In the work environment, good communication and collaboration are essential to maintain a good atmosphere and increase team productivity.
According to Peter Druker, 60% of the problems at companies are a result of poor communication. Many projects and initiatives fail simply due to a lack of communication, so this isn't something to take lightly.
Want to understand how to ensure a collaborative environment and good communication at your organization? We can help.
How to improve team communication
To collaborate, teams need to communicate - and communicate well! This means that communication needs to be clear, efficient, and direct.
The word "communication" comes from "making a message common to everyone", which means that the team is aligned, shares the same information, and is on the same page.
This helps the team work together and understand each other better. But how to do it? Here are some tips.
1. Think about what you are going to communicate before doing it
It's important to think about how you're going to say or write something to the team, to make sure you're not leaving out any details and that you're using the best way to get the message across.
When in doubt, ask for someone's opinion, practice beforehand, or show someone the email before sending it.
2. Be direct and clear, and check if people understood the message
Now that you know the message you want to convey, there shouldn't be any beating around the bush or wordiness, as this hinders understanding.
Choose the most direct way of speaking, while keeping it polite, and follow through concisely, to the point.
Then, check if people understood - one way to do it is coming back to the subject later to make sure everyone got the message.
3. Encourage questions at any time
During your speech or within your email, ensure you leave space to welcome questions.
Whether people ask questions right away or not, leave the door open for questions later. The space to ask questions is also part of effective communication.
4. Create and disseminate the habit of taking notes
Is the communication taking place verbally? As you listen, write down essential points and, if you're a leader, encourage your team to do the same.
Besides helping us retain information, when we write, we compile key points for later reference instead of relying on memory alone.
5. Practice active listening
Communication is a two-or-more-way street, and you'll sometimes be the message sender, sometimes the receiver. When you're on the receiving end, listen with intent.
Pay attention to what you're reading or listening to, ask questions, and show interest, so that you can actually absorb what's being transmitted.
Ways to improve team collaboration
To ensure that people on the team collaborate with each other, we've already talked about how to improve communication, the basis of a collaborative team. Now, do you know why it's important to collaborate?
According to Zippia, people who work in collaborative environments are 64% more likely to finish their tasks, and 75% of professionals value collaboration within teams.
Collaboration is what allows the team to help each other. Everyone can both contribute with what they do best and rely on help when they have gaps in their knowledge. With collaboration, innovation grows, knowledge is shared, and the environment becomes more productive.
So let's see what can build up team collaboration:
1. Communication definitions
No matter how good our communication is, we can get lost with our means of communication. On that note, knowing which platform to use, and when, is vital. Understand your official communication platforms, and define with the team when to use each - email, chat, or a meeting.
2. Resources for collaboration
To collaborate, in addition to communication tools, we need visibility.
We need to know what each person is doing, and that requires resources. A business process management platform, for example, can help you understand who is responsible for each project task you're part of, to facilitate collaboration.
3. Clarity
Clarity is always crucial: what's expected of each project, what the deadlines and objectives are, who's responsible for what, what's the proper workflow, and what platform to use in each communication situation. All this needs to be clear for good collaboration.
4. Encouragement and the example of leaders
Much more than fulfilling the items above and expecting the team to collaborate, leaders need to encourage co-creation and teamwork. Even better, leaders must set an example and collaborate with other leaders.
Communication and collaboration side by side
Clear and objective communication alongside a collaborative environment for the team are ingredients that cannot be missing from the team's successful mix.
In addition to shared goals, a collaborative team...
- Helps keep information accessible and updated on a daily basis
- Has the advantage of being multidisciplinary and diverse, since everyone is different
- Makes everyone feel included, with an active voice in the company's processes
- Works with co-creation and problem-solving more easily
- Increases the engagement of those who are part of the team
- Offers more development opportunities, due to learning from exchanges
With the strategies and points we've seen here for maintaining healthy communication and collaboration, you'll see your team's productivity improve. Let us know which ones you implemented, and how it went!
