Communication in the office can get pretty frantic. How do you keep communication flowing, without ruining the office zen?
An issue that crops up frequently in the working world is a lack of communication. Whether it’s between departments, management and employees, or from the business to the outside, creating a solid communication network is vital.
We suggest five tips for getting those lines of communication open while maintaining the calm of the workplace…
Promote communication
It’s a good idea to encourage interaction in the office, whether over email, in person and on message sharing apps and tools. Managers should also ask questions frequently and try and foster conversation. This will help employees get in the habit of speaking to the office at large.
Provide a communication space
When the office chat gets too noisy, it can disrupt the calm of a productive office. To stop work chat from getting in the way, make sure there are plenty of communication-focused spaces. A communal area is advisable, as are more private places where people feel they can talk freely. It’s also important to encourage employees to move away from their desks at lunchtime to socialise. That helps to foster communication, and to keep the office atmosphere friendly.
Keep the door open
A common issue is lack of communication between employees and company managers. It can often feel like there’s a big disconnect between the levels of the office hierarchy, but this can be solved with a simple policy. Keeping your door open, both literally and figuratively, is great for allowing employees to express their needs in a way that’s healthy. Managers should also remember their own role in enabling interaction, keeping themselves accessible and approachable.
Make communication regular
There’s nothing worse for the office zen than worried chatter about company progress. Whether it’s about new starters or company developments, keeping vital information behind closed doors can damage workplace morale. Make sure you counter this with a policy of keeping communication regular. Frequent update emails, shout-outs to employees that have performed well, regular company catch ups and a range of social activities can help maintain office communication channels and keep all business chat out in the open.
Keep communication transparent
Although some information will be on a need-to-know basis depending on an employee’s position in the company, there’s nothing more disruptive to the office atmosphere than members of the team feeling left out. By keeping communication as transparent as possible, and ensuring that as many people understand company policies and views as possible, you can avoid dissent and discomfort within the team.
Images courtesy of Press Association
