Many businesses seek to improve their internal communication, but a lot of them fall into the same traps and make similar mistakes. By avoiding these common errors, you can put in place a strategy that works for your company and your members of staff. Taking this into account, here are a few of the most common internal communication mistakes that you should sidestep.
Not Embracing New Communication Methods
We live in a world in which technology is advancing at a rapid rate. As a result of this, communication methods are constantly updating. Therefore, you need to be willing to embrace these – particularly in a world in which people are more likely to be working remotely. Take a look at Simpplr for help with internal communication technology. As well as a solid intranet system, you need to look at your videoconferencing software to ensure that you choose one that is right for your needs.
Sending Too Many Emails
While emails are an incredibly useful way of conveying information to your employees, you can get to the stage in which too many of them are being sent out. Too many emails and your members of staff can end up dealing with these all the time, leaving little time to focus on the main part of their job. You should encourage employees to address multiple issues in a single email rather than just having a one-line response. These types of conversation may also be better taking place in a phone call or video chat.
Not Encouraging a Culture of Feedback
Running a successful company means that everybody should be comfortable offering feedback. This type of open communication allows everybody to contribute to the success of the company rather than leaving it to the owners and managers. Of course, it can take a while before you can encourage a culture of open communication. People are worried that it will reflect badly on them. While you may not want to take every single idea on board, the sharing of them can still prove to be invaluable.
Avoiding Setting Internal Communication Goals
Just like every other area of your business, it works better if there are a clear set of goals that everyone is working towards. Otherwise, you are more likely to find that the business is directionless and rudderless. Again, it is worth turning to your employees to see their internal comms issues. This way, you can create a set of goals that everybody is on board with.
Not Simplifying Internal Comms
Communication tends to be best when it is kept simple and to the point. So, this means cutting back on jargon and using basic language wherever it is appropriate. Condensing information into a single message is one way of achieving this goal. Also, making a conscious effort to reduce miscommunication is always going to be worthwhile and helps to prevent a lot of problems further down the line.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create an internal communication system that works for everybody.
