How a message is communicated is every bit as important as the message itself. When you are leading a team, fostering an environment of open communication and collaboration can make all the difference in team cohesiveness and productivity. The most effective teams are the ones who are able to work together toward common goals and encourage individual goals – and that takes good communication. Therefore, as a leader, you have to focus not only on what you are communicating but how you are communicating it.

1. ImproveYourConsultingTeam’s
InternalCommunication
Best Practices

2. MoreCommunicationisBetterThanLess
When you communicate with your team, the most important thing
is that it be clear – that you leave no room for
interpretation. This is especially true when you are not
communicating in person, but rather sending an email or other
written communication. In situations when you think that you
have a confusing or complex topic to get across, it is better
to err on the side of over-communication to make sure that
your team understands.

3. EncourageCross-Departmental Communication
If you are leading a team or have a workplace that has different departments
or work groups, cross-departmental communication is essential. Keeping
everyone on the same page, working collaboratively, will create a team that
every member feels a part of, and ultimately increase individual productivity
and the effectiveness of team projects.
ClearCompany, a talent management company, describes is this way on their
blog, “The ideal vision of teamwork looks like cogs in a machine, working
together seamlessly. More often, though, we end up with something more similar
to an octopus flailing its limbs. Transparency and effective communication are
the keys to true alignment. When everyone knows the objectives, and how
everyone’s work contributes to the completion of those objectives, then
alignment becomes real.”

4. DefineCommunicationChannels
Your company likely has many channels that you use to communicate. Email, live
chat, project management software, and social media are a few examples.
However you choose to communicate, there should be consistency in which
channels are designated for specific types of information being communicated.
In other words, you can use email for communicating about long-term project
goals, while using a project management solution for short-term updates and
progress.
While you may be hesitant to use social media in the workplace, there is
ongoing research that shows it does have a place in the business setting. In a
Forbes magazine article, writer Eric Savitz says, “Social media is poised to
become an office productivity tool, much the same way that email did in the
late 1990s.” So don’t write it off too quickly, it can be an efficient way to
communicate.

5. KeeptheBigPictureinView
There are many day-to-day matters that have to be
communicated to staff that are important to daily operations.
Most employees receive numerous emails every day that focus
on details of a bigger project, campaign, or goal. You can
see why it’s easy for team members to get bogged down with
the details and neglect seeing the big picture. Be sure to
communicate your company’s overall mission and goals
regularly. You don’t want your team to focus only on the
trees, but the forest as well.

6. UsetheRightTools
There are a lot of software solutions that you can use to communicate with
your team, and your team members to communicate with each other. Depending on
what your specific needs are, you can find one that will be efficient and
useful to you and your team. Look at the specifics of solutions like Trello,
Slack, and Asana to see which one will work for your team.
Whichever one you choose, stick with it and you will undoubtedly see an
improvement in communication among your team members.

7. UsetheRightTools
There are a lot of software solutions that you can use to communicate with
your team, and your team members to communicate with each other. Depending on
what your specific needs are, you can find one that will be efficient and
useful to you and your team. Look at the specifics of solutions like Trello,
Slack, and Asana to see which one will work for your team.
Whichever one you choose, stick with it and you will undoubtedly see an
improvement in communication among your team members.

8. MakeItFun
Communication doesn’t have to be all work. It can be both fun
and productive when you use different ways to get your point
across. Round-table discussions, brainstorming sessions, and
working lunches or dinners, can all become a combination of
work and fun. Try using video clips, jokes, personal stories
or analogies to communicate information in a fun and
motivating way.