How to Improve Internal Communication of Your Organization

As 2019 draws to a close, it’s time to take a different direction. One of the key trends this year has been for HR and business leaders to reinvent their organizations while keeping the human resource in focus. Effective communication is important for success in every aspect of life. No relationship, whether personal or professional, can thrive without open communication. This is true for business as well. Improving internal communication can enhance the performance of entrepreneurs and businesses, save them money, and get management and employee on the same page.

Improving Your Business’s Internal Communication Flow

You may be wondering about the importance of good internal communication flow to your business. Let’s just say that the cost of poor communication is pretty high. According to David Grossman, the average loss per company due to poor internal communication can be up to $62.4 million per year. In fact, in his article “Top Ten Email Blunders that Cost Companies Money,” Grossman states that even small companies lose an average of US$420,000 per year because of this factor.

Communication is necessary to every aspect of life and communicating with other human beings is important to most of us. Any relationship demands that both parties communicate effectively to reach their mutual goals. And by researching a business’s internal communication, you can discover a lot about a company.

Despite this, many workers fail to realize that their skills will not be fully utilized unless they are able to communicate clearly. In fact, many professionals lack basic communication skills to properly convey their work-related concepts.

Fortunately, there are ways to improve intra-organizational communication irrespective of your company’s size. Here’s how:

1.   Talk to Your Employees Regularly

Communicate with employees in a consistent and systematic manner to implement effective communication in the workplace. By conducting both online and in person meetings every few weeks or months, whether to discuss projects, issues or the organization as a whole, you invite open communication. Staff members may have recommendations, complaints or general thoughts, and by encouraging them to share, you show them respect and value, which should improve communication.

2.   Avoid “Hit-and-Run” Communications

It’s more common for CEOs to talk than listen, but it’s time to change that. Maintaining open communication with your employees is a healthier way to communicate and maintain transparency. Internal stakeholders should understand what you’re trying to convey and making them part of the conversation is the best way to do that.

It’s also a good idea to understand the political climate within your organization, since staff are more likely to believe you when your words align with those of their peers.

3.   Maintaining Systematic Communication

Choosing a structure for delivering your messages to employees improves your communication. No matter which medium you choose, it should grab their attention and inspire them towards a certain objective. Think of communication as a tool for reaching out to employees and educating them on strategic decisions regarding their roles and responsibilities.

This type of lesson needs to be reinforced from time to time to keep it relevant and fresh. As Zig Ziglar once said,

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

4.   Keep It Simple

Any good business leader or entrepreneur does their research and has access to a ton of information. Chances are that your vast knowledge will come up in the way you communicate. But you must remember that delivering all the information you have to communicate at once can be overwhelming and move the focus away from your point.

Always try to provide information relevant to an objective. Trying to process unnecessary information is a wasted of time and energy on the part of your employees.  Avoid jargon and complicated sentences which might bombard the average person.

5.   Strategize the Onboarding Process

It can be difficult for new employees to accustom themselves to the way an organization operates. Most companies function from a specific set of internal documents and with the help of training programs. When you detail the internal workings of the company in written form and training videos, your staff will more quickly grasp its policies and workings. One of the most efficient ways of doing this is to update employee profiles and populate the Q&A forums with information for new employees to readily find.

6.   Take Advantage of Social Media

Social media is here to stay and this powerful communication tool is going to play a crucial role for many companies and their customers. When you’re looking to improve your internal communication but aren’t fond of social media, then you can use an intranet to share common interests and work-related conversations.

Improving communication within the workspace is constant process that requires patience and care. Try to be a better listener and don’t shy away from experimenting with your approaches. Eventually, you will notice more employee engagement and an increase in productivity. These tips will help you create a community within your organization that’s key to achieving long-term success.