Open Door Policy
Whether literally or figuratively, having an open door policy can be a great way to create confidence in your communications. An open door policy means letting your team members know that you are open to discussing anything about projects, goals, or anything else at any time. A policy like this creates transparency in the workplace, and makes every employee feel included and essential to the team. Having easy access to information in the workplace is a great way to improve communications within a team.
Team Building Exercises
It is no surprise that when people socialize with one another, they become more comfortable and confident in their collaboration. Investing in group exercises and socialization can improve team building and communication overall. When people socialize, they create connections and friendships, which increases their ability to work together more productively. Whether it is a happy hour, volunteering day, or adventurous activity, finding a team building exercise that works for your employees will improve communications within your team.
Using Collaboration Tools
Especially during this period of remote work, utilizing a collaboration tool or project management software will work wonders for your team communication. Project management platforms typically have tools with the ability to assign and prioritize tasks, as well as allow multiple users to be assigned the same task. Allowing multiple team members to see and edit a project in real time can reduce the amount of emails and clarifications sent back and forth, and provide for better team communication and collaboration.
Establishing Appropriate Communication Strategies
Implementing practices for different types of communication strategies can improve the overall conversation among your team. For example, some questions or clarifications are best made through an email or instant message. However, others will be solved better through a quick phone call or video chat. Creating those standards will help to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and that everyone has a good idea of what is going on and how to solve it.
Develop a Routine
Every company operates differently, but establishing a routine with your employees is a way to improve communications within your team. Implementing daily standups, weekly one-on-ones, and even company-wide meetings will help make sure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the right goals. These routines will also help establish a feedback loop for employee performance. Having time set aside on a regular basis will help constructive feedback be more helpful, and give your employees the opportunity to ask more questions.
As you can see, improving communication in your team does not have to be a daunting task. Implementing small changes can yield big results that will improve your company’s performance, as well as your employees’ satisfaction. Try these five simple changes and see how much you can improve communication within your team.