Communication in the Workplace

Posted on: January 6, 2017 | By: Craig Thompson | Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics AX/365

Communication in the workplace is crucial for professional success. Relationships cannot thrive without effective communication. In order to run a successful business, understanding what makes your customers and coworkers tick is crucial. Good communication makes people feel valued and appreciate. While Customer Relationship Management software like Microsoft Dynamics CRM make internal communication more effective, there are plenty of other ways to improve communication within the workplace and transform your business. Here are 7 ways to improve:

  1. Be an Active Listener

Actively listening to suggestions, concerns and progress is important for making each employee feel valued within your organization. Managers should remember that no employee wants to work in a job where they will be overlooked ignored or insignificant at work. By actively listening to your employees, managers can help subordinates feel liked and respected.

2. Follow Up

Continuously following up with employees is crucial for tracking progress and keeping communication flowing within your organization. Don’t micromanage, but follow up enough to determine how best to delegate future tasks and to stay on track of the work being done within your organization. People work best when they know what is expected of them, so follow up and give corrective input to ensure each individual is on the same page and working towards the same objective. Mistakes are a part of growing and following up with employees in a positive manner poses opportunities for professional development.

3. Make all Relevant Documents Easily Accessible

By utilizing a CRM or ERP system like Microsoft Dynamics CRM or AX, users can stay in sync and up to date with all business activities related to their line of work. Having access to real time analytics and documents will make it easier for the flow of communication to grow and for all employees to feel like they are a part of the same team.

4. Implement an Open Door Policy

Often times, employees aren’t quite sure how to access or communicate with upper levels of management, making it difficult for important topics to be brought up into the flow of communication. By implementing an open door policy, you can start to ensure that employees feel comfortable with bringing anything to management’s attention and increasing productivity and communication within the workplace. Even if employees don’t utilize this tool to actively approach managers, be sure to continue to meet with them face to face and build relationships.

5. Internal Newsletter

It’s easy for individual departments to build a sense of community with consistently flowing communication, however for many organizations cross-departmental communication is difficult. Ensuring that your entire company is communicating and begins to feel a sense of community is important for improving workplace culture. Sending out an internal organization newsletter helps employees become familiar with one another and can celebrate the achievements of others.

6. Company Outings

Employees work best when they feel a sense of community within their organization and are in an environment that they genuinely want to be a part of. Company outings and activities allow all departments and individuals to get to know one another on a more personal level so that they will begin to feel a sense of community within your organization and a positive work environment. Company culture is becoming more and more looked at by millennials in the workplace and can work wonders for making employees feel valued and appreciated.

7. Meet Face to Face

Checking in with employees and co-workers face to face is essential for workplace success. Meeting regularly in person to discuss projects, tasks and the organization as a whole will make employees not only feel valued, but will help managers have a better understanding of how to best delegate tasks to maximize productivity with everyone’s time. Employees want to feel like their work matters and to have their voices heard, and by meeting with co-workers on a regular basis you’ll start to build relationships you both will value in the long run.

For more information on how to best improve communication within your business, contact Logan Consulting your Chicago based CRM and ERP partners to schedule a consultation.