Sunday July 31, 2022

With large enterprises, SMEs and start-ups alike making the switch to remote and hybrid work modules, the need for powerful communication strategies to boost productivity at workplaces has never been higher.

As is known, an inherent part of running a successful business is a dedicated workforce, and the key to building a committed workforce in the post-covid era is undoubtedly prioritizing effective communication! Poor communication can affect working patterns, hamper overall productivity and is generally detrimental to the business.

This blog highlights the importance and benefits of communication strategies within organizations and shares nine actionable tips to boost productivity at your company –

At a glance:

– What Are Communication Strategies?

– Importance Of Communication Strategies For Businesses Across Industries

– 9 Effective Communication Strategies To Boost Productivity At Your Company

– Always Provide Clear Instructions

– Schedule Weekly Check-Ins

– Prioritize One-On-One Meetings

– Make Use Of Communication Tools

– Recognize And Celebrate Achievements

– Share Constructive Feedback

– Encourage Two-Way Communication

– Organize Team-Building Activities

– Empower Your Managers

Firstly,

What Are Communication Strategies?

In simple words, communication strategies are action plans devised to optimize communication within and outside an organization. These strategies, implemented intelligently, help accomplish various business goals and objectives. With respect to their role within an organization, they promulgate company knowledge, facilitate cross-department communication, streamline operations and foster employee engagement to a great extent.

Importance Of Communication Strategies For Businesses Across Industries

Ever wondered what the most successful businesses across industries have in common? It is their commitment to prioritizing and implementing effective communication strategies within their organization. According to research, 86% of executives identify ineffective collaboration and communication as a major cause of failure in business. Mentioned below are four key benefits of exercising effective communication strategies –

• Fosters Employee Engagement
  Gallup defines employee engagement as the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace. Active and transparent communication within an organization makes the employees feel emotionally invested in the company i.e. they care about their company and offer their best at the job, thereby contributing positively to the success of the organization!
  To learn about 10 effective employee engagement ideas for 2022, read this.
• Promotes Healthy Work Culture
  While hiring individuals, businesses no longer discriminate on the basis of sex, race, colour, religion, or national origin. In order to promote a healthy work culture in such a diverse environment, maintaining open and constructive communication is an absolute must. It ensures that all employees feel equally heard, understood and belonged to the organization.
• Boosts Productivity
  Oftentimes, a lack of resources or necessary information limits employees from excelling at their job. Effective communication provides a clear understanding of an individual’s roles, duties and responsibilities within an organization. This clarity of role and responsibilities motivates them to put in their 100% to meet their goals. This, in turn, leads to a substantial increase in productivity across the organization.
• Engenders Growth
  Lastly, an open communication policy at work enables employees to share their thoughts without any fear of repercussions and makes them feel empowered. Besides, it helps teams collaborate better and encourages them to come up with innovative solutions at work. Naturally, this approach advances organizational growth and multiplies profit in the long run.

9 Effective Communication Strategies To Boost Productivity At Your Company

Mentioned below are nine best practices to help you improve the internal communication strategy and optimize performance at your company –

1. Always Provide Clear Instructions

While this might sound very basic, most communication gaps that occur within organizations are due to unclear or incomplete instructions. While handing over a new task or assignment, ensure that apart from the task details and a deadline, the context along with the vision for the assignment is shared.

Additionally, post sharing the brief, managers can also double-check with the employees if they have understood the assignment correctly and ask if they have any concerns regarding the same. It helps employees understand the purpose of the requirement in detail and enables them to deliver the desired output successfully.

2. Schedule Weekly Check-Ins

A weekly check-in is a meeting with your team wherein you discuss the previous week’s progress, current work status and the plan for the coming week. This communication methodology helps managers to stay in the loop, assists in the early detection of any potential problems and ensures timely delivery of projects.

Furthermore, it instills a sense of responsibility amongst employees, helps build trust and fosters a positive relationship between the managers and employees.  In fact, research suggests that when employees feel like they belong at work (which regular check-ins facilitate), they are 3.5 times more likely to contribute to their full potential. 

3. Prioritize One-On-One Meetings

Next, be sure to prioritize one-on-one meetings between the managers/mentors and the employees. While this may sound similar to weekly check-ins, they differ in the ‘purpose’ of the meeting. Simply put, weekly check-ins focus on understanding the work status or progress while one-on-one meetings focus on employee well-being and personal growth.

Apart from discussing the things on the agenda, these one-on-one meetings involve connecting with the employees on a personal level, evaluating performance, sharing constructive feedback and supporting their growth. Not only do these meetings assist in boosting employee engagement but also contribute towards up-skilling the workforce significantly.

4. Make Use Of Communication Tools

Modern technology has upgraded the accuracy of information as well as the speed at which it can be exchanged within the organization exponentially. For example, Vocantas, an industry leader in communication tools, enables you to inform your staff about any important updates or emergencies instantaneously.

Concurrently, it lets you view your notifications’ status in real-time to ensure successful delivery. Lastly, it also creates and maintains detailed reports of these interactions for your future reference. All in all, opting for such powerful communication tools can prove to be an excellent investment for your business.

5. Recognize And Celebrate Achievements

Publicly recognizing and celebrating individual or team achievements shows that the organization values its employees and believes in their potential. It can be done by way of offering a promotion, giving additional incentives or even simply by sharing a few words of genuine appreciation.

It persuades employees to continue to perform at their best and helps establish a positive work culture at the company. Moreover, it ensures that your most valued employees are motivated to be associated with the company in the long run.

6. Share Constructive Feedback

Thereafter, providing valuable feedback on a regular basis is an essential part of on-the-job training. The purpose of sharing constructive feedback is not to discourage the employees but to support their professional growth and development.

While giving constructive feedback, be sure to be specific and share actionable advice with your employees. When executed respectfully and in good spirit, it can help build trust, strengthen relationships and push employees to deliver their best performance at the job.

To read a concise guide on workforce management, click here.

7. Encourage Two-Way Communication

Yet another essential element to promoting effective communication is encouraging two-way communication within the organization. This means that the senior management personnel must be open to receiving feedback on their leadership style, management approach, etc. It involves implementing a system that enables team members to share their concerns, feedback or suggestions freely. It can be done in a personal setting, by way of email or even anonymously.

A two-way communication approach helps build an open, transparent and honest work culture. It has a direct impact on employee morale, performance and engagement; and plays a vital role in the overall success of an organization.

8. Organize Team-Building Activities:

Team building activities are essentially group activities that are hosted with an intention of enhancing relationships between members within a team. Not only do they serve as excellent ice-breakers for new teams but also help solve communication problems within existing teams in an innovative way.

Several on-field as well as virtual team-building activities, are designed to improve important communication skills such as listening, trusting colleagues, practicing empathy, resolving issues, etc. Besides, they help sharpen problem-solving, leadership and creativity skills for the management and employees.

9. Empower Your Managers

Last but not the least, invest in your managers by providing them with ample opportunities to enhance their leadership and communication skills. Additionally, be sure to keep them in the loop with respect to overall company objectives and goals.

By understanding the vision of the company from the upper management itself, they will be better equipped to get things done from the workforce in a more efficient manner. After all, they are the link between the upper management and employees and play one of the most important roles when it comes to achieving operational excellence at the company. 

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, communication strategies are valuable tools for organizations to boost productivity and grow profitably. While the traditional approach toward communication within an organization worked in the past, today, with the disruptive economy, uncertainty and technology taking over, the time to adapt is here.

By implementing modern communication strategies, employers can create a synergetic environment that is beneficial to both – the workforce as well as the business.

About Vocantas

If you’re looking for an effective communication module to enhance the workforce management system at your company, reach out to us at Vocantas for a free consultation.

For over 18 years, Vocantas has been providing extensive support to schedulers with respect to shift planning and tackling staffing challenges through real-time communication. Our complete scheduling solution is fast, easy to use, reliable, and backed by outstanding customer support. Get in touch with us here.