When a new employee joins an organisation, they are hoping that it will be a meaningful relationship. They are making a commitment and in turn, expect the company to live up to its promises.
Almost sounds like a marriage, doesn’t it? Well, just like lack of communication is one the most cited reasons when a marriage fails, the same holds true for organisations.
A survey of 400 companies with 100,000 employees each cited an average loss per company of $62.4 million per year because of inadequate communication to and between employees.
* David Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, reported in “The Cost of Poor Communications”
Even smaller companies with 100 employees report that miscommunication costs them an average of $420,000 per year.
*Debra Hamilton in her article “Top Ten Email Blunders that Cost Companies Money”
High-performing organisations understand that communication with their employees is a top priority. It is a critical part of employee engagement, which in turn promotes better performance, employee retention, and well-being.
Effective employee communication helps employees stay connected to their workplace, understand their organisation’s purpose and strategy, identify with its values, and develop a sense of belonging by understanding how they contribute to its wider purpose.
Successful employee communication is when employees are well-informed on important topics, they feel heard, and, most importantly, valued. This means communicating regularly and clearly using multiple internal channels.
When you’re running a business, large or small, it can get difficult to take care of everything. Keeping employees informed is one of the things that can fall through the cracks, but when your employees know what is going on, you can improve your business.
Show them the big picture
People generally don’t appreciate being left in the dark, especially about work issues that likely affect them. When your employees know that they are well informed, they will be happier in their work and more likely to stay on long-term.
Giving your employees the big picture and helping them to understand when something isn’t working will help them to feel more satisfied in their work and to continue improving. If you can’t clearly explain why you’re in business, and your employees aren’t clear with what you’re trying to achieve, they can’t or don’t get behind you.
One of the biggest benefits of having an informed employee base is that it can improve productivity. It is really hard for employees to get their jobs done when they don’t know what is going on in their company. The more informed they are, the more able they will be to focus on their tasks and get jobs done promptly.
Make sure to be honest with your employees about their performance as well. It is really difficult for people to improve when they don’t know where there is room for improvement.
Teamwork makes the dream work
When employees feel included in important decisions, they will feel like a true partner in the business. They will feel more connected, too. Poor communication is a quick route to an “us vs. them” mentality, while clear communication helps create a “we” feeling.
Because when employees understand the “why,” they are more likely to align with your organisation, even if they don’t fully understand or totally agree with how you are going about things.
According to research, only 49% of employees at typical organisations feel well-informed about important decisions at their company. At the opposite end of the scale, in companies that are sought-after employers, the positive response jumps to a range of 70% to 82%.
Think about it: How well can an organisation perform when fewer than half of employees feel like they know what is going on?
How do you know if your employees feel well-informed about important decisions? Ask them! There’s a lot you can learn through an employee satisfaction survey. (More about this in a future article.)
Then, set a plan to communicate important decisions effectively throughout the organisation, from the top to the front line. Be sure to include all stakeholders in important decisions. There will be a lot more buy-in to decisions that people felt involved in making.
Communication is even more important when there’s instability. Done right, you will notice employees are more receptive to change, more likely to participate, and more willing to give their best each day.
Managers often communicate less in troubled times — when they should be communicating more. And sometimes, people under-communicate because they are not sure what they can share. Usually, a little more transparency is helpful.
Today, more than ever, effective communication is the linchpin of organisations that can determine their performance. Leaders can no longer afford to ignore the cost of poor communication – those that invest in building better practices, bridging communication gaps at every level, and empowering teams with the right tools will see their businesses reach new heights.
Seven steps to creating an internal communication plan
- Analyse the current situation of the business
- Define the communication goals and objectives
- Identify and segment your target audience
- Outline the core messages you want to share
- Specify tactics and communication channels
- Create an internal communication calendar
- Measure your success (key performance indicators)
How can we help?
Edge Communications helps companies to reach, engage and motivate employees. From increasing productivity and morale to effectively dealing with organisational change, or even addressing cultural and performance issues, a well-executed internal communications campaign can go a long way.
We evaluate current internal communication channels, such as newsletters, the intranet, e-mails, and meetings to determine their success. Then we make recommendations for short- and long-term improvements.
Our internal communication services include:
- Strategic internal messaging campaigns
- Staff motivation strategies
- Internal information and communication channels, e.g. intranets and newsletters
- Live motivational broadcasts
- Employee award and recognition programmes
