Creating Effective Office Communication

While companies usually focus on improving customer, client, or other external communication, internal office communication is just as important. Poor internal communication creates a confusing work environment, where employees struggle to stay engaged, accomplish tasks, and improve productivity. And without a successful internal organization, it doesn’t matter what customers hear! 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. Take a look at 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 company, department, and team communication. Company intranets give employees the power to quickly find both long-standing and unchanging tools, like employee handbooks and vacation request forms, and updated or adapting information, like team newsletters and quarterly KPI’s. With a well maintained and easy to navigate intranet, companies create seamless communication and help employees find whatever they need. Workers will never be confused, out of the loop, or unable to access information again.

Depend On Email Less

Companies have become too dependant 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 quick and convenient communication, its very simplicity makes it easy to overuse. Employees are bombarded with dozens of email every day. 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. Office emails appear in the order they are received, making it difficult for employees to sort through messages and find the most important information. At Mangoapps, we strongly believe that employees don’t need email at all, but if you must send a message, do so as succinctly and sparingly as possible.

Centralized Your Tools

Technology is an amazing thing. It helps us 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 multiple, sometimes even dozens, of different tools just to get their work done. Changing back in forth between tools and trying to remember the nuances or each program can take serious time and become a real communication barrier. When employees have a single and centralized program that incorporates all of their needs collaboration, communication, and work in general become faster, easier, and more enjoyable.

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, improving teams, and having a good time together, it also pays off during business hours. When employees have genuine friendships at work and know how to communicate together, collaboration happens naturally. Employees are more willing to ask questions, share opinions, and think creatively in a comfortable and friendly 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 communication.

Encourage Honest Feedback

While managers and employers often provide insight for employees, successful internal 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 workers 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 or ask offhandedly during an internal review. 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.

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 internal communication or how MangoApps helps businesses improve their abilities, contact us or schedule a personalized demo today.