Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many companies have to offer their employees remote work. This is characterized by a completely different way of communicating than working in the office. It turns out that internal communication is an increasingly urgent need for companies and organizations. Remote communication is something new for many workplaces, and therefore they need to improve this aspect in their company. But how to do it? How can you improve internal communication in the company?
Why is internal communication so important?
Internal communication facilitates the flow of information in the company and is necessary to perform tasks and projects. Problems may arise when the company works remotely.
Nowadays, a lot of companies have switched to remote work mode. This has led to communication problems among many workplaces.
Without efficient communication, the company will not function properly. That makes it more difficult to implement company strategy and achieve goals.
In addition, it affects the efficiency and speed of the work performed. Also important is mutual understanding and knowledge of employees of a company.
Companies with good internal communication have a much better chance of financial success and of being ahead of the competition.
Another important advantage of good communication is the effect it has within the company. It has a positive effect on the work culture, the atmosphere in the team, and its members’ satisfaction.
It is also important that employees have confidence in the information they receive. Good communication increases the level of trust, which makes the information received appear more credible.
When hiring new employees, onboarding must be carried out. Such a process facilitates the adaptation of new people in the company. Good internal communication allows for a more efficient introduction of new ones into the company’s structures.
How to plan internal communication?
At the beginning of the planning, you need to develop a strategy for internal communications.
Effective communication starts with understanding the people who are part of it. It is worth asking your employees what their needs are. That will give you an opportunity to create a communication strategy together.
Thus, a given form of communication is not created by only one person but by the entire team.
Together with your colleagues, think about the main values of the organizational culture and the principles of communication. It’s a good idea to set communication standards.
Being on a first-name basis with the whole team is a great decision. It eliminates potential confusion or weakness of communication.
What tools to use?
Over the last few years, the number of tools for internal communication has steadily increased. Despite the emergence of many tools, we should limit their number to the necessary minimum. Using too many tools can lead to chaos in communication, which can frustrate employees.
By working remotely, you have less eye contact with other colleagues, which is key to establishing a relationship in the company. To cope with this, you can use the possibility of making video calls.
According to the State of the Sector 2020 study, organized by the British Gatehouse agency, respondents chose video calling as the most effective form of communication.
One of the most popular communication tools is the use of mailing. Nowadays, everyone has an e-mail address and can use it, so it does not require spending time learning how to use it.
In larger companies, you can also use the company newsletter. It’s a good way to involve employees and keep abreast of all the important information and events.
One of the main tasks of the company’s newsletter is to ensure communication consistency. But it also serves to inform employees about the current situation in the company.
Platforms for managing projects and tasks in the company are becoming more and more well-known. Using these platforms, you can create a list of tasks and assign them to individual employees. Under individual cards with tasks, you can attach files, add a comment, and set a deadline for completing the tasks. Because these tools are intuitive and easy to use, they enjoy considerable recognition. The most common project management platforms are Trello, Asana, and Basecamp. Trello is characterized by simplicity, and the work area depends only on its users. Asana is definitely more elaborate than Trello. With Asana, you can also assign specific tasks to specific people or work from the calendar view.
Thanks to the Basecamp platform, you can coordinate the team’s schedule or compare your calendar with the calendar of other colleagues. Using this platform, you can use chat, task lists, calendar, or inbox. Basecamp is also friendly to people who have never used it. When you create a project, you answer a few questions and the platform sets up a sample work environment.
Live editing of a file by more than one person has become widely known and used. This is where Google Docs tools come to our aid, where more than one person has access to the file. A few years ago, editing files together and ripping them to external media was causing a problem. There was also a discussion whether a given file was in the latest version or not? Today live editing files with the whole team is no longer an issue.
Since 2020, remote work has become popular in many companies, making it very important to keep team communication in one place. One of the most used team collaboration software is Slack, which works like a typical instant messenger. Communication takes place through channels, allowing the company to be divided into teams. Slack allows you to have a group and private conversations, and sending files is quick and intuitive. You can integrate Slack with other tools. This enables you to receive notifications from other platforms, like Gmail or Twitter. This platform is accessible from a computer, tablet, or phone. At first glance, Slack may seem complicated, but it offers a lot of possibilities that facilitate communication in the company.
Transparency in communication
Nobody likes to find out about something important by accident. If you do, it can make you feel excluded or omitted.
Nowadays, emphasis is given to providing the team with the opportunity to view the current tasks of colleagues or their contact details. Transparency also applies when informing the team about the company’s goals.
Communication management
Once you have developed the basic strategy and selected tools, the next step is to manage the existing or emerging communication. It’s a good idea to work out rituals, such as weekly team meetings on the agreed day.
Meetings integrate and motivate the team. Regular meetings create the feeling of some kind of deadline to complete the tasks.
The role of internal communication plays an increasingly important role in companies and organizations, not only in terms of information flow but also in terms of integrating and motivating the team to cooperate.