Keep It Simple: The Basics of Communicating Effectively

Strong communication can make a business; weak communication can break it. But what makes for communicating effectively? 

If you take a deep dive into research on this topic — even narrowed down to business communication — it would be easy to become overwhelmed. But good communication doesn’t have to be complicated.

In fact, it shouldn’t be.

Meaningful internal communication can be very simple. It’s all about creating a means for a steady flow of two-way interaction, putting leadership in a position to both listen and talk.

Let’s break down a few of the basics that can make your internal communication strategy shine.

Communicating Effectively: Listening

We’re big believers in the benefits of listening to your employees, so we’ll start with the listening portion of the two-way communication strategy.

• Be quick to respond. When an employee has reached out to you with a concern, question, or simply general feedback, it’s important to respond promptly. You don’t need to have fully scoped out a solution to the issue when you respond, but take the time to acknowledge that you’ve heard them. This can be done with a quick email or text message, or when using WorkHound, a one-time message.
• Make your messaging clear and simple. Whether you’re replying to an employee or communicating with your entire team, be thoughtful about what you’re saying. When you’re trying to share the details of a new process or answering a question, it can be incredibly easy to get overly wordy — and still not actually get the message across. Determine a goal for your communication, then write it out. Once it’s on paper, make sure it actually says what it should say, without saying too much.
• Communicate regularly. Can your employees expect to hear from you often? Even if your business is comfortably working within normal routines right now (with no fire to put out), it’s still beneficial to have regular touchpoints with your entire team. Take advantage of tools like WorkHound’s weekly broadcasts to send out a message regularly, sharing the latest news, simply checking in, and encouraging employees to share with you, too.

Communicating Effectively: Talking

Now that you’ve listened, it’s time to talk! In a leadership role, you’ll want to carefully consider how you’re communicating with your team and what you’re communicating.

• Be quick to respond. When an employee has reached out to you with a concern, question, or simply general feedback, it’s important to respond promptly. You don’t need to have fully scoped out a solution to the issue when you respond, but take the time to acknowledge that you’ve heard them. This can be done with a quick email or text message, or when using WorkHound, a one-time message.
• Make your messaging clear and simple. Whether you’re replying to an employee or communicating with your entire team, be thoughtful about what you’re saying. When you’re trying to share the details of a new process or answering a question, it can be incredibly easy to get overly wordy — and still not actually get the message across. Determine a goal for your communication, then write it out. Once it’s on paper, make sure it actually says what it should say, without saying too much.
• Communicate regularly. Can your employees expect to hear from you often? Even if your business is comfortably working within normal routines right now (with no fire to put out), it’s still beneficial to have regular touchpoints with your entire team. Take advantage of tools like WorkHound’s weekly broadcasts to send out a message regularly, sharing the latest news, simply checking in, and encouraging employees to share with you, too.

When you’re seeking to enhance your company’s internal communication, an employee feedback program can be a meaningful addition. Sign up for a free demo to learn how WorkHound can help!