While companies usually focus on improving customer communication, internal office communication is just as important. Poor internal office communication can create a confusing work environment where employee struggle to stay engaged, accomplish tasks, and improve productivity. Products and services will suffer and businesses can even fail entirely. Businesses depend on effective office communication and it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Here are a few of our favorite internal communication improvements to start implementing change in your office:
Incorporate Your Intranet
Just about every organization has a company intranet, but having one isn’t the same as using it effectively. When intranets are up-to-date, modern, and easy to use, they are a truly invaluable resource to employees. Intranets become a one-stop-shop for all of your wide-reaching office communication. Company intranets give employees the power to quickly find both long-standing and unchanging tools, like employee handbooks and vacation request forms. With a well maintained and easy to navigate intranet, your company can create seamless communication and help employees find whatever they need.
Depend On Email Less
Companies have become too dependent on office email. From company-wide announcements to one-on-one correspondence, the go-to option is always to send an email. While email is certainly a quick and convenient method of office communication, its simplicity makes it easy to overuse. With countless emails received daily, it can take hours to keep all of your information straight, and often ends up as an overwhelming mess. Besides wasting valuable company time and energy, email has no way of prioritizing or categorizing information.
Centralize Your Tools
Technology allows us to work faster, more efficiently, and in ways that would have been impossible years ago. But if we aren’t smart about it, well-meaning technology can become more of a hindrance than a benefit. Companies today have all kinds of tools to assist their work and improve their efforts, but too often companies rely on tech that can only complete one task. This results in employees having to manage countless different tools just to get their work done. Switching between tools and trying to remember the nuances or each program can take serious time and can inadvertently become a real communication barrier. When employees have a single and centralized program that incorporates all of their needs, office communication becomes much more efficient.
For a deeper look at this topic, read our whitepaper “Why Activity Stream Is Replacing Email In The Workplace”
Invest In Team Building
Team building is about more than just having fun with other employees. Social activities strengthen relationships by getting coworkers to talk to each other. And while talking is great for building culture and improving teams, it also pays off during business hours. When employees have genuine friendships at work and know how to communicate together, collaboration naturally occurs. Employees are more willing to share opinions and think creatively in a environment where they know their contributions are appreciated. Team building activities also help employees learn more about their coworker’s communication styles, thought processes, and opinions, clearing the way for easier office communication.
Encourage Honest Feedback
While managers and employers often provide insight for employees, successful office communication requires two-way feedback. When employees feel confident and comfortable enough to share ideas openly, companies can benefit from real insight and inspiration. Employees often have a unique perspective that could greatly increase company success, but are often reluctant to share ideas without an inclusive environment. To foster real feedback from employees, managers need to do more than just put up a suggestion box. Employers need to encourage real, honest, and open feedback under any situation and show employees their ideas are always heard, valued, and taken into real consideration.
Office Communication With MangoApps
An effective office communication strategy is crucial for companies to empower employees. Creating and maintaining successful strategies aren’t one time activities or quick fix solutions but involve a continuous and well-planned approach. But it doesn’t have to be difficult to get started. At MangoApps, we’re proud of how our integrated employee platform provides companies with the perfect environment to communicate effectively and achieve long term success.
To learn more about strengthening office communication or how MangoApps helps businesses improve their abilities, contact us or schedule a personalized demo today.
