Whether you’re an employee or a manager, one of the most important traits to have within a company in order to see it grow and succeed is good communication. This applies to every kind of business out there, whether the company is new or has been around for a long time.
You see, having clear and open communication in the workplace allows everyone within the company to know whether they’re all on the same page regarding the direction the company wants to take, expectations, and objectives. Consequently, it ensures that every tier or department within the company is aware of where they stand, along with the goings-on within the company.
However, if the company doesn’t have clear communication, you will most likely bump into several problems and obstacles that could have been completely avoided.
Ways to Effectively Communicate in a Company
So, is there a way managers and employees can effectively and conveniently communicate with each other? Fortunately, there is—in this article, we’ll note seven different ways your company can have more open and clear lines of communication so that everyone can work effectively as a team.
Weekly Meetings
It’s important to get together as a team on a regular basis by scheduling weekly meetings wherein all the team members can feel comfortable voicing out their thoughts and opinions in a professional setting. Such meetings allow the managers or team leaders to know how each employee is faring and whether they’re encountering any issues with whatever they’re working on.
This would also be a great time for either manager or employee to provide project updates so that everyone will know whether the ongoing project needs more attention or is progressing nicely.
Ask for Feedback or Give Feedback
Most of the time, employees and sometimes even managers doubt their performance, and many aren’t sure whether they’re doing a good job or if they’re completely botching everything. Naturally, this can have a major impact on one’s confidence, and while it’s completely unavoidable, there’s a way you can remedy it.
One solution you can try out is to incorporate performance review phrases by asking for feedback on how you’re performing, as well as giving feedback if you notice anything worth mentioning. If your manager was able to resolve an issue that has been bothering you for weeks, let them know. If your team is doing an exceptional job with the current project they’re working on, give them a little shoutout of appreciation.
Of course, the same can be said for negative feedback. Nobody is perfect, after all, and it’s normal to make mistakes.
Host 1:1 Meetings
Aside from hosting weekly meetings with your team, it’s also important to do 1:1 meetings to be more considerate to those employees who have a difficult time speaking their minds in groups. Private meetings like this offer the perfect opportunity for employees and managers to be more open with each other.
You can structure your 1:1 meetings depending on different factors, such as the workplace itself and each other’s preferred communication style. So, you could either have an informal meeting wherein you just talk organically about ideas, or you could follow a more formal and structured meeting.
Monthly Town Hall Meetings
Of course, a good company that prioritizes clear and open communication should also have regular town hall meetings. Townhall meetings usually have a structure to them, and this could be a great change of pace, especially for those who prefer informal weekly meetings per team.
Like always, town hall meetings provide a safe space where employees can ask questions and managers can share updates with the rest of the company. Some companies have different offices established across several locations—in this case, the main office hosting the town hall can either record the meetings and send a copy to the different offices later or telecast the event. This ensures that all the offices will remain updated and engaged with the goings-on of the company.
Team Huddles per Day
Before officially starting work, it would be good if your team got together for even just a few minutes every day to discuss priorities, goals, and other important news and information that needs relaying to your team members. If you’re a manager or team leader, daily team huddles are a great way for everyone within your team to be on the same page.
If a particular project needs to be urgently done or a project is doing great, this would be the perfect time to tell your team. This allows them to know what their priorities are for the day and redirect their attention towards the right things.
Use Tools and Apps That Can Improve Communication
Seeing as we’re in the digital age, there’s a variety of different tools and apps you can use to help improve communication within the workplace. Whether you go ahead and use an intranet or even a business SMS platform like Edgility, tools such as these can go a long way and do wonders for the company’s ability to communicate.
Get the Know Each Other
Last but not least, it’s important that managers and employees get to know one another on a much deeper level than just greeting them good morning or good evening. This is a necessary step because many employees are too scared to approach their managers or higher-ups because they seem intimidating people. Not only that, but employees also have a tendency to feel like they’re always out of the loop whenever the management makes any decisions related to the company. Again, clear and open communication is key.
Conclusion
As you can see, a common theme to ensuring effective communication within the workplace is meetings—whether you go for daily huddles, weekly team meetings, or monthly town hall meetings, it’s important that you regularly set a time wherein you can meet with your team and discuss goals, obstacles, and everything else freely. If you’re looking for convenience, another great option is to use tools and apps like Edgility to further your attempts at better communication.
