While external communication with customers, clients, and the general public must be consistently effective, internal communication is the backbone of a successful business. According to Gartner, effective internal communication improves productivity by as much as 10%. And, as Gallup reports, when leaders and co-workers effectively communicate with each other, teams can increase profits by up to 29%.

The benefits of effective internal communication

The idea that internal communication impacts internal processes and relationships isn’t new. However, organizations that struggle with it may be unfamiliar with the rich benefits teams enjoy through good internal communication:

• Fosters innovation by providing employees with a safe environment in which to speak up and express novel ideas
• Promotes effective collaboration and project management by preventing information silos
• Encourages a culture of constructive communication and growth by promoting honesty and transparency
• Improves employee morale by minimizing misunderstandings and empowering employees to ask for what they need to succeed
• Streamlines remote communications with guidelines to prevent unintentional overcommunication

How to improve team communication

Here are six actionable steps you can take to improve internal communication practices—or protect your culture and keep the effective communication coming:

1 Make it easy for team members to connect. Give teams the flexibility to use channels that best suit their communication preferences, the urgency of their messages, and the type of communication. Then, foster effective collaboration with a real-time writing assistant that seamlessly supports quality communication in all of those channels.

2 Clarify and communicate each person’s role within the team. Teams work most effectively when people know who is best equipped and empowered to answer questions, troubleshoot issues, and own decisions. If your teams don’t already embrace a RACI model (or a RACI alternative), it may be time to test one.

3 Lead by example. Model good communication practices and etiquette by offering transparent, honest, and direct emails, instant messages, and document comments. Unnecessary chatter conditions co-workers to skim (or even ignore) your writing, which can result in miscommunication, disengagement, and mistakes.

4 Ask for what you need. Set expectations and make explicit, direct requests with a clear call to action. E.g., “Please share your feedback by 5 pm Thursday. If I don’t hear from you by that time, I will move forward without your input.” 

5 Sweep your message for brand values and tones. Tie communication expectations to your brand values. Create a style guide that sets expectations for using common words and phrases accurately, outlines your brand’s key messages, and defines your brand tones.

6 Have open discussions with your team. Explore suggestions for how to improve communication processes and practices. The team may have as many ideas as you (or more), so be willing to uncover common or recurring challenges. It can also be helpful to use communication analytics to guide discussions and highlight trends that show both improvements and ongoing skill gaps.

Improving team communication means more than working well together; it also means maintaining rewarding relationships. Strong, open, and collaborative relationships will empower your teams and your brand with the frameworks you need to support your growth goals and drive sustainable success.

Keep Learning

Want more great resources to help you develop even better business communication skills? Stay connected to the Writing for Business Impact series. You can grow your professional communication advantage right from your inbox. 

Up next:  5 Digital Communication Strategies to Help Your Business Thrive

Ready to take action? Discover how Grammarly Business can drive success at your organization. Contact us for a demo.