8 Steps to Stronger Organizational Communication

Historically, it’s never been easier to effectively communicate than right now. We are connected on multiple devices, and most of us check them frequently, if not incessantly. We can do business 24/7, enhancing our productivity and overall communication effectiveness.

Yet, we still hear the same old refrain to explain organizational challenges . . . “It’s a communication problem.” What? How can that still be with our almost unlimited venues to get communication right in this continuously connected world?

In our 25 plus years of conducting surveys, statements pertaining to communication often appear among the lowest rated questions in an organization’s Employee Opinion Survey. Take a look at the favorable responses to typical communication questions below from our overall benchmark, containing over 100,000 employee opinions and the second column, titled “Best of the Best Benchmark,” represents organizations in the top 25% of the overall benchmark.

What you can see from our data, is that despite our incredible technological advances, communication continues to be an ongoing challenge for many leaders and organizations.

The basis of an open communication climate is trust. All high performing teams, whether at work, or on the playing field, are built on a foundation of trust. The leader has established an environment of trust within and among all the people in the group. People feel valued, cared about, and heard. To begin to build or expand trust in your organization, and to foster an open communication climate, try some of the following tips:

Keep your Employees Informed

We all want to be in the know. Take time to keep your employees informed about what is happening within the organization. The more people feel informed about their organization, the better they feel about their participation in that organization. When you do not have the answer, or are unsure of the reason for a particular decision, be honest with your employees and do whatever you can to get more information to them as soon as possible.

Use a Real Open Door Policy

Most managers say they have an open door policy. However, employees often quickly find out that although the door may be open, the mind is closed. If you have an open door policy, it means you welcome people to come to your office with their ideas, comments, complaints, and suggestions. It also means that you are open to actively listen to and honestly respond to those who come to see you.

Encourage Others to Express Contrary Viewpoints

Let people know that you expect them to challenge and disagree with you. When they do, let them state their case. Do not interrupt. Look for areas of agreement and be willing to see the others’ perspectives. Once you have a clear understanding of the others’ views, clarify the points that you support and those you cannot support. Provide a thorough explanation as to why you disagree. Help other people understand your perspective by speaking clearly and providing examples and illustrations to clarify your points. To show your support, try to implement as many ideas and suggestions as possible, even if it’s only part of an idea or suggestion.

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

Nothing destroys trust and credibility more than this one. And, unfortunately, this is a common problem in many organizations. A good leader understands that, in today’s complex organizations, people are required to relay messages. If you shoot the messenger one too many times, not only will the messenger not come back again, but everyone else will do whatever it takes to keep information from you.

Encourage Employees to Share Information

If your employees rely solely on you to keep them informed, you will quickly become overwhelmed and the employees will not get all that they need to do a quality job. Let your staff know that you expect them to share information on a regular basis. Actively involve others in giving updates and sharing other relevant information.

Use a Variety of Tools to Disseminate Information

Face-to-face communication is so important, but that might not always be an option. In this case, be creative. The list is endless but here are a few to start with:

• Departmental bulletin board, or department news posted on the Intranet
• Organizational or departmental newsletter
• Special information-sharing meetings
• Video or teleconferencing
• Email

Promptly Respond to Communication from Others

A general rule of thumb is to get back to people within a maximum of twenty-four hours. A better rule of thumb for some of the people would be to get back within four hours. When someone sends you an email, letter, or phone message, get back as soon as you can to let that person know what you are doing about the concern. Even if you cannot respond with a complete answer or solution right away, you can let them know that you are working on it and that you will get back ASAP. Then, do what you said you would do.

Keep your Manager Informed

Managers differ in the amount of information they wish to receive from the people they manage. Take the time to discover what your boss expects from you. How often does she expect to hear from you? Does he prefer written information (reports or status updates) or a weekly face to face meeting? What types of decisions does she expect to be consulted on? When can you make decisions on your own? How much detail does she like? If you cannot readily find the answers to these questions, set up a meeting with your boss to go over these kinds of issues. Remember, just as you would expect from your employees, your manager doesn’t like surprises either.

Open communication is critical as it leads to a more creative, productive, engaged workforce where people feel valued and kept in the loop. This kind of environment helps the employees understand the goals of the business and enables them to gain a sense of ownership, that helps them to be even more committed and motivated to achieve the goals.
Follow these above steps and you will be on your way to more open and honest communication among all levels within your organization. When in doubt, just do it . . . over-communicate!

Flickr Image courtesy Hans Põldoja