Effective communication is the lifeblood of any business. Without it, companies are susceptible to wasting resources, missing deadlines, losing vital employees, and squandering opportunities. While it is not uncommon for companies to have occasional incidents of misunderstanding, an organization that doesn’t focus on a strong culture of communication may see these events result in serious barriers to success.
There are many types of roadblocks that hinder effective communication, and each needs attention to achieve corporate goals and objectives.
Barriers to Effective Communication
Physical Separation: As remote and hybrid work structures become standard, colleagues may be located hundreds or even thousands of miles away from each other. Without a focused effort, keeping everyone connected can become challenging. Companies should strive to implement and maintain adequate telecommunication technologies between employees while also offering a collaborative office space to accommodate when team members get together. Companies may consider platforms for online collaboration, internal messaging systems, up-to-date video technology, and frequent opportunities for conversation and collaboration.
Differing Mindsets: Although disagreements are bound to happen periodically, these conflicts between employees can result in serious communication issues. When team members with inconsistent viewpoints and diverse priorities also communicate differently, their discord can adversely impact the whole team. A lack of trust between colleagues and their managers can cause employees to feel undervalued or their opinions unimportant, and this situation is destructive for both individual and corporate goals. An organization facing these challenges may implement training regarding diverse communication styles, engage employees in team-building exercises, and foster open, honest communication by providing channels for employee feedback, both public and confidential.
Inadequate Technology: Roadblocks to communication can surface when employees don’t have access to the right technology platforms – or the proper training to utilize them most effectively. In addition to providing and maintaining up-to-date hardware to support the required technology for communication, management should ensure that employees understand the tools at their disposal. Businesses should document workflows and specific applications within internal best practice management systems and then train employees on these operational workflows. This includes the use of technologies and multi-functional communication tools to support productivity and business objectives.
Organizational Barriers: A lack of understanding of corporate structure – and each team member’s role within it – can cause a breakdown in communication. These barriers can impact companies regardless of size if employees don’t understand the hierarchy and how to engage within it. Employees may not understand how to request or share critical information, and corporate silos can hinder peer communication. Companies should present clear communication structures, processes, org charts, and business rules and make these easily accessible to current employees and new hires. Education may also include expectations for communication and any tools available to seek, locate and disseminate communications across teams and divisions.
How To Clear Roadblocks
Many companies can readily identify a glaring communication hurdle in their organization, but chances are that many subtle factors are involved. While addressing one issue can alleviate concerns in the short-term, other problems may continue to sabotage productivity and streamlined workflows. These workplace barriers can result in a significant adverse effect that can spread and strengthen if issues are left unresolved.
When employees are provided with an internal resource that allows for honest feedback while promoting engagement, a culture of communication is inevitable. If that same resource facilitates the flow of information and provides access to needed knowledge across the organization, that culture is further solidified.
The KLONE Organizer is an innovative knowledge platform that provides an intuitive way to aggregate, store and disseminate information across your organization. Call today to learn more about how KLONE can help maximize and optimize your communication capabilities.