The Power of Strong Team Communication

Orange Blossoms and Maroon Missiles. Team names that struck fear into the hearts and minds of our opponents. I was five years old when I joined the Orange Blossoms and graduated to the Maroon Missiles when I was six. We were effective as a team, and we won some games. We lost some games, too. We learned a lot about the game of soccer, and we learned a lot about teamwork. My friend’s dad was the coach and he excelled at the art of communication. He brought us together. He explained our roles. He fueled us with orange slices. He taught us how to work together as a team and how to resolve conflict. We didn’t win trophies at the end of each season, but we learned a lot about working together as a team. 

Teams are everywhere. Teams work together at the airport to fly passengers to their destinations. Doctors, nurses, techs, and orderlies work in conjunction at a hospital to take care of the patients. The team at the autobody shop fixes your car so you can get on the road. Teams work together towards a common goal, whether it’s to win the World Series or to get produce on your table from the farm. Teams come together permanently or temporarily. But whatever the duration of the team, for the team to succeed in meeting its goals, teams need to understand the art of effective communication.

Workplace communication is an essential function of any productive business environment. Yet 86% of employees and executives blame the lack of effective collaboration and communication as the leading cause of errors in the workplace. - Apollo Technical

Good communication promotes understanding, leads to valuable collaboration, increases productivity, and fuels innovation. Effective team communication takes hard work, but it builds a strong foundation for success. Effective team communication takes:

• Trust

• Support

• Cooperation

• Respect

• Accountability

• Psychological Safety

• Belongingness

• Willingness to identify and resolve conflict

Building these attributes when the team first comes together is crucial. 

Team Communication Methods

Team Meetings

A recent workforce study found that employees spend more than half of their workweek in meetings. That’s a lot of meetings. Meetings can be effective tools when done right. Meetings should have an agenda that’s sent out to all attendees. Don’t invite people to meetings just to invite them. Make sure they serve a purpose in the meeting. Keep meetings short and on target. Some organizations have implemented standing meetings which shorten the meeting and keep everyone on target. Team meetings allow for open discussion and foster a collaborative environment where people are free to share their ideas or concerns. 

Team Outings

Team Outings can be a fun way to build team morale. However, companies have received backlash about holding team outings after work hours or in places that are not inclusive to the entire group. Team outings need to include everyone on the team and shouldn’t offer unfair advantages to team members who aren’t able to go. Teams should have fun together and build relationships to foster a stronger team environment. Bowling anyone?

Emails

Email communication to the team is information for information purposes only. If the email draws discussion, have a meeting or a conference call instead. There are pitfalls to using emails as a communication tool. Emails don’t convey emotion and are open to interpretation. Many people have gotten into trouble with email communications when sending it to the wrong person or hitting “reply all” when they meant to send it to just one person. Use email sparingly to send information.

Slack/Teams/Chat

Group chats are effective when you need to communicate information right away to your team. It allows for the team to reply and collaborate through the channel, which may improve the quality of shared information.

Newsletters

Newsletters are communication tools to be used occasionally. Employees don’t need to receive multiple newsletters throughout the month, which bombard their inboxes. Newsletters help to send the same information to everyone and can be informative. Use newsletters to send company updates and things to look out for, to educate the team on new products or processes, a calendar of events for the month, or pics from the company outing. 

Employee Surveys

Employee Surveys are one-way communication tools that companies use to gather employee feedback about the work environment, comp and benefits, leadership, and any other work topic that affects employees. The feedback is used to implement changes that positively impact the employee experience.

Employee Recognition Events

Employees work hard to create your business’s service or product. Employee recognition increases morale, leads to safer workplaces, and reduces employee turnover. Use Employee Recognition Events to communicate a job well done to your team. You can use employee recognition events to celebrate individuals, teams, or company milestones. Take the time to celebrate your team’s achievements during Employee Recognition Events.

Town Halls

Bring the entire team together once a quarter or once a year. Use town halls to communicate company initiatives and progress on past initiatives and deliver the same message across the company. Leave time at the end for Q&A. 

There are a lot of communication methods at your disposal for team communication. Choosing the right method is important because different methods have different purposes and end results. Find out how your team communicates best with you and each other and tailor your communication methods and style to their needs. Encouraging an open, communicative team environment will pay off immensely as you all work together to succeed. 

It'd be great to hear from you! Leave your thoughts, comments, and experience with team communication. And follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-donovan-sphr-shrm-scp/

Additional Resources about Teams, Communication, and Creating a Great Work Environment:

Wired to Connect The Brain Science of Teams and a New Model for Creating Collaboration and Inclusion

By Britt Andreatta, Ph.D

Dare to Lead Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

By Brené Brown

The Thin Book of Trust An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work

By Charles Feltman

Think Again The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

By Adam Grant