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Effective Ways To Communicate

We are all aware of why effective communication is critical. Employees know their role and work more efficiently, less time spent in meetings with more time achieving outcomes, higher retention and the list goes on and on! But did you know the way you convey your message is more important than the message itself?

These insights highlight the problems with communications.

  • The average employee receives 150+ emails each day and spends 25% of their time at work on emails. 62% of those emails are NOT important (Source: SaneBox)
  • The average employee spends 2.5hrs per day searching for information (Source: IDC)
  • 72% of employees don’t have a complete understanding of their company’s strategy (Source: Tribal Impact)
  • 74% of employees don’t feel up to date with company news (Source: IBM)3

One of the few silver linings from the COVID-19 pandemic is that leaders have had to find new ways to connect and business have started trending towards collaborative communication. As stated there are too many emails going out, they are often impersonal and employees are spending too long sifting through them, often missing important information. The good news is some corporations have adopted techniques during the COVID pandemic that could revolutionise the way we communicate in business.

  • Implementing new communications tools and apps for instant contact between employees working apart, there are many examples where companies have dropped the use of email altogether!
  • Redefining target audiences so information is only reaching employees it is intended for (reducing the time employees spend ‘sifting’ through irrelevant news).
  • When communicating with text, using personalised messages in the subject line to attract attention
  • Using diversity in applications ranging from high priority to low. For example, push notifications for high priority communication, email for low priority and others in between.
  • Getting creative with the way content is shared by using videos, podcasts and infographics- Employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read text (Source: Ragan); Particularly if it is an informal video recording from the boss to start the week off rather than the dry email that is hard to read.
  • Use employee feedback about their preferred way to receive messages and communicate within their team
  • Devising a way to measure success of internal communications -60% of communication professionals do not measure internal communications. (Source: Workforce)
  • Implement dedicated Flow Time; company wide.  No meetings, no emails and flow time does not equate to catch up on admin. It is Flow Time to work on the stuff that needs prioritisation, creativity, curiosity, inspiration and innovation to solve for.  Get people to work in small teams for Flow Time or individually .. Watch the dial move …. 

Implementing an overhaul to the whole communication system is a daunting concept! The good news is the transformation doesn’t have to happen all at once- it can be taken in steps. You could start by asking employees for feedback on how they would like to see communications operate in the future. You can start sending shorter, and more personalised emails with a catchy subject line to grab attention (and stop sending bulk emails). You can change your weekly newsletter to a weekly podcast or video. The possibilities are endless!  And dont, ever, every send important communications on a Friday.

Corporations with a strong communication system experience the long term advantage of a healthier work atmosphere where employees are more motivated, loyal and engaged. Organisations with effective communication are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers (Source: ThinkTalent)

Think of the changes you can implement today!

Love Life, Love YOUR life

Ferne Eliz King

About Ferne

Ferne is globally recognised and called upon for quickly accelerating complex change to achieve business strategies.  Translating strategies to actionable plans, prioritisation of those actions, engagement from the right people, bringing business architecture to life or your life plan if individual and in many cases driving the change as a program director.  The bottom line is Ferne accelerates businesses or individuals to achieve outcomes and enabling that is her passion.

What's the consequence if you take no action?

“If you do the same thing today as yesterday, your tomorrow will be the same as today”.  Ferne Eliz King

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