When you start running a business, you quickly realize that communication is everything—communication with employees, with clients, with business associates, with consultants etc. Then there’s also communication between employees and communication with customers through marketing and social media. If communication remains smoothly flowing, your business will do the same. And if it doesn’t, then your business is likely to tank. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep communication flowing in your business.
- Make Sure You Are Communicating Well: If you’re the business owner or someone in a higher position in the company, you have to be a role model for others. You can do this by always expressing what you’re thinking but doing so in a way that doesn’t offend. For example, if you don’t like something that the marketing department has come up with, offer constructive criticism. Tell them more of what you want to see. Don’t just tell them that what they’ve done is terrible because this will not serve any purpose.
- Encourage Employees to Mingle: You have to make sure that employees are always communicating with each other. This can be done by calling large meetings which everyone attends, brainstorming sessions, office parties etc. Plus, try to keep an “open door” policy so that anyone can come in and speak with you about what’s on their mind. This will encourage them to speak up about positive and negative things, as well as share their ideas with you and each other.
- Keep an Eye on Things: Basically, when communication is not flowing within a company, you can usually tell. There’s silence when you walk into the office. There’s a strained feeling as though people are restraining what they want to say. There’s generally a sense of discomfort in the air. If you’re getting this feeling when you walk into the office, do something. Speak to your employees—individually if you like. Try to figure out the problem and what can be done about it. Any communication is better than no communication.