Streamlining Communication In The Workplace

streamlining communication in the workplace

Everyone from the newest employees to top-level executives at a company all want the same thing; seamless access to information. Regardless of the type of information needed, accessibility to data and the clarity to understand it are crucial for good, timely decisions to be made and action plans developed.

The best way to pass pertinent information to others in the workplace can vary, but companies should always be looking for ways to streamline their workplace communication and many companies have found new, innovative ways to do exactly that. Conference room meetings and email chains with countless people are no longer the best way to pass a message through a company.

Companies on the cutting edge of workplace communication are spreading their information to their peers through collaborative apps and tools, data visualization platforms and unified data sources to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

Collaborative Apps & Tools

The default mode of communication within larger companies is still generally email, but some organizations are moving away from that because the receivers still need to open the email to get the info. Sometimes senders even have to use click-bait within their own workplace to get their coworkers to open an email. A study by Deloitte revealed that only 14 percent of surveyed company executives were completely satisfied with their organization’s ability to communicate and collaborate. Sixty-five percent said that addressing communication and collaboration challenges is a critical strategic priority for them.

With technology becoming more intuitive and easy to use by the day, companies are beginning to adopt software platforms that are changing the way their employees communicate on a daily basis. Companies are using these apps and tools to host video conferences, assign projects and instant message coworkers. Email is not as immediate as a private messaging app, so having some sort of messaging tool that allows workers the ability to contact anyone within the organization directly will help speed up communication. Faster communication allows for information to change hands at a greater rate, which results in faster decision making.

Data Visualization In The Workplace

Mass amounts of data in a text format is one of the worst ways to feed information to employees because it’s difficult to comprehend. That’s why data visualization platforms are gaining steam. These platforms translate numeric structured data into charts and graphs to simplify takeaways and ensure accurate findings.

Our brains are better suited for images. In fact, human brains process images 60,000 times faster than text and 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual. Organizations can implement smart platforms that automate charts and graphs from large piles of text-formatted data to improve what their employees are seeing and how much information they are retaining. Data visualization and engaging data presentation formats also boost the bottom line as they help employees spot trends and interesting patterns that may have gone unnoticed.

Increased Emphasis On Sharing Data

While data analytics are beginning to become more commonplace within companies, access to data is often limited. Some companies only allow their data analysts to interact with data and that adds a layer to the communication hierarchy, as well as reduces the data team’s bandwidth to tackle more important organizational data initiatives. But even if data teams are able to streamline report building — without employees taking it upon themselves to share information, everyone else will be in the dark. Creating policies that encourage employees and teams to share relevant data throughout the organization keeps departments on the same page, reduces data report backlogs and speeds up decision making.

Communication is continually evolving in the workplace and there are many ways to improve the speed and ease of a single message. Technology and the use of data analytics play a big factor in company productivity and long-term growth. Using collaborative apps and tools, digestible data visualization platforms and widening employee access to data are just a few ways to streamline workplace communication.

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