Ensuring that your remote team’s communication is solid goes a long way toward enhancing the team’s productivity.
When your team works together through good communication, it boosts revenue and improves the company’s bottom line.
However, you need strategic ways to ensure that communication isn’t just solid but effective.
According to experts, some simple but powerful ways exist to improve team communication among your remote team.
In this blog, you will learn about the 10 ways to improve team communication in your organisation.
Let’s get right into it.
Examples of companies with excellent team communication
The best way to learn about effective communication is to look at companies with exceptional team communication.
These companies believe strong team communication accelerates the information flow between various departments.
When communication isn’t practical, teams suffer from information gaps that reduce productivity.
Excellent team communication boosts engagement and the level of productivity.
Below, we have listed the top companies with excellent team communications. We hope these inspire you when creating your team communication strategy.
Google is known for its innovative, cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking approach to communication. This has benefited the company in terms of its business success.
For example, Google was one of the first companies to embrace the power of online communication and social media, which has helped them interact with customers and build a strong brand.
Additionally, Google has been very successful in internal communication, which has helped keep its employees engaged and motivated. The company is very open and transparent with its employees.
This has led to high trust between the company and its employees.
Overall, it is clear that Google’s communication approach is an important factor in the company’s success.
Starbucks
Another company with excellent team communication is Starbucks. Starbucks has invested in the idea that its employees are its brand ambassadors.
Their definition of team communication is ensuring everyone knows the company’s primary products and core values. Starbucks believes that assisting the team at all levels with effective internal marketing pays off.
The nature of team communication at Starbucks is to attribute the culture of teamwork to help the team grow. Starbucks is a firm that has excelled in the function of its use of communication. It has overcome challenges to its business model from both internal and external.
They maintain communication with their partners and customers, so they are always aware of what to do to grow. They develop more practical and efficient ways to serve customers by communicating effectively.
More outstanding communication would help your businesses deal with risks and challenges.
3M
3M understands that team communication plays a massive role in company policy.
The 3M company is known for their innovative and effective communication strategies. Team communication helped 3M conduct an internal audit. Leaders at 3M also ensure that the team isn’t facing any roadblocks regarding communication.
In recent years, 3M has taken their communication to the next level by investing in cutting-edge technologies that have greatly benefited them.
3M has increased its customer base, improved its customer service, and increased its bottom line. 3M’s commitment to communication made it a top-notch company.
How can small-team communication be improved?
Whichever company you work in, there must have been a time when you and your team sat down to discuss how to improve team communication.
Due to a lack of effective team communication practices, your team may experience issues like email saturation and inadequate task performance.
Below are the top, tested, and proven tips for improving team communication.
Hear from industry experts on why these tips are essential. These practices are used within their own companies.
1. Create separate work and personal channels
Pavel Osokin, founder & CEO of AMAI, thinks effective communication is a constant challenge and necessity in virtual worlds. With the right communication tool, you can cope with this challenge.
Pavel says:
“There are so many avenues for online dialogues that it’s no longer a problem finding convenient ways of connecting. The problem is that stress and anxiety can result from juggling recurrent communication.”
“We realised that having a single channel for chats wasn’t the best idea because it merged work and “fun” messages in the same platform. A sure way of making people ignore updates and mute chats”.
“Imagine getting an alert in a work chat at 10:30 pm, feeling anxious, then realising it’s your coworker sharing a picture of his cat? To stop this, AMAI used separate platforms for work and fun.”
“Slack chat was selected for work, and Telegram for personal messages. Keeping this distinction helps declutter work discussions while minimising the burden of remote chatting. Workers can log out of Slack chat but stay connected when the day is done.”
Talk Magnet – The best team communication tool
One of the best tools for team communication is Talk Magnet. It makes team communication superficial and accessible. Your team can work more productively.
The best thing about using Talk Magnet is that it gives your team a central hub for communication. You can chat, share files, and attend audio/video meetings.
With Talk Magnet, you can make team communication and collaboration effective. You also stay on one page with your team members.
Pavel Osokin highlighted that using business communication can enhance productivity in the workplace. You can use one dedicated app like Talk Magnet to say goodbye to the challenge that hinders your team’s communication.
2. Set up beyond-work virtual spaces
Pavel explains, “When an entire team is remote, fostering meaningful bonds can get challenging. It’s easy to miss the value of popping into a coworker’s office to chat.”
“Or make plans to meet for drinks, and fostering these casual connections should be a priority. We want our teams to feel valued, not just a group of people with shared skills.”
“So we established virtual “hangout” spaces where your team can meet to discuss shared hobbies and interests. (using Discord, Zoom or other mediums that suit their culture).”
