7 Ways to Improve Internal Communication at Your Business

Internal communication is important for any organization to function effectively. Employees

should feel that they can easily communicate with their team members as well as upper
management, because this contributes to productivity and overall results. The following list
includes actionable steps for improving internal communication:

Make Sticky Information Accessible

Every organization has its own set of internal knowledge, or sticky information, that all
employees come to understand. It can take time to learn how the company does things, from
protocol for preparing client-facing documents to other types of best practices. Help
employees learn this information faster by including it as a part of training and by creating
internal documents to be used for reference.

Make the Mission and Vision Clear

Take the time to explain the company values and mission, whether as part of corporate
training or as a regular reminder to employees. When employees are unified in their
understanding of the company goals, they will be able to communicate with one another more
effectively in order to reach them.

Strengthen Connections

Not only should communication be improved between team members who work together, but
between employees and their managers. Make sure to address this during management
training programs. Managers who take the time to get to know their employees and are
willing to listen to them will find it easier to communicate and keep direct reports on task.
When employees feel that managers are able to address their individual concerns, they are
more likely to feel connected.

Create Open Dialogue

Keep employees up-to-date on company changes, progress and future plans. This could be
through a bi-monthly newsletter or at company meetings. Furthermore, allow employees to

be involved in this discussion. Encourage questions and comments, and show that all ideas
are welcome. Employees are more likely to communicate well when they feel they have a
part in where the company is headed.

Encourage Information Sharing

Provide an online platform for knowledge sharing. Employees are likely reading about
industry news and trends on a regular basis, so offer them a place to share this information.
By having an opportunity to show what they know, employees will be eager to stay involved
in this endeavor. Not only will this create more energy and purpose behind communication,
but the sharing of valuable insights will be helpful to business.

Online Project Management Tools

There are many types of online tools that can be used to facilitate communication. These
tools can help keep track of a projects progress so that everyone knows what is left to be
done. While face-to-face communication is always important, online tools can aid in this
process by saving time and helping to document the work.

Plan External Events

Create opportunities for employees to meet outside of the office. Nothing hinders
communication more than when there are employees in the company who havent truly met
one another. Plan a holiday party or a happy hour after work. This also gives employees
something to look forward to, which can facilitate improved engagement and stronger
communication.

5 Proven Ways To Improve Your Company's

Communication
Effective internal communication is incredibly important to any company, and any
entrepreneur. But skillful communication is so much more than that: communication can
mean the difference between your business succeeding or failing. Nowadays, sending regular
emails and making Power Points for your important meetings is not enough.
According to the Holmes Report, companies with effective communication strategies have
47% higher returns to shareholders, more engaged employees, and less employee turnover.
Conversely, among 400 corporations surveyed over a year, an estimated $37 billion was lost
due to employee misunderstanding or error due to poor communication.
If you want to lead your company to success and scale to a degree which would enable
that level of success your communication strategies need to be updated. Here are five ways
that you can level up your communication
1.

Lead by example.

First-time entrepreneurs may not yet have a skill set that includes clear communication the
lynchpin to any effective leaders arsenal. Seasoned entrepreneurs know that being the first to
share, comment, give feedback, and answer questions is the best way to encourage your
employees and teammates to do the same. Being a great communicator sets the stage for
everyone around you, so do your best to keep an open door policy with lines of
communication wide open.
2. Keep your companys mission and vision at the forefront.
You want your employees to focus their work on the goals and objectives that you have for
your business. But do they know what your vision really is? Everyone needs to be able to see
and understand the overarching goals of the company in order to work effectively with each
other. Publish your manifesto and best practices online so all can reference easily, then watch
their work soar.
3. Forego unnecessary meetings and emails.
Regular meetings can be helpful, but there are many tools online that can accomplish
information dissemination without having to interrupt individual workflow for a project
update. And while emails can be helpful for memos, emails are quickly becoming outdated
for the kinds of decision-making and collaborative solutions that are necessary in todays
virtual global company.

