5 Business Communication Mistakes Costing You Productivity
Your business’s productivity is slipping, and it’s not alone — the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 3.1 percent drop in business sector productivity. One reason productivity falls is due to communication mistakes, as employees can’t get the information they need to do their jobs correctly. If nobody is on the same page, projects fall behind schedule, departments miss revenue goals, and the entire business suffers.
Scattered Resources
Projects have a lot of moving parts, from the team members to the files necessary for each milestone. Businesses using email communication run the risk of losing essential project assets, spending time searching for critical communication, and failing to have the most up-to-date file versions. Bringing all resources together for project messages, documents and other information cuts down on unproductive time and miscommunication.
Mismatched Messaging Applications
Sometimes a simple mismatch between the messaging solutions your business uses is enough to introduce problems. If most of the employees prefer a different communication method, such as video conferencing over instant messaging, forcing them to use the instant messaging software gets push back. Before choosing software, get feedback from employees and analyze how communication occurs in your organization. Ideally, custom designed solutions match your exact needs instead of forcing your workflow around a packaged application.
Hierarchy Problems
Do employees know the chain of command when it comes to communication? If they have a problem on their project, do they talk to other employees first, speak with the supervisor, bring in a subject matter expert, or get frustrated at the lack of hierarchy? Establish a clear communication path for common situations the employee encounters throughout the projects and workflow.
Departments Existing in Vacuum
When all your business departments exist in their own vacuums, it’s difficult to implement the cross-department communication you need to improve productivity. Encourage collaboration between departments with cross-department teams, company-wide communication channels, and other ways of working together.
Listening Problems
Company culture plays a part in good communication as well. If employees aren’t listened to when they attempt to communicate problems, over time less and less talking happens. Promote a culture of active listening and encourage clear communication throughout your entire organization.
Solving Communication Problems
Your business productivity doesn’t have to take a nosedive due to communication problems. Whether you create a clear communication hierarchy or get a custom messaging solution designed to meet your business’s unique needs, you can get back on track. One way of solving communication issue is by improving communication training. A Better Leader provides several communication courses designed to improve leadership skills, fixing these issues from the top down.
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