“For instance, we have a dedicated book club chat where people can discuss their reading and pick something to read together. There’s another for those who embrace photography and want to discuss creating perfect shots.
“We also have a board game space to discuss games people love and/or want to make. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box with this; be sure to ask for input from team members.”
To build a strong bond with your team members, make them feel involved in every activity. You can ask for their opinions and thoughts.
This is how you can create a sense of belonging among your team members. Introduce new games and activities weekly so they don’t feel isolated while working from home.
Having such activities makes the team participate beyond just the work. It also contributes to understanding each other in virtual space and communicating better.
Aside from regular tasks, you can add fun activities to your team’s schedule to help everyone feel more connected.
3. Encourage regular and company-wide connections
Further explaining, Pavel added:
“There’s nothing wrong with segmented communication when controlling multiple teams. But leaders need to negotiate between group-specific and company-wide information mediums.“
“This is specifically true if you’re asked to discipline or change direction for one of the teams. This can cause worry and tension for neighbouring teams because they feel disconnected and/or worry if they’re next on the list.”
“Beyond disciplinary worries, keeping communication too segregated also means that teams never mingle and feel part of something greater. Our entire company meets every Friday, no matter the circumstance.”
“Sometimes we celebrate successes, and other times mark failures, but we always set aside time for transparent dialogue, which helps us brainstorm fresh ideas and connect in new ways.”
“Other companies have schemes like a digital whiteboard that employees can access or “digital team-building” hangouts.”
“How you handle this depends on your internal culture: ensure you keep everyone in the loop, whether the news is good or bad. This decreases stress levels and makes everyone feel important.”
Encourage communication among your team members and other teams inside the organisation. It helps everyone in the company understand their shared goal and company culture.
Face-to-face communication with video-on is crucial. It offers each team member face time to develop relationships and bonds with other employees.
Ensure that these meetings don’t just focus on business but also have a personal touch. Everyone should be mindful of one another’s cultures and experiences working with one another.
You can introduce a video meeting once a week to give a touch of belonging to everyone on the team. It also improves communication between different teams.
4. Communication is key
Emily Morgan, Founder and President at Delegate Solutions believes remote workers should operate as self-starters.
Morgan explains that for effective communication, managers of remote workers must be proactive communicators.
This includes investing in technology that connects your team to their work and teammates.
For example, use tools like Skype and Zoom for meetings. Tools like Slack or Google Groups allow teams to communicate via chat.
Morgan believes that effective communication is everything. Working remotely has its perks and drawbacks. But having the right communication tools in business can help you achieve it.
You can use tools like Talk Magnet that allow your teams to manage projects through streamlined communication.
5. Always stay goals-focused
Pavel continues:
“Set clear and attainable goals for your work. To succeed, remote workers must operate as self-starters and will thrive with your goals-focused direction.”
“Provide metrics around the stated goals and projects and clarity around how they are producing concerning each goal if your team is collectively working towards a shared goal.”
“Provide an online portal or hub to view the team’s progress against the goal and encourage one another. Remember, it’s always critical to provide context around how each person’s contribution fits into the goal.”
When working remotely, it is essential to set common goals and work towards them to achieve them.
Your goals help you stay focused until the task’s given deadline. Every time, divide the plans; it makes the work simple.
The accountability you provide yourself to adhere to a schedule is more important than how many goals you set. A manageable number of goals is preferable to a long list of unachievable ones.
Always share your team members’ progress. It helps them to understand how much effort they are putting into it.
6. Move team value to focus on results-based work
Pavel explains:
“Adjust management techniques – Remote workers will not base their value on clocking in and out, but on results they can produce. Because of this value shift, they can develop scenarios to tackle their job demands.”
“As employers, we must set them up for success with clear expectations around work and results-based goal-setting plans.”
“As leaders, we must evolve our value mindset to find new and creative ways to monitor employee engagement and efficiency as a component of our bottom line.”
“Focusing on results-based work makes you more likely to achieve your goals and meet deadlines. This type of work requires you to be more efficient and effective in using time and resources.”
“You must set clear goals and objectives and work together to achieve them. This shift in focus will require everyone on the team to be more accountable for their work.”
The benefits of results-based work are clear: higher productivity, better quality work, and greater satisfaction. Turning to results-based work helps you achieve your full potential as a team.
7. Provide work chat
Stacey E. Burke is a 20-year lawyer, legal marketing expert, and consulting business owner. Stacey owns Stacey E. Burke, P.C. She believes leaders must be mindful and empathetic in approaching team communication.
Stacey says, “Internal comms doesn’t just involve the company spitting out information one way toward its employees.”