Enterprise social networks like Podio, ZenDesk, FreshDesk, or SalesForce Chatter are
absolutely necessary, and make short work of problem solving, project updates, and crossdepartmental info sharing whether your employees are in the next room or in another country.
4. Dismantle the hierarchy.
In business, hierarchies create communication jams, and more and more companies are doing
away with them and for good reason. Team structures are more effective and more efficient.
Less bottlenecked decision-making and accessible leadership encourage fluid
communications leading to faster results and added adaptability. This approach may be
challenging at first, but it will lead to greater ease in the long run.
5. Make communication into a habit.
Establish regular communication processes that happen on a schedule: weekly conference
calls, monthly online newsletters, quarterly employee reviews, etc. Habitual communication
eliminates time wasted searching for information that should be forthcoming and transparent.
Defined rules help everyone relax, and work on higher priority business.
Even if your company has only two people, communication skills are a vital part of any
successful venture, and staying up to date with the latest communication techniques can make
your company more efficient, more lucrative, and more satisfying.

30 Smart Tips to Improve Workplace Communication

In nearly every aspect of life (both professional and personal), communication is crucial to
success and happiness.
Relationships cannot thrive without open communication, and the same goes for businesses
both large and small.
The quality of a business's internal communication often says a lot about the company itself.
Let poor communication get worse, and your organization's days may be numbered.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can improve workplace communication in your
business.
1. Check in with Employees on a Regular Basis
Checking in with employees is essential. Meet with them regularly either in-person or online
every few weeks or months, inviting them to discuss their thoughts on their projects, tasks,
and the organization as a whole. They want to be heard, and they want to share their thoughts
and opinions. This willimprove internal communication throughout your entire organization,
as well as empower your employees and keep them comfortable in their positions.
2. Make Internal Knowledge & Documents Easily Available
For newer employees, it can be difficult to learn the ropes of an organization and how it truly
operates. Since most companies work from a specific set of internal knowledge, there's
usually already a built-in training program at your disposal. Making internal knowledge
easily available via documentation on your social intranet is a great way to keep
communication flowing.
3. Assess Your Current Internal Communication Methods
It's not easy to improve something if you don't know what's holding you back.
Communication methods such as email, telephone, messaging, in-person communication can
all serve a valuable purpose and come along with a variety of benefits. However, some may
be more useful than others. Email, for instance, is probably not the best way to have a
conversation with someone. Many organizations are replacing email with social intranet
software with collaboration tools. So make a list of your current internal communication
methods, and you might find that your organization is missing something or relying too
heavily on one particular method, in which case it might be time to make some changes.

4. Implement Social Intranet Software

When attempting to improve workplace communication, social intranet software is at the
top of the list. Comprised of a variety of tools that can help improve daily business processes,
an intranet also features a robust internal communications platform that allows for easy
retrieval of old conversations. It also empowers employees to bounce ideas off each other in a
judgement-free environment. The popularity of social intranet software is growing at an
exponential rate, and the technology is continuing to move in a forward direction.
5. Have an "Open Door" Policy
One of the biggest obstacles that employees face is how they can communicate with
managers and CEOs. They may not feel comfortable approaching the boss, and as a result of
this apprehension, many employees may choose to avoid bringing up important points, thus
blocking the flow of communication. Having an "open door" policy where your employees
feel comfortable bringing anything to your attention, at any time, can be immensely
beneficial to your business's internal communication, not to mention make you more
approachable. And if they're not approaching you, always remember #1 above ... check in
with employees on a regular basis.
6. Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media has proven to be a powerful aid for businesses to communicate with
customers ... yet it often goes overlooked how effective it can actually be to improve
workplace communication. Employees can like, comment, and share with one another
interesting posts that may relate to your organization. You can use social intranet software in
the same manner. Allow employees to share their interests with each other to create
meaningful, work-related conversations. This is a great way to combine relationship-building
with your business's goals and philosophies.
7. Create an Internal Language
Sometimes, the best way to improve workplace communication and employee
engagement within your organization is to create an internal language. This could range from
being a set of acronyms/monikers that are used throughout the day to describe certain aspects
of business to a host of made-up slang words based off of inside jokes or company principles.
It's a fun way to keep things interesting throughout the week and can no doubt help to
improve the flow of communication.
8. Identify a Common Goal
Within every organization, there exists a common goal, which can depend heavily upon the
focus of the business. As it is important for your employees to be on the same page,
identifying and clarifying common goals can come along with a number of benefits. After all,

