Starting with the basics; communication is a two-way process in which information is exchanged between individuals. It’s not just about speaking; it’s also about listening. This includes the ability to understand what others are saying, as well as being understood by them… With that being said, we can see how communication is one of the most important elements that keeps a company running.
Organizational communication is the glue that keeps the team together, and it involves executives, managers, supervisors and all the way to frontline employees who interact directly with customers or clients. It’s also important to say that communication needs to be flexible, and it’s not something you do once at a meeting or on an annual basis; rather, it should be an ongoing dialogue throughout your organization as people share ideas for improvement and help each other solve problems that arise day-to-day in their jobs.
This helps all areas to work towards the same goal at a similar pace, avoiding disruptions or inefficiencies because if a goal is achieved in a division but it’s not aligned with the entire organization, it may be detrimental overall. For example: let’s say that the sales department had a goal of selling 100 units and it overachieves it by selling 300 units, which is a very plausible effort. However, if production is not ready to produce more than a 100 units at the time, what kind of problem will it cause with the additional 200 sold?
This is why having good organizational communication is so important. The way people communicate with each other when they work together can have a big impact on your business’ success. It can allow your company to grow or it can destroy it.
Here are four tips on how to improve organizational communication in your business:
- Build trust with your team: it’s important to understand that trust is a key factor in communication. When you have built trust with your team, they will be more likely to share information and ideas with each other. This can help them work better together as a unit which will lead to more success for everyone involved.
- Do frequent meetings to communicate with your employees so they can give their opinion and feedback on how things are going, interdivisional needs, what needs improvement and what is working well.
- Listen to everyone’s opinion; even the most inexperienced team member may bring a brilliant idea with their fresh point of view.
- Develop plan A, B, C, and even D through brainstorming. This will help you rapidly adapt to real time changes and approach unforeseen circumstances.