Every day, an employee loses 40 minutes in productivity due to communication barriers. In Mastering the Art of Communication, we touched upon the sources of complexities that lead to communication barriers inorganizations. Those barriers manifest in complexities such as waiting for information, consumer complaints, miscommunication, barriers to collaboration, and inefficient coordination. 

To avoid these barriers and be 20-25% more productive, everything points to improved communication practices. Let’s break down 10 steps you can take to embark on this journey.

• Think big

Before you get down to the nitty-gritty, take the time to think of the vision for your company. Use the vision statement you already have, and think of where communications fit into the bigger picture. 

“To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”

Tesla’s Vision Statement

Using the vision statement as a reference point helps you align everyday actions with the vision and goals. Naturally, the communication strategy and activities will enhance the organizational goals, rather than take a direction of their own. 

Making the difference between short-term and long-term goals is making the difference between short- and long-lasting success. While long-term goals will be more ambitious and vision-oriented, breaking them down into pieces of short-term goals is helpful. Establishing communication deliverables and a schedule is a good place to start. 

 Here are some traditional communication tools commonly used by organizations across industries:

• Internal news outlets 
• Website-based content sharing
• Scheduled update of promotional materials
• Event streaming
• Targeted campaigns across social platforms.However, the world belongs to those who imagine it, so don’t limit your communications to traditional outlets. Innovative companies challenge the conventional ways of doing work that no longer serves us. Some of these cutting-edge communication tools, like the ones listed below, bring new ways of connectingShowrooms where you can create custom presentations and follow-through materials addressing specific needs
• Cover pages that allow you to creative visually rich overviews to engage your audience in a unique and custom way
• 3D Spaces that showcase high-quality 3D visuals bringing your projects to life

• Assess the organization’s needs

Assessing the organization’s needs is essentially asking “What?”. 

What are the day-to-day needs in communication?

What needs to happen to achieve the vision and goals we previously mentioned? 

Needs assessment is vital to a sustainable communications policy because it paints a picture of where the organization is and where it wants to be.

Why conduct a needs assessment?

• Identify targeted strategies
• Allocate resources efficiently
• Actionable insights for developments

Defining the vision and goals can shed light on the roadmap outlining the steps needed to achieve strategic goals Taking the deliverables as an example, we may find out that these are what we need to have in place to accomplish the short-term goals. 

• Streaming and sharing practices

• Internal communication style

• Personalized content creation

Social network strategy Consistency in communications

• Identify gaps

Now that we have identified the vision, short-term and long-term goals, and needs, the process naturally leads to identifying the gaps in the organization. In this context, we know what we need to get to where we want to be, so now we identify what we need that we don’t currently have in place. 

Out of the needs we identified, we may realize that our streaming platform doesn’t satisfy our monthly webinars. We may also realize that blog posts have been completely ad-hoc with no consistent schedule. Identifying gaps brings forward specific action points we need to pay attention to. Consistency is key, but only if you are consistently doing the right things.

At this stage, you’re asking the question “How do we close the gap”? Working off of the needs we have already identified, we now begin to filter out the resources we already have from those we are missing.

• Streaming and sharing practices ⛔

• Internal communication style ✅

• Personalized content creation ⛔

• Social network strategy ✅

• Consistency in communications ⛔

We’ve now derived three specific steps we can take to achieve our goals from an abstract start. Acquiring a platform for streaming, content creation tools, and establishing a blog post schedule are added to the to-do list. This brings us to the next step.

• Gather insights

Use your resources! Before jumping into any decisions, run your ideas across teams. Their input is valuable for two particular reasons: 

• Get a fuller picture of needs

Your team will point out needs that you may have left out in the analysis. They probably think about this more than you realize. This manifests into sayings like “It would be cool if we had…”, which is common banter between co-workers. 

• Let them help you close the gaps

Your team can evaluate the criteria that new acquisitions should meet. Consult the team that pulls together webinars when deciding on a platform for streaming. They may point out that “breakout rooms” are a must for the platform because studies show that most active learning happens in small groups.

• Create a communication plan

Wow, step 5… You are on a roll!

Creating a communication plan sounds like a daunting task. You need not worry, though. You have already put the groundwork in by going through the 4 steps. To simplify complexity, create two communication plans. Let’s walk you through them.

