Have you ever worked with a team that communicates exceptionally well? How did the experience affect your perception of the service you received and how did it impact the final outcome? I imagine your answer to both questions is that the process was more positive.
Recently a family member of mine needed hospitalization. During that time, a team of about nine people were involved in the patient’s care. It was critical that all members of the team received current, updated medical information. The thing that struck me was that each time we spoke to a member of the healthcare team who was just coming on shift or meeting us for the first time on any given day, they often said “I heard that…” indicating that they had already spoken with other team members about our case.
How does this compare with the communication in your workplace? Every organization has critical inter-dependencies between departments. Often, we rely upon the work of other departments without thinking; just assuming that we have all the information we need. What if a new development occurred in one department that impacted the ability of the members of another department to carry out their jobs? Is there a system in place to ensure that the necessary communication takes place?
Good communication is closely linked with productivity. And, just as author
Ron Crossland is quoted as saying in
Canadian Business Online “Poor communication is commonly identified as a major problem at many organizations, but too often the fault is laid on the listeners, not the speakers.”
To get a clearer picture of communication patterns within your organization, make a list of all the teams within your organization that you rely upon to carry out your job. Make a list of factors that could change in each of these departments that would impact your work. Then write out the common channels of communication used between these departments and your own. Are there any gaps?
If gaps exist, they need to be addressed. First of all, ensure that there is an appropriate system set up for communicating important information between departments. This
BNET article contains many ideas about how to improve communication.
Perhaps most importantly, communication needs to be simple, clear and relevant. The healthcare team I mentioned at the beginning of this article made it a point to slowly introduce new information. They communicated information in chunks and used an understandable format. They repeated important lessons and checked in with us to make sure we understood. Author Mike Staver is quoted in
Canadian Business Online as giving similar advice when he says “For one thing, never overload the listener with information. Figure out what you want to communicate, stay on point, wrap up the message — for example, by referring to next steps — and ask for feedback.”
And remember that communication must be based upon a clear understanding of business strategy and how each department contributes to strategic outcomes. Quoting Steven Covey’s work,
J.D. Meier writes that “effective large teams “consist of individuals who are “psychologically committed, accountable to the team/everybody” and have a “culture of results.” Accountability and a commitment to the team and results stems from clearly communicated goals and a clear understanding of how individuals contribute to this end.
Just as we link performance goals to business strategy, it is important to be sure our communication plan also contributes to the achievement of this strategy. Does your organization have an established or documented plan for communicating changes?
References:
BNET Business Network.
Improving Communication with Your Team. “BNET Basic” [www.bnet.com]. Obtained March 2, 2009.
Bao, Jane. “Leadership: Just shut the hell up.”
Canadian Business Online [www.canadianbusiness.com]. July 28, 2008.
Heathfield, Susan M. “Leadership and Management Success Tips.”
About.com: Human Resources [www.humanresources.about.com]. Obtained March 2, 2009.
Meier, J.D. “Lessons Learned from Steven Covey.” Sources of Insight [www.sourcesofinsight.com]. December 31, 2008.