there's nothing more important for a team than for each of its members to have a similar
mindset.
9. Send Out an Internal Newsletter
When things get busy, it may be difficult to keep tabs on what's happening in
your organization. An internal newsletter is an excellent tool for ensuring that every
employee is up on recent happenings, whether they be small or monumental in nature.
Typically, internal newsletters work best when they're sent out weekly, but you
can experiment with how often you push them out.
10. Rearrange Your Office
If you're working within a physical office, one of the best steps you can take to improve
workplace communication is to rearrange the way it is designed. Many offices make use of
cubicles and partitions, for example, which can isolate employees and put a damper on
communication. Rearranging your office to make it more "open" in design will help open up
the floodgates for communication and collaboration, not to mention make the space more
enjoyable to work in.
11. Focus on Company Culture1
Focus on company culture and integrate it into your workday. This can be a great way to
make employees feel more connected to each other and the organization itself. You can do
this by learning about employee engagement ideas, incorporating your branding into office
decor, your social intranet, or your documentation, among other pieces of collateral. If there
are any core philosophies that your business embodies, don't hesitate to reiterate them on a
regular basis.
12. Get Outside of the Office
Being stuck in the office for long periods of time can have negative psychological effects on
you and your employees, especially during the colder months of the year. Sometimes, all it
takes is a change of scenery to perk people back up. Getting outside the office doesn't
necessarily mean wasting valuable work time, either, as you can simply relocate your team to
a different location where you can collaborate on a project.
13. Schedule a Work Retreat
Staying with the concept of getting outside the office, there are times when you should stop
work-related activity, and instead, allow your employees to get to know each other better. A
work retreat is an excellent way to do this, and it can range from being a day at the beach to a
hiking trip or other excursion. With all the focus put on helping employees communicate
better, it's important to remember that team-building exercises and employee engagement
activities don't always have to revolve around getting actual work done.

14. Allow Your Employees the Opportunity to Recharge1

Working long hours can be exhausting, especially when mindset is considered. When
you're in need of a recharge, it can be very difficult to communicate effectively with others.
Give your employees the opportunity to step away when need be. Whether this means taking
an extra hour for lunch or simply asking for the occasional personal day, you'll get better
results out of granting your employees the chance to reboot themselves than running too tight
a shift.
15. Strengthen Connections Between Managers and Employees
In many organizations, managers and employees work hand-in-hand each other. This isn't
always the case, however, and it's not uncommon for employees to simply report to
managerial staff with status updates. By encouraging stronger, more collaborative
relationships between employees and managers, you'll be doing an important thing for
improving internal communication in your organization.
16. Don't Chastise Mingling
For some managers and CEOs, water cooler chat among employees can seem like wasted
time, which can easily equate to wasted money in the mind. Employee mingling is an
essential aspect of relationship-building, however, as you can't expect people to get to know
each other if all they're discussing is work. If your employees feel like mingling and having
an off-topic conversation or debate during the workday, let them.
17. Discourage One-Way Communication
Many businesses take a top-down approach to communication, which has been a classic
constant for decades. One-way communication may provide an element of control, but it's not
going to do you or your employees any favors whatsoever. Instead, allow for communication
to be a two-way street, as you'll see a number of benefits by taking this approach.
18. Place Importance on Regular Content Creation
Creating content for blogs and wikis can have both internal and external implications, most of
which will be positive for your organization. By encouraging your employees to create and
publish quality content, you'll be empowering them to inject their own personality into the
company, which in and of itself is a form of improved communication. Plus, employees can
"like' and comment upon their coworkers posts another effective tool for fostering a
productive discussion.
19. Incorporate Mobile Technologies
Today, more and more people are using smartphones and tablets for everything. Mobile
technologies aren't going away, and since many modern employees find themselves outside

