Communicating effectively is imperative to both professional and personal success. A close-knit working environment that emphasizes the importance of communication can positively impact not only teams, but the individuals within those teams, leading to a stronger workplace and greater organizational effectiveness. Sounds simple, right? The task of achieving cross-functionality is difficult in that each employee might not communicate the same way, and the work environment can either help or hinder productivity.
Finding the Best Way to Communicate
There are several platforms where communication can take place, and taking the time to figure out which is preferred in your workplace is crucial. Do you answer when someone calls, or do you let it go to voicemail and follow up with an email instead? From millennials to baby boomers, workers have different expectations about how to best access information. Whether it is email, texting, Google Chat or Slack, finding the most effective way to connect on a variety of platforms can lead to better engagement. Understanding what your employees or clients respond to will ultimately help you master the goal of achieving cross-functional communication.
Becoming a Better Communicator
No matter what industry you work in, communication is the foundation of the company. Are you looking to become a better communicator while completing your daily tasks? Some ways to achieve the skill of great communication are to listen, pay close attention to body language (as it can tell you just as much as what a person says), and keep criticism constructive when giving feedback. In addition, try letting your guard down to a co-worker or boss, and get to know their lives outside of work while sharing some about yours as well. Creating a comfort zone, a positive workplace, and keeping an open mind to how others communicate will lead to a more successful team.
The Benefits of Cross-Functional Communication
We all work with people every day, whether it is within our office space or on meetings with clients and members. The Columbus Chamber of Commerce currently has more than 1,400 members, which makes it vital to understand how to best engage our members. We understand that not every person we interact with on a daily basis will respond to one type of communication. Each and every member deserves a distinct relationship, and it is our job to treat members in a way that is unique to their preferred method of communication. We have one-on-one meetings, topic-focused consultations, a variety of targeted events, and follow-up with a Member Satisfaction Survey to keep tabs on the effectiveness of our communication to members.
The Columbus Chamber works with its members to provide service-based resources to its members, including consultations on how to effectively communicate in the workplace. To learn more about the Chamber, please visit Columbus.org.
— The Columbus Chamber of Commerce offers news, information and other resources that are free and available to all businesses at columbus.org. —
