A streamlined and efficient internal communication line is indispensable in today’s fast-evolving corporate landscape. Many a time there’s no link between organization leaders and employees. This state can have drastic implications on the growth and poor client satisfaction rates. If there’s one common thread that can bridge this gap effectively, it is communication. While companies are spending heftily on IT infrastructure, the communication architecture aspect needs simultaneous attention as well.
According to a recent report by WorkForce, 60% of companies do not have a long-term internal communications strategy in place. However, developing a detail-oriented plan isn’t a mammoth activity in the first place. All you need to do is identify the struggles and come up with suitable actions accordingly. This blog discusses the importance and benefits of communication in an organization.
Communication Architecture — At a Glance
Communication architecture is defined as the passage of information among individuals of the organization based on some key metrics such as frequency and fidelity. Now, a communication plan can be put into action either with the organization’s internal team or a cross-functional unit involving clients.
Ever wondered why the support team doesn’t always meet the expectations of the development team in your organization? One of the main reasons for this can be the miscommunication between the two parties. It is duly noted that it doesn’t take long for this miscommunication to happen with one of your clients. As a result, you need to provide the utmost importance to communication.
The Importance of Communication in Your Organization
- Eliminating misunderstanding: Any misunderstanding can have a great impact on the organization’s growth rate. While misunderstanding within your own organization can lead to repetition in work or reduced productivity, you cannot expect the same when it comes to clients. With clients expecting high-quality work, misinterpreting the context or stepping into the project without proper communication can significantly hamper client-employee relations.
- Enhanced coordination and knowledge-sharing attributes: Communication can build better rapport among team members and instills the trust factor among customers. Also, knowledge-sharing can pave the way for better ideas and strategies in any project. In many cases, this will result in improving cost-effectiveness and reducing the time consumption of any project.
- Job satisfaction and improved business results: According to a recent survey by Queens University, nearly 40% of the employees opined that their organization does not collaborate enough among employees. This can directly affect the employee job satisfaction rate. By ensuring the employees that the organization values their services, you can boost your overall business results effortlessly.
Finding What Works for Your Company
Communication is a significant aspect of any successful organization. There are no hard and fast rules to make communication architecture work seamlessly, but there are ways to find what works best for your business.
Implementing a strong plan isn’t just about developing a list of activities. It’s about choosing the right mix of tools that will help you leverage your organization’s internal or external communications in the best possible manner. With the right communication architecture, you can effectively engage your employees and clients better.
Tips on How to Create the Right Architecture for Communications
Develop a Detailed Communication System
Companies often make the mistake of creating a generic system that doesn’t meet their specific needs. With such an approach, neither the organization nor any partner will see significant results in the long run.
Manage Expectations
Once a plan is in place, it’s important to evaluate and manage certain factors such as external customers’ expectations and internal team dynamics. Without proper management, any kind of miscommunication or assumptions can cost you dearly in terms of time and money.
Streamline Communication Channels
It’s best practice to have a streamlined communication channel in place for an organization, regardless of its size or scale. Having two systems in place can lead to confusion or inefficiencies.
Define Metrics
Understanding metrics is crucial for any business looking to make improvements in its process. By defining metrics, you can clearly understand any progress made and define other areas for improvement.
Work on Strategic Alignment
It’s important that every department within your organization understands its role and responsibility in maintaining a smooth flow of data. Without proper alignment, even the best-designed plan will fail to offer value.
Develop an Efficient Business Process
It’s important to implement a system that can bring everyone on the same page. A system can help employees understand the company’s goals, tasks, and make it easier to share data using an integrated platform. Whether you’re creating a new system or enhancing your existing one, it’s important that the process is efficient and aligns with your company goals.
Strategies To Embed Communication Architectures
Communication not only focuses on making the right decision but also ensures that it has been taken at the correct time. Here are some handy strategies worth considering:
- Strike the chord between relevancy and need: Numerous topics can come up during team meetings and discussions. By ensuring that the topic of discussion is relevant and important, you can inculcate value among team members and provide a healthy work environment.
- The work environment can have a greater impact: A friendly environment among peers of the organization can lead to better operational efficiency. Hence, eliminate the hierarchical communication model and bring about a revolution of speaking up appropriately. This way, instead of building pressure on the entire unit, communication architecture can lead to better decision-making and tolerance for mistakes.
It’s Time to Introduce Streamlined Communications
Now that you have identified the role of communication architecture and its potential for transforming the entire work environment, it’s time to modernize your approach. In case you need any assistance with regards to communication architecture, we, at WayPath, can help you with the best communications management infrastructure for your organization in the shortest possible time.
