Simple Tools to Boost Workplace Communication

Take a moment to consider how you can improve workplace communication in honor of Better Business Communication Day!

Effective communication has always been integral to organizations’ success. And with today’s increasingly distributed workforces, it’s more challenging too. Luckily, there are more ways to stay in touch and in the know than ever before with today’s high-tech tools. Read on to learn the latest tools to help workplace communication!

Effective Communication Boosts Productivity

Research shows that open communication up, down, and across an organization can increase employees’ commitment, morale, and productivity notes the study.com post “Workplace Communication: Importance, Strategies & Examples”.

And according to “What Are the Benefits of Effective Communication in the Workplace?” by Demand Media’s Rose Johnson, high-quality workplace communication:

• Reduces potential language and cultural barriers in global organizations and those with workforce diversity
• Helps build trust and efficiency within work teams

But effective workplace communication can be challenging even if your employees all work in the same office. If you have distributed teams, the challenge is even greater. Fortunately, technology can help!

Top Tech Tools for Better Workplace Communication

There are numerous devices, apps, websites, and other tools that provide opportunities for improved local and global communication and are easy to implement. Curtis Peterson, vice president of operations at RingCentral, provides a summary of popular tools in, “7 ways to help improve collaboration in the modern workplace.” Here are several of Peterson’s favorites, plus some of our own:

• Mobile wireless “hot spots.” Cellular-based wireless hot spot devices allow field employees to connect multiple devices over one cellular plan to ensure connectivity anywhere, anytime at the lowest possible cost. In PC Magazine, Eugene Kim and Alex Colon review “The Best Mobile Hotspots of 2015.”
• Online video chat. Employees can communicate real-time from anywhere via Google Hangouts or similar apps as easily as stopping by someone’s desk.
• Web-based meetings. Services such as GoToMeeting enable people from multiple locations to gather via video, audio, and computer-screen sharing.
• Private mobile messenger apps like TeamOntheRun or Slack let your teams share even the most sensitive information digitally via company-branded text messages.
• Digital social activities. Even if your workforce is distributed worldwide, you can foster camaraderie by hosting social activities such as book clubs or fitness groups on closed social media groups, such as member-only Facebook groups.
• Cloud printing services. These services, such as Google Cloud Print, allow you to connect printers to the web and print from any device to any connected printer.
• Online task-management apps. Employees can use apps like Azendoo to see who’s working on what, to ask for and offer help, send messages, store and share documents, and to monitor and report project status.

Tech tools are great, but successful, long-term workplace communication still comes down to strong relationships and a supportive culture. Be sure your workplace:

• makes all employees feel valued, recognized and integral to the success of the business
• values sharing information and dialog
• provides a culture of openness and willingness to listen

Ready, Set, Communicate!

Now more than ever, there are plenty of ways to keep your workforce informed and talking to one another! Make sure they feel safe and supported doing so and watch the good-feelings and your business effectiveness grow!

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