It’s no secret that communication is key when it comes to running a business. But how do you make it part of your culture? Here are a few suggestions to help you begin:
1. Hold Frequent (But Not Too Frequent) Check-Ins. It may be in your nature to not hold meetings if you feel they’re a waste of time. That’s why finding the balance of check-ins is so important. You’ll find the value in having weekly check-ins or touch points or stand-ups with your team members. This helps everyone stay engaged and gives you a better vision of the team from every angle.
2. Encourage One-on-One Interactions with Key Leaders. Keeping a personal connection through regular connection—whether it be scheduled one-on-one meetings, or a regular calendar reminder to reach out by phone or email— is crucial to not only keeping your finger on the pulse of the company but building and maintaining connection and loyalty. Keep in mind, leaders are not always the directors and managers: There are game changers at every level.
3. Set a Company-Wide Team Lunch Hour with No Meetings. The best way to encourage togetherness is to get people together. Lunch is the natural time to do this. Whether you offer free lunch or not, one small trick is to schedule “no-meeting” lunch hours. Your objective as you grow is to create serendipitous interactions between all colleagues so that everyone can feel connected to all parts of the business.
4. Create an Online Group. It’s not uncommon for companies to have different offices or locations, and it can leave your employees feeling disconnected. Consider implementing an online group via Facebook or another similar platform. You’ll see a difference immediately in the connection between people.
5. Use a Messenger App. Messaging apps such as Slack or Skype for business are a much more streamlined way to interact with your team. Slack works great because there are different channels for different teams. Communication is a lot faster than email which also makes a huge difference.
Small changes like these can go a long way in facilitating clearer and more efficient communication. What will you do to improve?