of the office on a regular basis, embracing them now is of the utmost importance. This could
mean creating apps specific to your business or using mobile technology for conferencing
among a variety of other approaches.
20. Attend Conferences as a Team
Just about every industry has its own set of conferences throughout the year. Attending
conferences as a team is an excellent way to open up communication and discuss with
employees how your organization might be able to move forward in your industry. As with
any type of retreat, conferences can be great for team-building, and they don't have to
expensive or difficult to attend if you plan things out ahead of time.
21. Use a CRM Platform
Whenever customers are involved, do everything you can to ensure that your employees are
communicating with them efficiently. Using a CRM platform is a great way to keep
employees on the same page regarding a ticket or inquiry, which will help get your customers
the answers they need as quickly as possible. Otherwise, communication breakdown may
occur, resulting in a number of hurdles that can have an effect on customer retention.
22. Put Orders in Writing
Putting things in writing is the only way to make sure that everyone understands an order
properly without misconstruing things. This is especially true when you're dealing with a
large number of employees. Always live by the philosophy that if it's not written down, it
doesn't exist.
23. Schedule Daily Status Meetings
The more you can do to remind every team member of their tasks and the current status of a
project, the better. Daily status meetings can be held either in person, via teleconferencing or
via the web, and they don't have to last for more than 10 minutes. If you have the luxury of
having everyone on your team located in the same time zone, try to schedule a meeting for
the same time every morning.
24. Identify and Reach Out to Shy Employees
No matter how you cut it, some people simply tend to be shy, even if they're adept at what
they do. Identifying and reaching out to shy employees can help break down the barriers of
workplace communication they may have imposed for themselves, especially if you show a
genuine interest in them. Don't forget, however, that this can be a lengthy process shyness
doesn't dissipate overnight, after all.

25. Encourage Video Conferencing for Remote Employees

When you're managing remote employees, relationship-building can sometimes be difficult.
One answer to this all-too-common issue is video conferencing, which helps put a face to the
voice of your employees when you might not actually see them in person for a long period of
time. This is a great way to get to know the freelance1rs you work with, especially if you plan
on enlisting their services long-term.
26. Use an Anonymous "Suggestion Box"
As old-school as it may sound, this is another way to improve workplace communication.
You can benefit greatly from setting a "suggestion box" in your office that allows for
employees to anonymously comment on things they'd like to see improved. People aren't
always comfortable bringing up their concerns, after all, and are more likely to do so if they
can take an anonymous approach. If you don't work within a physical office, you can direct
your employees to a virtual suggestion box, which can serve the same purpose.
27. Hold Teamwork in High Regard
Many employees like to work on projects by themselves simply because they don't feel
comfortable collaborating with their coworkers. This is exactly the type of barrier you're
trying to break down, which is why you should stress the importance of teamwork at all
times. Asking your employees to take a team-based (rather than solo) approach may cause
some initial discomfort, but the benefits of doing so are undeniable.
28. Take Inventory of Your Own Communication Skills
Every CEO wants their employees to communicate in as streamlined a manner as possible,
but what about your own communication skills? Most people can admit they can work on
how they communicate with others, and taking inventory of how you personally approach
communication can be immensely beneficial. You want to serve as a model leader, and the
only way to do so is if you yourself work on improving as well.
29. Ask Questions
Regardless of the type of organization you run, it's safe to assume that every employee
perceives and internalizes information in their own way. Asking your employees how they
like to receive information (through the social intranet, email, newsletters, etc.) can help you
create a more effective plan for regular communication. In addition, your staff will appreciate
the fact that you're willing to meet them halfway, which bodes well for employee morale.
30. Celebrate Your Achievements!
Improved business communication can come along with a number of benefits, and it's
important to take a moment to celebrate what you've achieved after you've put in the work. In

many cases, you'll be able to compile data about your company that actually shows increased
performance and productivity. This is a great way to let employees know just how much of an
impact open communication has on an organization. Either way, celebrating what you've
achieved will only boost the moods of everyone.
In Conclusion
Always keep in mind that trying to improve workplace communication within your
organization is a time-consuming process that is best approached by using a number of the
above tips at the same time. If you put in the work, however, you're bound to see positive
results.