Communiquer, c’est le transfert d’information d’une personne à une autre. Qu’elles soient formelles ou informelles, il est important qu’elle circule de manière claire et précise. La communication au sein d’une équipe est un paramètre à ne pas négliger si vous souhaitez que votre entreprise atteigne ses objectifs. Pour améliorer la cohésion entre vos collaborateurs, voici ce que vous pouvez faire…
Même si votre entreprise souhaite conquérir la planète Mars, une mauvaise communication au sein de l’équipe vous ramènera immédiatement sur Terre.
Une communication difficile fait perdre du temps, engendre la méfiance et devient une source de stress pour vos collaborateurs : le cocktail idéal pour de résultats médiocres.
The benefits of team communication
For a team, communication is a key factor in its proper functioning. Indeed, hidden conflicts, misunderstandings , poor distribution of information can affect the success of a project and have a negative impact on relations between employees or with customers. Good team communication brings many benefits to your structure and your projects.
Here is the list:
- It helps to build and sustain good relationships between employees
- It has the ability to boost motivation
- Good communication is one of the founding elements of a strong team spirit
- By resonance , it improves the commitment and involvement of your employees
- Your employees improve their performance thanks to better coordination between them.
- More generally, good communication allows a better understanding of the project
- A team that communicates well is better able to share ideas, develop creative and innovative projects.
- A friendlier atmosphere is created where loyalty and trust can develop.
- Another important element is the reduction in employee turnover.
How to improve business communication?
There are several elements to put in place to improve team communication to help you improve your communication between colleagues.
We’ll help you with 10 tips to foster collaboration and harmony in your business.
Don’t close your door
It’s a bit like the principle of Open Space .
Teamwork means being together. You have to show that you want to and that you are open to this possibility. Imagine that everyone closes their door, do you think this encourages communication within the team? Rather, it risks limiting the development of team spirit and therefore trust. It can then install a form of mistrust and create tension.
The closed door can also send a signal to other employees that you do not want to be disturbed. This limits interactions . Be present to listen to each other, discuss projects, actions, seek solutions to certain problems. All this is a good start to fostering a friendly and reassuring environment.
You can also solve problems as they arise rather than waiting for weekly meetings. Tip: Be careful, however, to set certain limits , because when the door is opened too often, you may not be able to finish a task that requires attention.
Stop for a coffee
A company’s coffee machine is a suspended area within it. A famous television series made it a bestseller and we can see that it is the place for all types of communication…
If you are used to having coffee at different times, try changing that to find yourself around this machine that invites you to get to know each other better. This is the place of informal communication… The OFF of your company.
It is usually in his moments of relaxation that new ideas emerge . The stress and the timing to respect do not allow most of the time to indulge in thinking or imagining. The coffee machine is a privileged place to launch outings with colleagues…
Go out with colleagues
To intensify the bonds between your team members and improve communication, consider bringing them together for fun activities. Organize lunches together or meetings over a beer after work. You can also organize larger events such as an afternoon of sports activity or a weekend of skiing. These moments strengthen the bond between your employees, which will necessarily have a positive impact on their teamwork.
Determine the roles of each
If you want communication to take place under the best conditions, as a team leader, you must already clearly determine the role and missions of each of your employees.
Ask yourself what you expect of them and what timing you impose on them Each employee of the team must know what his role is so as not to encroach on these colleagues. In addition, each person must know the role of his colleagues. It also allows you to contact the right people. For this purpose, to be able to use the RACI matrix :
The RACI matrix is a communication tool that is used to clarify the role of each collaborator during the realization of a project. We can simplify by asking this question: Who does what? RACI stands for Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , Informed . In French, it can be translated by qui fait quoi?
- R for Responsible : who is the person who performs the task?
- A for Accountable : Who is the person who leads and makes the decisions?
- C for Consulted : Who is the expert we see for advice?
- I for Informed : Who will be the person we will have to inform about the progress of the project?
Work on team spirit
A team that knows each other well, that appreciates each other and that wants to get together will be more likely to support the company’s projects thanks, among other things, to more fluid communication. Creating a team spirit means developing belonging to a group, to a brand. To improve team spirit, there are several techniques to put in place, including team building . It’s corporate events that are meeting more and more success within structures.
These moments organized around playful and sporting days are very useful for generating links between team members and strengthening the feeling of belonging, which plays a big role in team spirit.
The idea is to meet in a less formal setting than that of the company to facilitate communication as well as getting to know each other. Team challenges, for example, are excellent ways to strengthen ties around a common challenge taken from that of the company.
The importance of annual maintenance
This is an important meeting that can be expected when there is a need to communicate on a subject that is blocking for example and which can prevent teamwork from being done normally. An employee who feels stuck in a situation may not want to get involved and create tension within the team that will limit its progress. This is also the time to value employees and highlight the feelings felt within the team. Communicating about your satisfaction as a manager allows the team to boost its motivation.
Humanize communication…
With all the internal communication tools that exist, human contact is often overlooked. Some of your co-workers would rather send an email than walk up to a colleague to talk.
Try encouraging your employees to have coffee together or set up in a meeting room to get organized. It will be much more productive than a series of virtual messages.
In addition, meeting face to face strengthens the cohesion between your team.
… without forgetting the technology
Just because they can get up and ask a colleague a question doesn’t mean they have to do it all the time. Sometimes, a small question or the request for a document can be the subject of an email.
Before interrupting a colleague, it is important to look for signs indicating his availability: if the office door is closed or if he is listening to music through headphones, it means that he is focused on his work. Come back later or opt for an email.
Organize useful meetings
Spending time together brings team members together and helps find common interests.
In meetings, they get to know each other and communicate adequately. The biggest advantage is the deep connection that will be developed. Not everyone will become best friends, but it’s an opportunity to understand each other’s motivation, which will make communication much easier.
If it is not possible to organize “physical” meetings, you can still arrange videoconferences.
Encourage respect and honesty
Improving communication requires real commitment from the whole team. You must create a corporate culture that promotes respect and honesty.
When there is a concern, employees must be able to express themselves, share their comments and above all be listened to.
If you send an email or use any other technological tool, take the time to reread your messages to check the tone. Thoughts may manifest differently in text than in real life.
Our tip for improving team communication
To improve communication within your team, don’t hesitate to lead by example… And then communicating and working together can be learned. Schedule several days of Team Building in the year and warn your collaborators in advance so that they can organize themselves and be present. It is important to have the whole team.
With fluid, respectful and effective communication, your team will become more productive. It will be easier for your employees to provide effective collective work… which will affect your business objectives!
