Written by: Rae Steinbach
Good internal communication can make a big difference for any company. A failure of communication can cause projects to fail, increase costs, and can contribute to an atmosphere of discontent among your staff.
For so many businesses, the drive to develop an effective feedback loop only comes after a failure has made the need for change obvious. Instead of waiting for a disaster, you can follow some of these tips for solving problems with internal communications.
It Starts on the First Day
You want to start by thinking about how you introduce new employees to the company. So many companies just throw new employees into the job and expect them to figure things out as they go. If you want employees to fit in and understand the workplace culture, you should start them out with some type of training or orientation.
You want to train them on their job and familiarize the new employee with their responsibilities, but there is more to it than that. Teach them about the internal dynamics of the company, the company culture, and protocols for different internal processes. Waiting for them to learn the ropes on their own is inefficient. By taking the time to get them ready for the job, you can instill the attitude that contributes to a positive workplace culture from the beginning.
Have a Clear Vision
Every company should have some kind of mission statement and a vision of what they stand for. What are your goals as a company? What principles do you want employees to value in their work? You need to answer these questions and make sure that these ideas filter down to every level of the organization.
Get a team of company leaders together to work on these answers. Share your ideas and develop a short statement that represents these values. Communicate this to all of your employees and find ways to instill a sense of this vision in every person at the company.
Have an Open Door
You need to encourage your employees to share their thoughts. Employee feedback is important and can provide valuable insights. You don’t want people to feel like they have to keep their concerns to themselves. Make sure they know that you are always willing to listen to feedback and that you are willing to consider any idea.
Related: Giving a Great Customer Service Experience
Do Some Team Building
You might want to keep everybody working for every hour that you have them at the office, but it can be beneficial to take some time away from the job. Take your employees to do something fun. When they get some time away from the office, they can build bonds that will carry over into their work. This can improve internal communications and help to build a more cohesive team.
Write it Down
Most companies have common questions and procedures that people are going to need to refer to regularly. Instead of answering these questions and explaining these procedures every time they come up, develop internal references that employees can access when they need them. Build something like a company FAQ that answers common questions. You can build a core FAQ to begin with, and as new issues arise, you can add to the resource.
With improved internal communications, you can run a business that is more efficient. Employees will be able to work together in a way that is more effective, and it can also make for a workforce that is more content in their jobs. You just need to commit to the concept of better communications and take the proper steps to make it a reality.