The Importance of Open Communication Throughout a Company
Of the resources companies have at their disposal, one of the most crucial is communication–it can also be one of the most undervalued. Organizational communication is about more than just making sure that everyone stays in the loop; it’s a multifaceted endeavor that requires cultivation and constant improvement.
How can a company improve the way it communicates? This requires a unique approach for each organization, but there are a few common factors that are worth considering.
For one thing, you can’t rely on a single method of communication to get the job done; this doesn’t consider employee preference, channels, or communication styles. For another, feedback can’t just come from upper-level management; it should also be invited from employees as well.
Regardless of which communication methods your organization decides to employ, there’s no doubt that they can produce both short- and long-term benefits for the entire organization.
The many benefits of fostering company-wide communication
For some companies, emphasizing communication may seem like a morale-building exercise. There’s a “time and a place”, but they aren’t necessarily vital for the health of the organization. After all, every company will have at least a baseline of communication to get work accomplished. Would dedicating time and energy to communication bring concrete benefits, or could it rock the boat unnecessarily?
To answer this, it’s important to understand what we mean by “communication within a company”. It goes far beyond performance reviews or coordination between team members. It takes many different forms. For instance, an anonymous quarterly survey––which is a continuous feedback loop––could make employees feel heard, which in turn raises employee engagement. Informal division or practice huddles would provide the opportunity for smaller matters to be resolved in an open forum, rather than being lost in the shuffle.
To paint the picture more clearly, here are a few examples of how developing more open communication could benefit a company:
When not only employees, but entire departments communicate with each other, this can reduce errors caused by miscommunication.
If employees have a better understanding of the company’s vision and goals, they’ll be more motivated to contribute to the organization.
Misunderstandings are reduced through clear communication, which helps lower the number of disagreements and grievances.
Improved communication often results in more closely-knit working relationships, which contributes to boosted loyalty and employee engagement.
It gives employees a voice, which helps them feel more invested in the company as they see their feedback being encouraged and incorporated.
As employees notice that their opinions are valued, they’re more likely to continue contributing. This often furthers innovative thinking across the company.
Organization-wide communication requires a multi-pronged approach
When it comes to exploring the potential of what communication can do for your company, it’s important to consider that there isn’t a single approach that will tick every box. In the majority of cases, a company that wants to emphasize communication provides several different options for employees at all levels. Some are formal, others are informal. They may be scheduled, or spontaneous. A few of them are even pretty unconventional. Consider these types of communication methods used by corporations today:
Frequent group meetings. When they’re only scheduled quarterly, group meetings tend to focus on just the highlights. Many of these meetings are done just to say that they got done, so there isn’t much opportunity to increase collaboration, discuss lessons learned from recently completed projects, etc. If they’re scheduled more regularly, however, the topics being discussed will still be fresh in everyone’s minds. Mistakes can be analyzed, solutions can be brainstormed, and innovation can be encouraged.
One-on-one feedback. If the information being shared is only relevant to one person, a face-to-face meeting is a much more appropriate venue. This gives the person being reviewed the opportunity to see themselves from someone else’s eyes, and hopefully a chance to talk about how to improve potential areas of weakness. When done correctly, this type of feedback shows employees that their employer is invested in aiding their professional development.
Email or phone calls. They’re both already in common use by most organizations, since they’re helpful for relaying important information quickly. However, phone calls are falling out of favor with younger generations.
Texting or chat apps. At one time, this method of communication wasn’t considered appropriate for business communications. Now that more members of the workforce are millennials or Gen-Z, though, informal communication methods like texting are being incorporated into daily workflows. Texting or chat apps can be used when an immediate response is required, but they also function well for asynchronous communication.
Virtual meetings. When employees can’t meet in person for whatever reason, virtual meetings can help bridge the distance. They’re an effective way to share information, and they allow for more spontaneity than text-based communication.
Corporate Town Halls. Employees need to hear from leaders of the company, and not just once or twice a year. Sharing the vision of where the organization is moving both informs employees and provides them with an opportunity to contribute or ask questions to further their understanding.
In order to be effective, communication must be both natural and adaptable
What if some employees favor one type of communication, while others prefer a different type? For example, consider a company that has employees from multiple generations. The more experienced employees are used to formal communication methods, such as business meetings, emails, phone calls, and so on. The younger employees prefer a more collaborative, immediate communication style, such as the kind that’s offered by texting, video calls, or casual face-to-face conversations. The older employees don’t understand why their younger counterparts don’t consistently answer phone calls, while the younger team members wish they could stick with texting instead of emails. What’s the solution?
In cases like these, the most balanced solution is generally a healthy compromise. There’s no perfect answer for a scenario like this, except to say that no one group of people should be able to dictate a measure that everyone has to adopt. Even if employees can’t consistently use the communication style that feels most natural for them, a general awareness of individual differences should foster the type of compromise that suits everyone’s needs.
Communication should be specific to what’s being shared
Communication within a company is sometimes just information-sharing, while at other times it’s an opportunity to develop concepts as a group. Depending on what needs to be accomplished, the format of the communication – and the audience – will differ.
If a new project is being introduced, everyone receiving the information should be given the chance to ask questions and possibly contribute their opinions. Sending that kind of information via email could seem cold and authoritarian; a group meeting with a Q and A session, on the other hand, would provide the opportunity for everyone to gain clarity.
Then there are announcements that are helpful for everyone to know, but don’t really require discussion. Examples would include information such as progress that’s being made in a specific department, or a general update on the company itself. Since there’s little need for formal discussions on these topics, a group email would be sufficient.
Open communication has to go both ways
Feedback is an important part of any discussion about company-wide communication, but it’s often assumed that the feedback is being given to employees from managers or supervisors. In order to fully leverage the benefits of honest feedback, though, managers (and even high-level executives) should be open to receiving feedback from employees.
This should obviously be done in a structured way, but the main point is to give everyone a chance to provide feedback, not just the people making the decisions. It needs to come from the people who see how those decisions play out on a day-to-day basis. A CEO might not realize that a recently implemented policy isn’t working out as planned, and a busy manager could overlook an issue or opportunity that needs more attention. By establishing feedback channels for employees, these oversights can be corrected quickly, rather than being allowed to turn into a bigger problem before they’re resolved.
Employees should know why, not just what and how
Do employees really need to know the reasoning behind every project, decision, or policy? Maybe not. Would understanding some of those reasons help increase motivation? In some cases, yes.
Let’s say a manager needs a team to take on an extra project. This would represent a significant increase in their workload, but since they’re the most qualified people for the job, it falls on them to produce results. The “what” and the “how” behind the project is clear, but that information won’t necessarily motivate them to put in 60-hour work weeks for the next few months. What may motivate them, however, is knowing the “why” behind the project. Not only does this help unite them with a common goal, but it also helps them become more invested in the project.
There are many ways for an organization to keep communications open
No matter how many different communication styles, preferences, or backgrounds are represented in a company’s workforce, it’s essential to develop channels of communication that help keep everyone working towards the same objectives. If this can be accomplished, the organization will be more agile, efficient, and effective than ever before.