Small- and medium-sized businesses are beginning to recognize just how vital strong, honest internal communication is to their productivity and continued growth. Entrepreneur magazine’s company communication study determined it as a “key success factor” in 79% of organizations. Internal communication ought to be considered a growth strategy for SMBs rather than a faraway H.R. concern. So, instead of spending the day in your office reading hipster blogs about #growthhacking, make use of your company’s most valuable assets—its people.
The core of effective internal communication is almost too simple to type out: make communicating within your business easy. Here’s how to do just that:
Instead of envisioning your business as something tiered, or hierarchical, rethink it as a wheel. Your fiercest team should be at the center, so that spokes lead inward, not upward. Each team on the outside of the wheel can communicate around, or in, and doesn’t feel they contribute any less. No one works under anyone else, but rather with them.
Meetings are an open discussion, an exchange of ideas. Not a place for the leadership team to share their decisions with those who must simply comply. Feelings of participation within a company inevitably lead to real effort and participation in the company. That’s good for business. The open-floor method jives particularly well with millennials, who make up 30% of today’s workforce and tend to take a much more social approach to work relationships. Facilitate the inclusion of offsite and non-desk employees with an HD video conferencing system or that makes it feel like everyone’s there.
If you’re in leadership, don’t make it a point that you’re in leadership. Make it a point that you’re a part of a team. Leave your office door open—it makes more of an impact on the way your employees feel about than you’d ever believe.
If you’re not in leadership, be responsive to those who are. Create dialogue when you see a need for change. Don’t ignore opportunities to make a difference.
In order to function as one network, your business needs a communication method that never fails. Make it easy for all departments and all offices to reach each other. A phone system with a dial-by-extension feature and a mobile app for remote employees makes everyone reachable, any time. That way, your communication system becomes a platform for sharing information—everything from new industry trends, to event planning, to important company decisions.
Change the conversation from work to play. Volunteer as a team, or have a Beer Friday each month. If you can communicate over a craft brew, you can communicate through office tension.
Effective internal communication is a vital stepping stone to achieving long-term business success.
To improve yours, get in touch with us today.
