If you’re managing a business, no one needs to tell you how complicated it is. There are countless moving parts that each need to be balanced and given the appropriate amount of attention. The following will explore just one element of good corporate management: communication. The focus will be on effective communication methods that don’t cost the company too much money.
Of course, every business is different and so has a variety of communication needs. Be sure to keep in mind when reading the below what specific needs your company has and how those can be met.
Minimalism
A lot of managers get really excited by the prospect of a new form of communication, envisioning all those updates that will come in quicker, resulting in greater productivity. This can be how it works, but if you have too many different methods of communication that are part of the company culture, it’s more likely that things will be missed. If employees are expected to check their emails, answer their phones, update the shared documents, use the company chat application for shorter messages, and use a task-management application, it’s easy to see how someone might not get to one of these communication methods until much later in the morning. To improve the efficiency with which your employees communicate, keep the options for communication minimal. This will make it easier on everyone (and, therefore, far more likely that people will be checking their messages even on days when they’ve got a lot on their plate).
Compare Equivalent Communication Options
You’ll also want to complete a regular audit of how much your current communication options are costing you and what competitors on the market are offering. New communication companies are forming all the time, and many of them push their way into the industry by offering excellent deals. Compare prices for similar business communications packages and see if making a switch won’t save you a bit of cash. Sometimes it turns out you could be getting the exact same service you currently use for less money. It’s particularly prudent to do these checks during Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales and around holidays, as many businesses have excellent deals for those who switch over.
Communication Skills Should Be Part Of Training
While, at first, adding more training to your already packed training programs might seem like a headache, teaching communication skills could save you a ton of time and money and prevent countless unnecessary headaches. Sometimes a simple explanation of reiterating what was understood at the end of a meeting can drastically increase productivity. All someone needs to say is: so what I understand is you need x from me by Tuesday and y by Friday, and miscommunications can be addressed. Communication skills training can help people express themselves better via email, over the phone, and in meetings.
Combat Over-Communication
In the world of business communication, lots of people are trying to sell methods, products, and services to large corporations, and no wonder—a single contract can bring in a ton of money. Because of this, the information available surrounding business communication can sometimes err on the side of over-communication. Too many updates can actually slow progress and result in people taking things that are communicated with them less seriously as they get so many messages in a day that are pointless. Create a culture that involves staff members asking themselves whether they need to send the message or email or set up the meeting they’re thinking about? Have staff ask themselves if there’s a better way to communicate an idea before they send it off. You’ll be surprised how much more efficient communication can be when it is done with intention and purpose.
Minimize Gate Keepers Within Your Business
Yes, you do need gatekeepers in certain industries. In VFX production, for example, you have business and productivity-focused team members on the production side and thousands of artists on the art side, and sometimes you don’t want a production coordinator hounding an artist that creates stunning images when they’re left alone. This being said, sometimes companies create unnecessary hoops for people to communicate internally. Unless you have a really good reason for preventing it, staff should be allowed to communicate with the person they need to communicate with. Leaving a message with a department manager isn’t always efficient as that department manager has their own tasks to deal with and their own priorities and might not treat a message they need to deliver with the appropriate understanding. Removing gatekeepers where possible can also reduce the likelihood of a message getting muddled by multiple people reiterating the point.
The above information should help you improve the quality of your business communication while at the same time reducing the cost. Simplifying is key.
