Effective communication is paramount for companies adopting new, hybrid models of working. While synchronous communication tools like Zoom and Google Meet have proven essential for organisations of all sizes throughout the past 18 months, internal communications strategies for modern enterprises are still a work in progress.
Companies need varied channels to maintain effective communications between distributed teams. Asynchronous video communication tools can effectively mitigate increasing levels of Zoom fatigue and burnout amongst staff, so how else could your business optimise its internal communications?
Optimising internal communications for remote work
If you’ve experienced more misunderstandings, low-quality work and missed deadlines since new and more flexible working patterns have emerged, you need to review your company-wide communications. Here are a few ways top-level organisations have adjusted their communications strategies to keep their business on track:
1. Review your current communication channels
Assess the tools currently at your teams’ disposal and how people within your organisation communicate. If your business relies on email for primary communications, consider migrating your internal comms to a messaging service like Slack or Microsoft Teams to increase the efficiency of text-based interactions.
If your business already uses a messaging platform like those mentioned, think about how it’s used. Do your teams use them to communicate effectively? Are they being used to their full potential? Implementing guidelines on how your communications tools should be used can make your employees better communicators, increasing productivity and strengthening relationships.
One way to do this is to train them on your chosen platform. There’s a plethora of Microsoft Teams training course and Slack training program online, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find one that fits your company’s needs.
2. Encourage feedback from your distributed teams
Run a survey to discover what your employees think about how communications are managed within your organisation. No two employees are exactly alike, but by collating the data from your communications survey, you’ll be able to spot trends and areas for improvement. Whatever the findings of your survey, it’s good practice to ensure every member of staff is having regular, structured meetings with their immediate superiors. This will help you spot problems within your team early, circumventing issues before things start to spiral out of control.
3. Provide communications training for all members of staff
No matter the seniority of your staff, everyone should undertake formal communications training. Remote working can amplify any existing communication issues — from simple misunderstandings to total communication breakdowns. You should give your entire workforce opportunities to improve their written and verbal communication. This will help all members of staff become more articulate, which can mitigate potential communication issues further down the line.
4. Reinvigorate your company announcements
Do your company updates receive positive employee engagement? If upper managements’ announcements aren’t exactly inspiring, it might be because of how they’re delivered. It’s been proven that video drives more engagement than any other media format, from pre-recorded tuition videos to video marketing on social media, and your internal communications are no different. Put some personality back into your important announcements by creating professional-looking branded videos — you can use a free-to-use online video maker like VIBBIO to get started.
5. Facilitate open conversations
By encouraging virtual water cooler discussions, you are breaking down barriers between your staff. You might think that these talks might harm productivity, but when you’re managing remote teams, these small interactions can help build trust and facilitate better working relationships across your organisation. It also helps to level the playing field, mitigating one-way, top-down interactions, giving your less senior employees a voice.
The benefits of enhancing internal communications
Remote teams benefit greatly when you take the necessary steps to improve your internal communications strategy. More open, honest and effective interactions can be the difference between immense success and outright failure. From breaking down barriers with enjoyable discussions to providing engaging updates that inspire your remote teams, you’ll enjoy increased productivity and improved morale throughout your organisation.