Internal communication is the circulation of information between people within an organisation.
An effective internal communication strategy fosters a healthy company culture and unites everyone towards a common goal, improving productivity and staff retention.
“I’m a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other.” – Bill Gates
Here are some ways you can improve internal communication within your business.
Encourage Dialogue
Communication is never a one-way street. Encourage your team to participate in conversations by making it accessible to everyone. Give everyone the opportunity to make suggestions, comment, and ask questions.
While providing feedback to your team is important for praise and growth, it’s just as important to ask for feedback as a leader.
Is there anything you can do to help your team achieve their goals? Is the information you’re giving them valuable to the projects at hand.
When employees feel that they’ve been listened to and supported, they feel a sense of belonging to a team and drives a purpose in the work that they do.
Use Online Project Management Tools
With globalisation and the rise of social media in our day-to-day lives, we’re no stranger to technologies that facilitate conversations.
Slack, Monday, and Asana are a few of my favourite project management tools. Slack is specifically aimed at helping you manage the workflow of communication within the team.
These online tools can also eliminate the little time-sucking meetings. I’m not saying in-person meetings aren’t important, because they are.
But with more preparation and communication that takes place online, the in-person meetings can be much more productive.
The main design of these programs is to keep the team organised on a timeline. It shows what it’s expected of everyone and it’s great for improving communication for difficult to reach management.
Share Information
LinkedIn is a great tool for sharing industry relevant information. Private Facebook groups also work great for smaller teams. Find a platform that works best for your organisation to share events, news, and projects.
Transparency is highly valued. Your team shouldn’t hear news about the company from other outlets. Sharing news internally helps you maintain control over the message and fosters transparency.
Eliminate the opportunities for rumours and respect the trust your employees give to the company.
Keeping your team up to date on company news is not only great for day-to-day knowledge, but it’s important to have informed staff should any crisis or emergency situations arise.
Plan for social gatherings outside of the office
Sometimes the best ideas come out of the office. These outings can be lunches, nights out, or workshops.
Opportunities for team-building strengthens relationships which are the key to great communication and are well-worth the investment. It’s called team-building for a reason.