The Importance of Effective Office Communication
February 14, 2024In today’s office the importance of effective office communication cannot be understated. As remote and hybrid work models become the norm, maintaining a connected and informed team demands a unique, modern approach. This shift necessitates innovative strategies to keep everyone on the same page. Team huddles, impromptu meetings and water cooler chat are no longer the optimal way to connect. We’re also not able to simply drop by a desk with the classic manilla folder full of important information on paper. So how can we ensure that everyone has the information and documents they need, no matter where they work?
Challenges in Traditional Office Communication
Historically, everyone was in the office during normal work hours and it was simple to call a meeting or dig through the office filing cabinet to get what you need. You could stop by a desk to get a coworker’s opinion or check in on the status of a project. While this may seem effective on the surface, the reality tells a different story. These methods are horribly inefficient for accomplishing tasks, resulting in countless hours of lost productivity.
Multiple studies have shown that employees spend as much as 25% of their day looking for the documents they need to do their job effectively. Those desk drop ins? They result in an average of 40 minutes a week per employee spent gossiping which can lead to a toxic work culture. Finally, the dreaded meeting. Meetings have become so uncontrollable at Shopify that the company developed a tool specifically for this issue. This tool purges all recurring meetings from employee calendars if they involve three or more people. Moreover, the company outright bans meetings on Wednesdays and reserves Thursday afternoons exclusively for large meetings. These changes resulted in a staggering 36 years of combined meeting time recovered in the first year.
Looking beyond all of the above, the most problematic issue with traditional communication is, miscommunication. Verbal instructions often go misheard, people misplace paper files, and statistics reveal a staggering 92% of workers confess to multitasking in meetings, which leads to lost messages. What’s the impact? Mishearing verbal instructions causes errors and necessitates rework. Losing files leads to project delays or, worse, compromises confidential data. Those meeting where people weren’t paying attention? Significant time loss for everyone from the planners to the attendees. We understand the importance of effective office communication, but where to start?
Digital Tools to Transform the Way You Connect
So, we know what doesn’t work, but what does? There are a variety of tools that we can use both in and out of the office to improve efficiency and maximize our time usage. A digital document management system collects all of your business documents in a single location. This approach enables the transition towards a paperless environment and ensures a consistent work experience for your team, regardless of their location, eliminating the need for remote desktop or VPN. With just a few clicks and keystrokes, employees can quickly and easily access the information they require. No more digging through filing cabinets or searching shared drives and emails, everything is right at your fingertips. Combine that with advanced, automated workflows for approvals, HR and AR/AP teams, and this translates to productivity gains across your entire organization.
Beyond this, tools like Slack allow your team to share critical information and stay connected. Video conferencing allows you to conduct face to face meetings when needed without having to stop everything and collect everyone in a physical space. The integration of digital tools can maximize your time and ensure that your team is able to focus on the tasks that grow your business.
Best Practices for Integrating Digital Tools in the Workplace
Now that we know the what and why, we can think about the how. Adopting digital tools and changing processes will always be met with some apprehension. People as a general rule don’t like change but they will adapt, especially when the changes result in an overall improvement. When starting out, it’s important to communicate with your team and let them know why you’re making the change.
Make sure they know that these tools are here to simplify processes and improve their work experience. Offer adequate training including refresher options to ensure that your staff understands the tools and can use them effectively. Finally, be open to feedback. It won’t always be perfect the first time and you may need to make some adjustments, or in some cases, source a new tool altogether. The important thing is that you embark on the digital journey together. If everyone feels like they part of the plan, they’re more invested in its success.
Conclusion
So, what have we learned about the importance of office communication? The use of effective, well implemented tools can positively impact every aspect of your business. A document management system can add security to your documents through features like controlled access, permission rights and audit trails. Using tools like email and Slack to relay instructions ensure that there is a written log and no room for miscommunication. Virtual meeting platforms, when used sparingly, can save everyone time by connecting for quick, critical meetings remotely.
When looking at the importance of effective office communication in an increasingly digital world, we can see that the without the right tools, we’ll struggle to succeed. Don’t know where to start? Asking a trusted partner for support, reaching out to peers, or simply looking at what your competitors are doing is a great way to find your starting point. Not everyone’s journey is the same, but all journeys start with the first step. Take yours today and you’ll set your business up for success in the years to come.