Workplace communication is the thing that will help the whole company grow, or it can lead to some serious issues between employees. It is said that if you want your business to become more successful, you need to help your team communicate both with you and with each other. Sometimes that seems like a hard task, and many managers and bosses are not sure how they can improve it. In this article, we are going to give you some ideas about the smart things you can do to help your team learn how to cooperate, and we will talk about the ways this will affect your company.
1. Get your team to know each other
The first thing you can do to improve workspace communication is to get your team to know each other. Sometimes we work with the same people for years, and we know nothing about them. Finding things that could help your crew get to know each other will help out with the whole business, because they are going to be more likely to collaborate, bounce ideas off each other, and just see the place of business as more than just a job they have to attend.
You can do this in simple ways, and you can start by letting them organize and personalize their profiles. Encourage them to put information about them that is more than just work-related, and this could include anything from their hobbies, things they do for fun, or even their favorite books. You will notice that this simple change will go a long way. Incorporate technology to help out with these things and know that you will see results sooner than expected.
2. Learn to work for one cause
When people work together towards one cause, it can help out with any task you can have in your business. They will learn how to communicate better and they will learn what their strengths are. Sometimes we don’t even know what we can excel at, and when our managers let us explore the things, we may be good at, it can help us feel better, and be more open to other people.
You can do this both inside and outside of the workplace, and you don’t have to go with just traditional ways of working. It is said that you can give the whole team one task, and you can let them decide who is going to do what. See which people have the potential to lead, which people can organize things, and who on your team is the creative one, and the problem solver. You can give them a task for work, or you can just go to an escape room together. Make sure you are a part of the team as well but don’t be just the one who tells them what to do or how.
3. Use the right tools
The best way to improve the whole communication between the employees is to use the right software and gadgets. Sometimes we cannot communicate with our coworkers not because we don’t want to, but because there are things that are getting in the way.
According to indigoworkplace.com, digital signage software can not only improve communication, but it can also increase engagement. Give your team something that is going to be easy to use, and something that will not cause additional problems. Let them choose if they want to use a messaging system, or if they prefer the calls.
Some people are going to respond better to notifications and notes, and when you give people the right to choose what they want to do and how, they are going to be more comfortable, and with that, open to possibilities.
Nowadays there are a lot of different tools that can help you out, and all of them offer some amazing features that will not only help your team, but they will also improve your overall company. Maybe try an online task board to have a better overview of tasks and operations. Learn more on Businessmap.
4. Be smart when getting new people on board
Now let’s talk about something that many managers forget about – the things you need to look for when hiring a new person. When we want to get someone new on board, we first look at the skills and qualifications they have. We look at their experience, their education, and if they are going to help us improve our business. All of these things are extremely important, and if you don’t hire the person with the needed knowledge, you risk losing money in the long run.
Well, there is one more thing that you need to pay attention to – are they really a team player. Some people work the best when they work alone, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you want everyone to get along, as much as they can, you need to pay attention to who you are going to hire. People who are not interested in working as a part of a group may spoil the whole dynamic, and even worse, your employees may start getting upset about the smallest issue.
Look for people who are open-minded, and who already have good communication skills. Depending on the position that is open, you may look for someone who is a born leader, but you need to see if they are going to respect the others as well.
5. Let your team come to you
The last thing we are going to talk about is your position in the company. It is said that an open-door policy is the best thing you can do for yourself, your business, and your team. You need to encourage them to talk not only with each other but with you as well.
Let your employees know that your door is always open for them, no matter if they want to talk about a work-related issue, if they have a personal problem they need to share, or if they are just looking for a break between tasks. Even though this may sound like a waste of time, in the beginning, you will see that in the long run, it is going to be extremely useful.
This way, when there is an issue, your team will not wait until the last possible moment to let you know about it, and they will reach out and ask for help right from the start. Encourage them to seek help when they need it, and let them know they won’t get in trouble if something goes wrong.
Don’t forget to organize things outside of the place for business, and know that having fun helps a lot when it comes to communication. Provide them with the needed tools, gadgets, and software, and know that some of these programs will help you manage things, and be up to date with everything that’s going on.
