Discover 13 Proven Tactics to Boost Your Teams Productivity with Better Internal Communication Standards
Fancy tools and platforms can't save a team drowning in poor communication.
You know what I mean. The passive-aggressive comment on a chat platform spirals someone out of control. Or an assumption that ends in a costly misunderstanding.
Perhaps this one is even better.
An employee is pissed at a co-worker and distills the dirt to everyone they talk to—instead of speaking to the person directly.
I've been there (and still am).
Over the past 15 years, I've grappled with this mammoth challenge in my company—improving team communication.
It's the bane of my business existence.
The digital age hasn't made it easier.
With its myriad of communication tools, it promised efficiency but instead delivered exhaustion. In a remote world, the challenge compounds, making it more essential to set clear communication standards, guidelines, and procedures.
Unclear communication has dire consequences:
Misunderstanding: This delays projects and hinders innovation.
Toxic assumptions: They breed mistrust and create hostile work environments.
Costly Issues: Having poor communication is expensive in terms of time, money, and reputation.
To sidestep these pitfalls, here are 13 tactics to improve your internal communication strategy:
1/ Set communication guidelines:
Publish a company-wide communication playbook to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Include things like:
Where to communicate
How to communicate
Examples of effective communication
2/ Regular team meetings:
People love complaining about meetings, but when done right, they provide an opportunity to align goals, share updates, and foster real-time collaboration and discussion.
These are the five mandatory meetings you need:
- Weekly one-to-ones
- Weekly staff meetings
- Monthly all-hands meeting
- Quarterly kickoff meeting
- Ad-hoc debate and decision meetings
3/ One centralized communication platform:
My team and I struggle with juggling messages in email, Google Chat, WhatsApp, Salesforce Chatter, and Asana.
The amount of places we had to "look" for new messages was exhausting.
Pick one primary communication platform and stick to it.
4/ Demand active listening:
Encourage an environment where every voice is heard and valued—but that doesn't mean people are always right or the changes they want will happen.
5/ Discuss complex topics face-to-face:
Asynchronous communication is highly inefficient for complex topics.
Schedule in-person or video meetings for these matters. Always include a purpose for the discussion and a detailed agenda.
Nothing beats clarity like direct conversations.
6/ Always give written recaps:
After every meeting, send meeting minutes, ensuring everyone is aligned.
The minutes should include bullets of the core points and action items of who does what and when.
7/ Be clear:
Being clear means you deliver a concise message that the recipient fully understands without having to assume, guess, or translate what you convey.
- Don't be vague
- Don't leave out key details
- Don't assume the recipient can read your mind
🤡: "Can we process this order?"
🦸♂️: "The customer would like to process lines 1, 2, and 3, which are covered under their $20,000 credit limit. They'll send the wire transfer for line 4, and we can process that line upon receipt of the wire."
8/ Be concise:
Don't blab and make things sound more complicated than they need to be.
🤡: "The order is set to ship in 45 days, but it seems like there's going to be an issue as that falls on a holiday. Most companies are closed that day, so I expect UPS won't pick up. We should add five days to this to be sure. Is that acceptable?"
🦸♂️: "The order will take about 50-days to ship. I'll follow up in 14 days to ensure we're still on track."
9/ Don't use acronyms:
Most people need clarification on the use of acronyms, even if you provide an acronym sheet.
To avoid confusion, spell things out.
Stop using acronyms.
🤡: "BOL"
🦸♂️: "Bill Of Lading, which the trucker uses for tracking."
10/ Don't just deliver a problem:
Never just deliver a problem.
Pair every problem with three solutions or at least the best course of action. And if someone delivers a concern, ask, "Are there any possible solutions to this problem?"
🤡: "The order is delayed."
🦸♂️: "The order is delayed, but to ensure we meet our deadlines, I have some options:
Option 1: X
Option 2: Y
Option 3: Z
I think option Y is the best solution because...
Which one do you think would work best in this situation?"
11/ Don't forget to format your text:
Formatting is everyone's friend.
Use short sentences. Only have two to four sentences in each paragraph. Use bold, bullets, and numbers when it makes sense.
Never deliver a massive block of text to anyone.
12/ Understand who does what:
You can’t improve your internal communication strategy if everyone is confused.
Speak to team members in their area of responsibility.
For example, if you're speaking to Operations about a customer payment, there's nothing they can do about it. So it's best to talk to finance directly.
Understand who does what so you're speaking to the right people.
13/ Respect people's time:
Only have the same conversations with multiple people if it makes sense.
An example:
If you have issues, refrain from gossiping with five different people about the topic. Focus on the one person who can help you the most.
Improved communication isn't just about sending clear emails.
It's about building a culture where misunderstandings are minimized, every team member feels heard, and productivity isn't hamstrung by rampant miscommunication or out-of-control egos.
Are you ready to elevate your team's communication and see productivity soar?
Start with these tactics.
Implement, iterate, and watch your team thrive.
If you're still unsure where to begin, let's start with a video call.
After all, communication is vital.
