The most efficient and successful companies are more likely to have outstanding communication practices in place within their companies. If you fall out of touch with your employees or partners, your business operations will quickly begin to suffer.

Here are a few practical tips that will go a long way toward helping to improve the communication among your team members:

• Implement daily check-ins. You don’t need to be in your employees’ business all the time, but taking a couple minutes to check in and see how things are going will make it easier for you to become aware of any issues as they arise and also serve to make you more approachable by your employees, as they are hearing from you on a regular basis. So ‘huddle-up' for 17 minutes every day, no more, no less. Stand up! Get close. Listen and allow your team to be heard. As the old adage goes, first seek to understand before being understood.

• Encourage team meetings. Every other week or so, see if you can gather your team together to have a discussion about the direction of your business and the steps that each team member is taking to help progress the company. Make sure that you encourage everyone, even new team members, to offer their opinions or ask any questions about anything related to the company. These meetings are a good time to establish an open, unified dynamic in your workplace and are an easy way to build in a scheduled time where you get to talk to everyone on your team.

• Have executive meetings. It’s important that everyone on your executive team is constantly on the same page in regard to the direction of your company. So in addition to having meetings with everyone on your team, get together with your executive team on a regular basis to go over recent accomplishments, upcoming goals and any other reports on what’s happening within your company. This should be done quarterly and preferably off site.

• Choose the right tools. While email might be the simplest communication tool to use, it’s not always the best bet for making sure that everyone is always on the same page. Try to use more phone calls, or research the various communications applications available for businesses today and decide what would be best for your company. Internal communications should use a more instant message service than external communications. Hey – nothing still beats face-to-face either. Consider laying down those devices and look somebody in the eyes.

• Secret Sauce. Great communication is a byproduct of great culture. But great culture is not a byproduct of reading a book. Leadership must set the vision, guide the company with a purpose, instill core values for a solid foundation and hire/fire accordingly. The team needs to own the process, own their role and perform to deliver – but in a culture of collective greatness set to solve the problems of the company's customer.

Communications are part of the backbone of a successful business. For more tips on how you can make yours more effective, speak with us today at Viral Solutions.

by Christine Kelly

CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC