It doesn’t matter whether you’re building a home extension, creating a new digital app, or performing a surgical operation; when you work as a team you need to communicate well. It’s said that high performing teams are built on effective communication. I truly believe that.
Why? Well the very definition of a team is ‘a number of people who act together as a group in order to achieve something’. It’s hard to act, or work, together to achieve a goal without good communication between you. Poor communication wastes time, causes unnecessary stress and friction, and, all too often, hampers productivity.
Would your team benefit from better communication? Do they work in silos or is there constructive team collaboration? In this blog, I’ll share my top tips to improve team communication – no matter which workplace communication channels you use.
Why is team communication important?
When teams work together, sharing information and ideas, and communicating effectively, they perform better and produce better end results. What’s more, they’ll build trust and loyalty which vastly helps team members to work together cohesively. This not only improves team productivity, it also helps to raise staff morale and boost employee engagement.
Today, it’s rare to have all team members in the same workspace at one time.
Remote working is the norm, for some of the week at least. Remote teams work from multiple locations, and sometimes different time zones too. This can make workplace communication more challenging, but not impossible! It simply requires effort and effective team management.
There are many benefits to your team members feeling comfortable to speak up and that they’re in a safe space. You’ll get a diversity of insights and opinions which can aid innovation and problem-solving. Raising an issue early helps conflict resolution as you can often nip a problem in the bud before it escalates.
Types of communication
Communication isn’t only about talking. There are various forms of communication that take place in the workplace. They span:
Verbal communication: in person conversations, phone calls, video calls and video conferencing
Non-verbal communication: body language, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice
Written communication: emails, instant messaging and communication tools
Visual communication: presentations, diagrams and videos
Active listening: asking open ended questions, nodding, repeating back, showing curiosity.
All of these forms of communication can affect perceptions, how your message is conveyed and received, and how well your thoughts are understood.
8 effective communication skills
What are some strategies to enhance team communication and collaboration? These are my recommended communication strategies to encourage teamwork, improve employee engagement and create a more positive work environment.
1. Be approachable
I’m a big advocate of the open door policy, even though most of us don’t have physical office doors to close anymore. If you’re in the office, walk over to your team member’s desks to check in with them. Otherwise, video call.
I think it’s really important for your team members to know that they can turn to you for advice, guidance or an honest chat. If your team feel that they can raise issues with you, you can help with their problem solving and ensure you get the best result. Show that they’re welcome to approach you whenever they need to.
2. Use open, clear communication
Clarity is vital. Clear and open communication avoids misunderstanding and the need to rework. It makes a more efficient and effective workplace as it will streamline workflows. Be specific about action points and what needs to happen when and by whom. It avoids confusion.
Be transparent about what’s happening in the business, and keep your team in the loop. Even if it’s not good news, honest and open communication is best. Otherwise, speculation and miscommunication will spread around the workplace which is detrimental to morale.
3. Hold team meetings consistently
Even though you’re spinning plates, fighting fires and being pulled in multiple directions, you need to make time for your team. Book a weekly team meeting in everyone’s diaries and stick to it. I know how easy it is to put it off – someone’s ill, a colleague’s on holiday, you’ve got a presentation to finalise. Even if you only talk for 10 minutes, it’s crucial that you get together as a team and update each other on projects, performance and news.
This helps you to understand what’s happening with everyone in your team. It means that they feel informed and included. And it provides an opportunity for questions, concerns, insights and good news to be shared.
4. Make time for one-on-one meetings
Just as important as team meetings are individual meetings. Make sure to check in with individual team members each week. It helps to build trust, loyalty and a better relationship between manager and employee.
Be consistent in how you communicate with them, set goals and deal with issues. Different team members prefer different communication styles and management techniques. You’ll get to know them and will understand their preferences better if you spend one-on-one meeting time with them. Also, some people find it hard to speak up in group settings and may only have their say in private.
5. Provide clear expectations and set goals
You need your team to understand the company’s big picture and the part they play in reaching it. With effective communication, you can motivate them to work towards a common goal. That’s a powerful way to promote teamwork and collaboration.
By setting specific goals or KPIs, teams understand what they need to work towards. But don’t set and forget. It’s really important to keep reviewing the goals regularly. Sometimes milestones may need to move, or the specifics of the goal have to be amended. After all, goalposts move. But by regularly reviewing the status and having an ongoing conversation, you won’t have sudden surprises to resolve.
6. Streamline communication and project management tools
Don’t get me wrong, platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom are marvellous for having real-time conversations, sharing files, and video conferencing wherever you may be. Then there’s the likes of Asana and Monday, CRMs and Intranets. That’s before you even mention email, text, whatsapp and myriad other communication apps.
Using multiple platforms can be confusing. It’s easy to miss conversations or updates. This is particularly true when remote working. Maximise the potential of your tools. You’re likely to find that there’s duplication of functionality. Streamline the apps you use as a team and be clear about which to use for different types of communication.
7. Encourage two-way conversation
Unless you’re an autocratic team manager who believes in top-down decision-making, input from others is welcome when problem-solving. It’s good to encourage team members in any role across the business to brainstorm ideas and share their opinions. This type of communication is inclusive which helps with building trust and morale with your team. By giving people a sense of ownership in projects, you can boost employee engagement.
Active listening plays an important part in a two-way dialogue. Remember, you don’t know all the answers. Truly listening to your team members’ ideas and views, and acknowledging their contribution, builds your relationship and is a great team management technique.
8. Organise team building activities
Encourage your team members to get to know each other better and to interact in a more social environment. It gives them more to talk about
When you make more personal connections, you build trust and loyalty. Simply asking about your employee’s new puppy, home renovation or upcoming holiday will make a real difference to them.
Every now and again, it’s a great idea to get together in person. You could go on an away day doing team-building activities like raft building and assault courses. Your team may prefer a round of golf or an escape room for example. Any of these will encourage teams to work together, learn more about each other and gain effective team communication skills.
Keen to improve your team communication practices?
Take a moment to think about your team and your workplace communication. Is it working well or is there room for improvement? I’ve shared some pointers in this blog that will help you to up your communication game. But you and your team may need more than that.
There are various communication training programs available that could benefit everyone in your business. Check out LinkedIn Learning for starters.
If you want to work on your own team communication skills, I offer one-on-one business coaching or group coaching sessions to help you hone your approach. Please get in touch to find out more.