“Let your team members communicate with each other on a secure internal chat platform. Communication on the go is one of the most in-demand features for all businesses, not just law firms.“
“A chat feature lets users talk to each other instantly, send files, share photos, and more. It can be created, stored and maintained much more securely than text messages or alternative unencrypted communications.”
Many businesses now provide work chat platforms for employees to use during the workday. It is a great way to stay connected and collaborate with your team members.
You can use work chat effectively by using dedicated chat times for specific tasks or projects and sticking to those times.
As discussed earlier, Talk Magnet is a central hub for team communication. From chatting to file sharing and audio/video meetings. It has everything that a company needs for work chat.
8. Share information via employee newsletters
Stacey explains that:
“Internal newsletters are an excellent way for employees working in varied locations to learn about and connect in new ways. An employee newsletter will remind your workers of what’s happening within the organisation and reinforce the company’s mission and values.”
“Some great ideas to incorporate include Q&A and/or spotlight features with various employees; key events such as important meetings; tips for practical remote work; promotion of community service initiatives; and significant goals or milestones achieved by the company.”
Many businesses distribute regular newsletters to keep employees informed and up-to-date on company news. This communication method can effectively share information with your team promptly and concisely.
Newsletters are used to announce new initiatives, share updates on company progress or provide a forum for employee feedback. When distributing employee newsletters, it is vital to consider the team and ensure the content is relevant and engaging.
Besides, newsletters should be distributed regularly to maintain employee interest. You can share relevant and prompt information with employees through newsletters.
You can build a more informed and engaged workforce.
9. Start an internal comms podcast or vlog
Stacey highlights:
“As much as many of us don’t like to see or hear ourselves in audio and/or video format. There are many reasons why podcasts and videos are so popular and effective communication vehicles. Reading it in text-only form can be boring when you have much to say.”
“Therefore, the video should be a top choice for synthesising and getting out what might otherwise be ignored as a long-winded, verbose message. Develop a comprehensive calendar and strategy so these don’t become one-off failed attempts.”
“Even if you can only plan one quarter at a time, ensuring consistency with the content, format and delivery of your audio and/or video internal messaging will go a long way toward ensuring success.”
Starting an internal communication podcast or vlog is a great way to engage your team. It keeps them updated on company news and developments. It can be handy for remote employees.
Podcasts and vlogs are relatively easy and inexpensive, and there are many ways to distribute them. Your team can listen to or watch the podcast or vlog at their convenience and easily share it with colleagues.
When planning your podcast or vlog, consider your team and what type of content they would find most useful or interesting.
You should also consider how often you will produce new episodes and whether you will have regular guests or features.
10. Provide free virtual learning
Stacey explains:
“We all want to be good at our jobs. Don’t let your internal communication conceptualisation focus solely on the company and its objectives.”
“Helping your workforce develop new skills and polish up existing skills that might need some refreshing will be helpful to them and to the law firm.”
“You can do this by providing free ongoing training, professional development courses and other avenues of virtual learning that can advance both skill sets and careers.”
“Don’t make them do this outside of work hours; instead, build it into their work week, and they will be more likely to take advantage of it.”
To facilitate team communication, providing free virtual learning to remote team members is essential. It will allow them to learn about the various communication tools and how to use them effectively.
Additionally, team members can learn about the team’s culture and how to best communicate with each other. Free virtual learning allows team members to work together more effectively and efficiently.
Small business communication best practices
Team communication makes a difference between success and failure in any business endeavour. The thread that binds a team together is how effectively they communicate with each other.
You must follow these practices if you operate a small business and want an effective communication environment:
- Appreciate the perks of virtual communication.
- When you are dealing with team members, practice empathy.
- Ensure that you have a clear and concise communication policy in place.
- Stimulate open and honest communication amongst team members.
- Adopt active listening skills to understand what your team member is saying.
- Build your team’s connection and communication with the help of an instant messaging tool.
- Always be ready for change and willing to adapt your communication style as per your team’s needs.
- Ensure you are constantly evaluating your communication so it is effective.
- Stimulate team members to share their ideas and issues and create an environment where feedback is welcomed.
- Ensure that communication channels are kept open and accessible and that everyone can be heard.
Also, check out our blog on the best team communication app for SMEs.
Effective communication improves team performance
So there you have it, tried and tested team communication practices by experts. They apply these practices to their businesses as well.
Implementing these approaches into your business can create a productive work environment for your remote workforce.
Looking for the best communication tool to help implement this?
Use Talk Magnet.
You can use Talk Magnet’s extraordinary features, such as high-quality, enhanced security and video/audio meetings, for free. The app is super easy to navigate.
Want to know more about the product? Book a demo with us now. Learn how Talk Magnet can help make your team work effectively.
