Ways to Improve Business Communication

It is common to hear a successful or smoothly-running business referred to as a well-oiled machine, and there is value in that comparison; when an operation has clearly-defined systems in place and those systems perform as planned, good things follow. As we know, companies are comprised of people, and if your goal is to improve communication between those people, it may be better to think of your business as a living body rather than a machine. While the hand and the foot can function well independently, they may not be working as efficiently as possible toward the same goal. It is by knowing what the other is up to and working together that the whole body can move toward success.

Below are 8 ways to improve internal communication.

1. Assess current communication methods and channels.
As in improving most areas of business, the starting point is to step back and take a look at how things currently are. When analyzing the state of your internal communication, take note of what processes are in place and their effectiveness. Which individuals or departments already communicate well? Are there any obvious gaps in communication? Can you apply what is working to the areas that need help, or is it time to build communication systems from the ground up? Take a full inventory of current methods and channels.

2. Arrange the office in a way that makes communicating easy.
Take a look at the setup of your building and your employees, and try to spot ways to improve it. When you first opened your doors, you likely grouped members of your marketing team together, did the same with your finance department, and so on. Sometimes, as new employees come and go, and desks get filled and abandoned, the original order of things is lost. If there are ways to improve the physical arrangement, doing so is a great place to start.