It’s safe to say that the modern workplace has changed drastically in the last thirty years. Back in the day, in almost every business aspect was analog and “on paper” which made for a slower paced working environment.
Things are a lot different today. Modern day offices have embraced the digital revolution and almost everything is now done by the use of various devices. Some companies are still struggling to adjust to this new playing field and those are the companies that are falling behind. The legendary Bear Grylls says that we have to “improvise, adapt, and overcome” if we want to survive and this is exactly what companies have to do in this digital world.
One of the most important in-house aspects of modern business that has changed is, of course, internal communications strategy.
A lot of business owners and managers are trying to figure out how to keep a healthy workplace environment and make sure the crucial messages get delivered neatly and in time.
This is exactly where Internal Communications come into play. Here are the 5 best practices for creating a foolproof internal communications strategy that will help you to run a smooth business and keep your clients and employees happy.
Define The Goals You Want To Achieve With An Internal Communication Strategy
It doesn’t matter which aspect of your company you want to improve, if you want to make the right changes, you need to have clear goals in mind. To set those goals, you have to ask yourself a few tough questions.
- What kind of internal communication does your company need?
- What kind of strategy best suits your employees?
- How to meet the needs of your company without neglecting the needs of your workers?
Answering these questions is half the battle when it comes to creating your internal communications strategy. Once you do that you will only have to sort out the details.
Allow Technology To Make Communication Easier In Your Workplace
A lot of business owners, especially those who are a bit old school prefer verbal and eye-to-eye communication with their employees. Now, even though this is a wonderful and personal approach that is essential when it comes to delicate aspects of a modern workplace, it shouldn’t be the only channel of communication.
In today’s offices there is simply too much valuable information circulating around and this old-fashioned method simply can’t handle it. Therefore, to avoid bottlenecks and various disruptions of work, it’s best to utilize the power of technology.
There are many platforms managers can consider to streamline the communication in the workplace. Skype and Slack are certainly the two most affordable and straightforward communication tools in the market.
Also, the good old email shouldn’t be disregarded, since it’s a powerful tool. The only issue with email is the overload of data. This is why it’s crucial for a company to have a good email archiving solution and a thoroughly planned email retention policy. In other words, knowing which emails to archive and which ones to delete can save you plenty of storage space, but keep you protected in case of potential lawsuits or other legal issues.
Transparency Is Paramount
Whatever the preferred method of communication may be in your company, if you want it to be effective it has to be transparent. There’s no room for secret code and nothing should be done under the table. The employer and employees should have insight into everything that concerns them on a professional and personal level.
Celebrate The Employees And Share Their Success Stories
One of the most underrated methods of internal communication is celebrating the success stories of employees. Having your own in-house platform for this kind of content will allow you to praise your best workers and motivate others to perform better. If done tastefully, this can create a family-like environment in which employees will feel comfortable and thrive.
Create A Channel For Feedback And Public Debate
One of the best ways to streamline communication and improve workflow in the office is to create a channel for feedback and public debate among employees. This will reduce the amount of unnecessary conference room meetings and it will provide creative employees with a stage where they can present their ideas and provide other creative colleagues with feedback. This combination of constructive criticism and debate can be a driving force for your company.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the internal communication strategy you choose depends only on your personal management style and the industry you are working in. However, there are some things you have to implement, regardless of the two things mentioned previously. Those things are:
- Defining of the goals you want to achieve
- Meeting the needs of the company and your employees
- Transparency
If you want your office to flourish, make sure to build your communication strategy with those things in mind.
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