The way that you and your employees communicate within the company can have a huge impact on your overall performance.
In-house communication is not just about how well individuals communicate but also the quality of your communication systems and plan.
A well thought out communication plan can prevent disagreements, create trust with customers and suppliers and ensure you do not miss deadlines.
Leaving important parties out of the loop is the most common communication related problem businesses come across. This can cause major disputes, especially when relating to payments. To start drawing up a communication plan, make a list of all the people you need to stay in touch with: customers, potential customers, past customers, employees, contractors, sales reps, suppliers, distributors, industry colleagues, referral sources, etc. and note how often you need to contact them, how you will communicate with them, and what each party needs to know.
Implement the following into all of your communications with each group:
Explain: From the beginning, be sure everyone involved in a project understands as much as possible about the nature of the work, the overall goals, the timetable and the possible complications or delays.
Be regular: Let people know what you are doing or find out how they are doing. If you are working for a client, keep them informed even if the task is not done.
Acknowledge: Do not wait for a project to be finished or for success to be achieved to acknowledge other people’s efforts. Let people know they are doing a good job while they are still doing it.
Listen: Listening is an absolutely critical business skill, particularly for those in management or sales. Listening does not mean just giving another person a chance to speak; it means actively listening to what they are saying, asking questions and reflecting on what they have said.
