In this day and age, where most businesses are working remotely, it’s essential to maintain and improve communication in the team. It eliminates any issues brewing under the surface that no one may be aware of while also streamlining work processes. Most importantly, it sets clear goals, and everyone understands their role in projects.
Here are a few ways to improve communication with your team, whether they work in an office environment or from home.
1. Set up an open-door policy
Your employees and colleagues should feel comfortable contacting or speaking with you when they want to address a matter. Inform them that they can reach out whenever they need someone to talk to, especially when it involves their projects. If they don’t feel they can approach you, they may struggle to complete their tasks on time.
The challenge is ensuring that you’re available when they need you. We know how busy managers can become, especially when you have online meetings all day long. Instead of telling them you have no time for them, schedule an appointment to discuss the issue.
2. Have weekly team huddles
It’s helpful to have weekly team huddles to discuss strategic matters and address key performance indicators and milestones. If you’re handling several projects simultaneously, it is also a good opportunity to check if they’re on track for the deadlines.
It’s essential that you’re dedicated to the weekly meetings; otherwise, your employees won’t take it seriously. You should also put more emphasis on the “how” instead of the “why”– looking for solutions instead of excuses. Ensure that no one goes off-tangent so you can focus on the main discussion points.
3. Incorporate anonymous employee feedback portals
Another way to improve communication with staff is to let them submit anonymous feedback on work and the company. These are usually known as Staff Satisfaction Surveys. You can set what you want them to evaluate, but you should leave a section where they can leave comments about how they feel.
There are some platforms that make this process easier, such as Officevibe. This innovative platform helps employees engage with you and colleagues to overcome challenges. You can also arrange a one-on-one with each team member to discuss their feedback and resolve any issues.
4. Listen more, speak less
Communication works both ways, and sometimes employees just want to be heard. If you spend all of the time speaking, you won’t be able to hear all of the concerns properly. Listening closely also gives you time to assimilate and process what they’re saying before providing a response.
5. Organise team building activities
Finally, you can organise online team building activities for your staff. It opens the way for effective communication in order to solve problems. For example, the Virtual Escape Room requires everyone to work together to unravel clues so they can make it out of the enclosed environment. This can not only improve communication between your team members, but also sharpen their problem-solving skills as they discover what they can achieve as a team.
Organise fun team building games with Making Teams
If you are looking for a corporate team building company in Singapore that offers fun activities that improve communication among your team members, look no further than Making Teams. Our virtual games are specially designed to assist companies with building teamwork and rapport while working remotely. These games are fully customisable according to your specific requirements, so please feel free to reach out to us for more information.