusion

A good & clear communication process is the essence of any organization and the key to its success. What you speak has a direct impact on the listener’s mind. Choose your words carefully and remember even if you don’t agree with something, learn to convey it politely. Wish to equip your organization with communication management? Just call us at +91-77099 92257 or visit our website http://www.cerveausys.com NOW!!!