Team communication encompasses everything that has to do with exchanging ideas and information within a group of people. In business, this communication is invariably among managers and staff and among departments but can also cross channels.
A company may have the most abundant resources and advanced technology, but without effective communication within the organization, it can never achieve any of its strategic goals. Many great ideas have failed to convert to their expected results simply because there was some miscommunication in the execution of plans.
The cliche teamwork makes the dream work is no less as accurate as when it was first mentioned by John Maxwell, an American pastor and influential business leader and author. Each of us has our own strengths and skills, and when these are shared, we can come up with better ideas more quickly and solve problems more efficiently. And the driving force behind successful teamwork is—you guessed it—effective team communication. In this article, we will explore just how critical team communication is and learn a few ways by which we can strengthen it.
Why is team communication important?
Workplace stress is not a new phenomenon. Imagine a group of people with disparate upbringings and values who need to interact regularly with each other and whose performance, more often than not, are interlinked with how the rest of the team members decide and behave.
One can instantly see that closely working with each other day in and day out can lead to not just a few tense situations. This can be disastrous not just to individual health but also to the achievement of the company's goals and overall wellbeing.
However, when the atmosphere at work is supportive and respectful, people become more confident to speak up and listen to each other. The result is a less stressful and more conducive place where everyone seeks first to understand before seeking to be understood. This goes a long way in helping people feel more valued. In turn, those who feel appreciated tend to have more confidence and are more willing to hear what others have to say to make relationships work. To keep this cycle of positivity going, here are a few recommendations to improve team communication.
How to Boost Team Communication
Leverage technology
Technology has become one of the most formidable tools for strengthening team communication in the 21st century. Today, regardless of location and time zone, effective and secure communication tools can help one deal with business concerns even while off-site. For instance, one can quickly be running an online business when traveling and still be in touch with their team through project management software. Such software also enables cross-functional collaboration by providing communication channels where team members can easily access relevant information specific to the project at hand. In addition, some project tools are also equipped with easy-to-accomplish reporting templates that make updating a less arduous endeavor.
Overcommunicate!
There is no such thing as over clarification when it comes to guaranteeing the fruition of any plan or project. Both lack of information and misinformation can be costly. These can delay the completion of a project, result in the wasting of precious time and resources, increase blaming incidents and conflict at work, and break down employee morale.
But when objectives are clearly defined and responsibilities are painstakingly delineated, a team's ability to execute is greatly enhanced. Regardless of stumbling blocks along the way, if everyone is of one mind at the very start of an undertaking, it won't be that difficult to course-correct. More importantly, when the team players know and understand the value of their individual roles to the grand scheme of things, they will be more likely to press on even in the face of challenges.
Delegate well
The most capable managers know how to delegate properly. Delegation isn't simply passing on a task to someone else and then completely forgetting about it. Neither is it micromanagement. Effective delegation is, first off, clearly aligning the objectives and the nature of the job to the assignee. Then it involves making it known that they are there to support the latter and are confident that the assignees can handle the challenge (which is evidently why you chose them in the first place). Lastly, you must make regular checks to ensure that the work is going as planned.
Encourage the proper giving of feedback
The intent of asking for feedback is to secure insights and information that can be valuable to improving one's performance. This is why it's critical to listen with an open mind and an open heart. Unfortunately, it is common for feedback to be heard and not appreciated, not because of its content but because of how it was presented.
Have you heard of the adage that influence isn't possible without a relationship? While your duty and privilege to give feedback may come from your position within the organization, its power to influence is directly proportional to the relationship that you have built with the recipient of that feedback. Your words will fall on deaf ears if the recipient feels merely like an object of utilization for your own goals. They need to know that you are concerned for their personal growth in the company as well.
Parting Thoughts
Team communication takes intentionality and hard work. But the rewards in increased employee engagement, enhanced productivity, and satisfying work relationships make it all worth the effort.
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Post written by: Aussy Aportadera