Communication, AGAIN?

In all the years I’ve worked with organizations, leaders and teams, one thing is consistent: when asked for feedback about what needs to be improved, everyone always says: communication. I always share with my clients just to expect that. When we look at what people believe will make their work better or their workplace more supportive or engaging, communication will show up at the top of the list.

Does this mean that we ignore it because they’re always going to say that? No, of course not. What it does mean is that communication is an ongoing practice. Your conversations make up your relationships, whether one-on-one or on your team. You don’t just say something once and you’re finished: it’s a daily thing, like other healthy practices.

Communication is a daily thing, like other healthy practices.

How can you keep communication open and effective across all levels of the organization?

1.  Create regular, consistent and varied ways of communicating. Use multiple modalities: written, virtual, in person, high-tech, low-tech, formal, and informal. Pick the ones that can work best for your team and your workplace. Does it make sense to have a morning check-in huddle? A quarterly town hall meeting? Does everyone in your organization have regularly scheduled one-on-ones with their supervisors?

2.  Use collaborative tools and platforms. How can you make tech work for you and your team, to support, rather than overwhelm, communication? If I cannot focus on my work tasks because our instant messaging via Teams or Slack pulls my attention away, what’s a better solution for staying connected and collaborative? Be willing to include the team’s ideas and pilot something new to try, and set a timeframe and assess.

3.  Make sure your leaders practice excellent communication skills. The more leadership scope and responsibility, the more success and effectiveness is based on interpersonal skills and intrapersonal understanding. When leaders model positive, productive communication, integrating telling the truth with caring for others, the easier it is to pivot communication, create standards, and expect the best from others.