• Internal plan

An internal communication plan serves as a roadmap for your employees to turn strategy into action. Smooth internal communication engages employees, who are 87% less likely to leave the organization. Here are 4 quick steps you can start with:

1. Lay out needs for internal and external communication
2. Schedule the frequency of internal and external communications
3. Update employees on the status of developments
4. Create and showcase engaging messages

While you’re at it, don’t be afraid to get creative! Have you ever considered using video clips instead of written communications? Seems that people get extra reassurance from that familiar voice!

• External plan

An external communication plan captures the public’s attention. It can broad wide in range, from social media to shareholder marketing presentations. Don’t let the options overwhelm you. The most important element of an external communication plan is strategy. 

Here’s what you can do to have an external communication plan that serves your vision.

• Determine desired objectives
• Identify target audience
• Select channels of communication
• Create items and schedules
• Assign roles and responsibilities
• Set the tone of messages

1. Set the tone

“The three most important ways to lead people are: by example… by example… by example… ”

Albert Schweitzer

Whether it is internal or external communications, don’t underestimate your role in successful communications. As a leader, you set the tone of the communication style internally and externally. Whatever standard you set, your team will follow.

As you reflect on what example you wish to set, consider these principles of effective communication:

• Comprehensiveness
• Audience awareness
• Coherency
• Clarity

• Choose the right platform

Choosing the right platform has come up several times already. Yes, it is that important. The companies who are saving daily 40 minutes per worker due to effective communication are twice as likely to use leading-edge communication tools. These tools make it easier to get work done, improve internal communications, and significantly increase the quality of organizational materials. 

Use your communication plan as a guide for choosing the right platform. Internal needs differ from external needs, so your needs are disparate across different platforms. However, this adds complexity to communications. Companies with too many communication platforms are every day realizing that what was meant to unify employees is driving them apart.

Have you ever daydreamed of a communication platform that simply has it all? We sure have! Integrated communication platforms allow you to work faster, better, deeper, and shine professionally. Consider if moving towards an integrated platform, like most innovative companies are doing already, is something you can benefit from.

• Measure impact

Time is valuable. Don’t waste resources on ineffectual communication. At the simplest level, an organization may dedicate resources to creating a weekly newsletter that no one reads. Spending significant resources for disproportionate returns is damaging in the long run. 

Here are 4 must-have KPIs to track the effectiveness of communication efforts and invest in ideas that make you shine:

• Number of views, likes, and comments
• Number of earned media mentions
• Increase in subscribers and followers
• Sentiment insights

• Ensure longevity

Improving communications is no easy task. As the popular saying goes, Rome was not built in the day. Neither is a sustainable communication strategy. It is better to start small and be consistent than start big and burn fast. So, take everything you’ve read so far with a grain of salt. Start at a scope that makes sense for your organization’s needs and resources.

“It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.”

Anthony Robbins

• Bringing new tool kits to town

Being agile is essentially being intelligently flexible. While having a vision, and goals, identifying needs and gaps, establishing a communication plan, and measuring impact are all vital steps. In the chaos of it all, leave some room for imagination and adaptation. 

“Take a risk and keep testing, because what works today won’t work tomorrow, but what worked yesterday may work again.”

Amrita Sahasrabudhe

Improving communications in 2022 requires constant adaptation to the ever-changing business landscape. So, don’t get stuck in procedures in a rapidly evolving and imaginative world!

New tool kits are in town, and we couldn’t be happier. The digital age has revolutionized work, bringing people and teams together remotely. We can no longer pretend that traditional communication tools are still cut it. In fact, during the digital transition, 61% of workers surveyed felt dissatisfied with communication tools because they were unreliable, dull, and didn’t integrate well with other tools.

The future of work demands the tools of the future! MasterWizr uses this changing landscape as an incubator for innovation. Integrating all platforms into one, you can have the Swiss army knife of sharing in your tool kit.

Whether you’re a consultant, freelancer, student, small company, corporate, or organization, being agile will let you shine professionally. In a world constantly competing for your attention, MasterWizr showrooms, cover pages, and 3D spaces draw people in. Rather than glancing, we aim for engaging!