Clear and concise communication is the key to ensuring efficient and cohesive working relationships, especially when all of your team members are spread throughout various locations. Whereas erratic communication leads to misunderstandings, frustration, and conflict among team members, effective communication helps build trust and creates an environment that welcomes ideas and problem-solving strategies. In this age of real-time data, information can be sent through various means including text messages, emails, and even social media, providing your team with all of the tools they need to stay on top of their portion of the project at every turn.
Here are some helpful tips for optimizing communication among your team members and encouraging an efficient and collaborative unit.
Hone your listening skills
In order to create an environment where your team feels valued and inspired to freely share ideas, you need to truly listen to what they have to say. They may not always agree with you or with each other, but giving them a safe forum in which to express their ideas and resolve issues in a creative way will save a lot of frustration in the long run.
- Do not interrupt team members when they are speaking
- Focus on what is being said, not how you are going to respond
- Put the smartphone or tablet aside and fully focus on the person speaking
Optimize emails
Though email is often the most common form of communication among team members, it is also the area where a lot of things can go wrong. To avoid miscommunications, train your team members on how to respond to emails in a clear and concise manner. All emails should:
- Have a clear purpose, message, or goal
- Be easy to understand
- Stick to the point
- Not be overly long
Remove communication barriers
Team members work best when they can get to know each other and build up a modicum of trust. Seeing how their efforts play into the grand scheme of things and working with other members of the team to reach common goals is also important. By removing communication barriers, the team can solve problems and discuss creative solutions in real time without requiring a project manager to relay information. Encourage your team members to:
- Discuss ideas amongst themselves and collaborate with each other through instant messaging
- Hold meetings via video or voice calls to discuss weekly goals or team objectives
- Call you directly if an urgent matter needs to be discussed so as not to disrupt workflow
Effective communication can help set the stage for a profitable and enjoyable working environment, especially when messages are clear, concise, and to the point. Not only will your team feel more comfortable working together, but projects will go a lot smoother and potential issues will work themselves out before effecting your deadline. At George Rullo and Associates , we take a great deal of pride in our ability to work as an effective team and our dedication to keeping you updated on your project every step of the way.
For more information on our commercial construction consulting services, just give us a call at 732-580-8668 today!