Making sure the company’s internal communication contributes to building an inclusive, friendly, and trustworthy company culture is vital for the success of the company and the happiness of the employees.
Jade Francine is the COO and Co-founder of WeMaintain – a tech-enabled maintenance company that empowered engineers, shares her 5 tips on how to successfully communicate to amplify company culture.
Know who you are speaking to
Everyone has different personalities, backgrounds, and preferences of how they wish to communicate. Leaders should emphasise building a community and offering support networks where everyone – whether being extrovert or introvert, or working remotely or in the office – should feel they have a voice. Get out there and ask questions, have informal chats, and schedule 1:1 meetings with your employees to get to know them better. It is also valuable to organise team outings, if possible. Not only does it bolster the company culture but also gives you an opportunity to see how people act in groups, etc. The ultimate goal should be to create a safe environment for everyone to be able to speak up and have a voice.
Make remote workers feel part of the team
Remote work requires a different approach to leadership. For those leading remote or hybrid companies, they need to have leaders who are also remote – it means not everything happens at the office. In addition, working with external contractors, consultants or freelancers requires business leaders to integrate them the same way as they do with a full-time team. Encourage regular conversions, check-ins, and invite remote workers to the scheduled meetings. Having a framework and online tools to facilitate communication is key.
Use technology that will maximise the impact
As communication is broken by remote and hybrid working, businesses must ratify their core principles, or risk losing grip on their identity as new habits take hold.
Business leaders should make sure they have proper online tools and resources to communicate effectively. For example, checking in with employees using Slack, 15five, and virtual 1on1 coffees with the team, etc.
Create an “open door” policy
Remove the hierarchical structure and be approachable regardless of your title. Start with looking at yourself as a leader and how you communicate and how approachable you are. It’s important to be as communicative as you expect others to be. Create a culture of open communication throughout your whole organisation – this will set the standard for all the other ways a company communicates.
Lastly, don’t forget to listen. Keep in mind that innovation and solutions do not come from where you think they would come from normally. Keep an open mind and keep listening to all your team across the organisation. Facilitating two-way conversations is a much greater way to ensure that a wide array of voices in the organisation get heard.
Be transparent – Share company priorities and progress frequently
Effective communication is vital to the success of the company and the happiness of employees. Good internal communication often speaks volumes about the organisation’s overall health itself. Being authentic and transparent with the team, clients, and partners is important. This will help to build an inclusive, friendly, and trustworthy company culture. Communicating the company’s goals and priorities with the entire team will contribute to a sense of belonging and purpose. A company that has an inclusive and transparent approach, and that is investing sustainably in its staff does a better job of retaining them long-term, which is itself conducive to growth.
