One of the workshops we offer is all about team communication. Each session varies depending on the exact needs of our client, but generally speaking we look at communication between and within teams, amongst and from management as well as delving into how different channels are being used. It may sound simple, and in some ways it is, but it’s something that a huge number of companies struggle with. A survey of 400 companies with 100,000 employees each reported an average loss of $62.4 million a year due to inadequate communication. Even smaller companies of around 100 employees lose an average of $420,000 per year. It goes without saying that our in depth workshop costs far less! 

Communication today is far more complex than it used to be; even compared to a couple of years ago in pre-pandemic times. Every company uses multiple channels, often with no real guidelines as to what each is for, most companies are still working in a hybrid way to a certain extent and many new entrants into the workplace have never benefited from watching more experienced colleagues perform their roles day-in, day-out.  Some people still haven’t met the teams they work with in person.  Unless real thought is given to communication, this is a recipe for misunderstanding, frustration and inefficiency. 

Poor communication takes its toll both on individuals and the company. Individuals experience low morale, lack of motivation and distraction from constant interruptions via digital channels and endless, repetitive meetings. Companies and teams have to deal with siloes, wasted time and lower quality work as collaboration is hampered. It’s easy to see how these very quickly add up to a significant hit to the bottom line.

So, what should you do about it? 

First of all, check in with your team. If you feel they’ll be open about it, use your next team meeting as a forum to discuss it. If you think it’ll be more insightful, put together a brief anonymous survey to assess how things are going. If there are issues and you need guidance to work through them and create a new set of communication guidelines, our workshop is just what you need; we specialise in helping teams work through these thorny issues without causing any undue friction.