If you have ever worked with a group of people, you’ll know the importance of good team communication between all members to avoid duplicating tasks, work towards the same goals, meet deadlines and more.
From companies and startups of all sizes, to digital businesses in the hands of an entrepreneur, and freelancers working on multiple team projects, using internal communication tools and strategies is key. You can even use different tools to help you structure your strategies and outline better results.
Understanding the importance of communication in work teams
The main goal of good communication is to allow entire teams to work together and achieve business objectives, from the development of specific projects to the progress of the business itself.
Good communication within a company ensures that everyone knows what the current reality of the organization is, and where it wants to go.
It also increases the sense of belonging among employees, and works as a great strategic tool for advancing the company, in addition to being a tactic for reacting positively in times of crisis.
Team communication involves:
1 – Fluidity in teamwork: it is very likely that things will not work out without good internal communication between the members of a work team. To ensure fluidity, everyone must stay coordinated and understand what phase they are working on, why each task is necessary, and how their performance will affect the next phase of the project.
A good way of working with fluidity is to create a decision tree online, where you and your team can build a clear picture of exactly what impacts your business decisions. It also allows you to predict different scenarios based on the chosen situation.
2 – Overall productivity: imagine that your company is about to launch a new campaign, but due to lack of communication, the person responsible for communicating with customers doesn’t send out the appropriate newsletter. This would be a waste of all the effort invested, right?
Once again, the solution is to rely on internal communication tools to update all team members in real time. Ultimately, when everyone is working in alignment, productivity increases.
3 – Project status monitoring: one of the most powerful advantages of internal communication tools is that they allow you to control an entire work team – which, in turn, favors the delegation of tasks to lower functions in the team.
Monitor the workload of all users to avoid overloads and downtime, the project status, whether or not they are meeting deadlines, and much more. Should unforeseen events occur, you can update everyone through the comments or using another contact option.
4 – Solving problems: blockages sometimes arise and prevent us from moving forward. Contact with the team helps to consider other points of view and improve our processes and projects, which is crucial to continue evolving.
5 – Document processes and share files: it can be easy to lose track of data or make inappropriate changes when multiple people are working on the same file. Effective software can help you stay in control of your data.
Working with a professional tool, we can share information between members and back up data online, for example.
Team communication challenges
One of the greatest challenges to communication is getting the attention of employees and team members. As beneficial as technology may be, it can also generate distractions in our day to day work.
In the midst of so much information, routines and emails, it can be difficult letting employees know what’s happening around them, and which official announcements and project updates to pay attention to.
Therefore, it is essential to invest in modern communication technologies and tools, increasingly involving employees and making them more engaged and productive.
Other challenges that can harm the relationship between entire teams include a lack of communication skills among project leaders, a lack of resources, and difficulty in engaging employees.
Nine tools for improving communication in your team
1 – Miro: this is a free digital tool for collective work, providing an “infinite frame” for sticking notes on a desktop and collaborating on projects, presentations, workshops and meetings.
Miro facilitates several project creation tasks, such as the formulation of mind maps and flows, research planning, development of sketches and drafts of digital interfaces, strategic project creation, workshops and many other activities related to professional or personal projects.
2 – Slack: a business messaging app that connects people with the information they need. Bringing people together to work as a unified team, Slack transforms the way organizations communicate.
The tool lets users create a virtual workspace where team members can communicate and exchange files. Even if you haven’t used it yet, you’ve probably heard of Slack, due to its growing popularity. Its intuitive interface allows you to:
- Create private chats;
- Sort conversations into groups;
- Create topics and tag important conversations;
- Share files by integrating other apps – like Dropbox or Google Drive;
- Make video calls for desktop, Android and iOS.
3 – Twist: an internal communication tool similar to Slack, Twist saves covered topics forever, so you can return to them later.
In Slack, at least in its free version, there is a limit on accumulated messages. Conversations are organized into topics and these, in turn, into subtopics for greater control over progress.
In addition to this point in its favor, Twist includes a search engine to speed up searches for topics covered and imported files.
4 – Teams: one of the most advanced internal communication apps. Among its many options, users can group conversations, receive notifications and check the status of fellow team members.
Other functionalities include:
- Chat with options to create thematic groups or communicate only with some people in the group;
- Team calls, which let you organize your work and integrate productivity tools like Trello, Dropbox and Google Drive;
- A great calendar, with features for taking notes of meetings and important dates, and creating groups for meetings or quick conversations.
5 – Skype: one of the most traditional, simple and well-known communication tools for work teams, Skype is used for individual or group conversations, and for making calls. The software is used by millions of users and will likely continue to dominate the voice chat market for some time to come, despite strong competition.
6 – Happydonia: incorporating team communication functionalities similar to Teams, this tool also includes features that facilitate access to each member’s personal data; for example, payroll, certificates, vacations, time stamps and performance reviews. In addition, it improves the experience of team members through participation and active listening.
7 – Zoom: this video conferencing service allows you to create different rooms and sub-teams to discuss specific topics, leading to positive work experiences.
Its features include:
- A clean, simple and easy to use interface;
- Quick-toggle camera and microphone;
- Virtual backgrounds;
- Ability to share ones computer screen to give a presentation;
- Ability to record calls for later viewing.
8 – Troop Messenger: this platform facilitates communication between work team members. While it isn’t free, it does offer a competitive monthly plan.
Troop Messenger offers audio and video calling as well as file sharing, as well as individual and group chats with the possibility of sending self-destructing messages.
9 – Brosix: a team communication tool that is available on multiple platforms – Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS, in addition to the web version.
This tool is designed to meet the needs of work teams of all sizes, through audio and video calls, chat rooms and communication channels. In addition, Brosix offers a private intranet and collaboration tools to enhance the teamwork experience.
Whether your team is working in the office or remotely, internal communication tools are crucial for maintaining productivity throughout the year. Strong team communication is essential to deliver optimized projects and improve organization at work.
