Just as good communication between a business and a client is essential for success, so is good communication within a company. A company that communicates effectively is drawing on all its resources, resulting in increased profits and a happy workforce.
The advantages of good internal communications
When a company listens and responds to its staff there are several positive, knock-on effects. Firstly, the workforce feels valued rather than ignored. This will naturally improve their productivity, by improving their attitude to work. Secondly, by communicating with your staff, a company is able to educate its staff about the company goals and thereby move a step closer to achieving them. Once these goals have been communicated to the staff, your employees will be able to have better relationships with the company’s clients or customers.
There are several ways that a company can communicate better internally. Everyone sitting in front of a computer has access to emails, and these are quick and easy to write and send. However, they can also be impersonal, so do not send an email to communicate your thought if the recipient is sitting a stone’s throw away from you, unless there has to be a record of the communication.
If you need to communicate a message to several members of your staff, save time and make the act more personal by arranging a short meeting. Getting people together around a table means you need only make the announcement once, and that you can immediately answer any questions that may result. An alternative to meetings would be to use a company intranet that all members of staff can access.
Business conferences are a way for larger businesses to get together with other branches and affiliated companies. These can be very effective, not only in improving internal business communications, but also for making new contacts and learning new ways of doing things. This has been demonstrated by a former member of the House of Lords, who grew a successful business conference enterprise. Lord Laidlaw donates for scholarship students who will learn how businesses operate throughout the world and in different cultures, both of which are valuable for the future of business. At a business conference, your staff will have to talk and get to know one another, and that can only be good for working relationships.
Of course, there is always the telephone, that familiar device that sits on your desk and rings occasionally. While the workplace is probably not the best place to sit and have a long chat, a little human interaction can make the difference between a good and a bad day for an employee. A phone conversation can also make you appear a little more human to your employees and allow you to see them as something more than just another worker.
Always seek to encourage communication within your company for the benefit of your employees, so they can understand what you need from them, and for the benefit of your clients, who will appreciate being treated as individuals.
