You hear it all the time; teams, relationships, and businesses fail most often because of lack of communication. We know that to succeed we all need to be on the same page, but why is it that so often communication is put on the backburner?
In many cases people don’t realize that they struggle with communication until there is a severe problem. Like a game of telephone, words can get misconstrued when passed from person to person in the chain of communication.
For many businesses, this severe miscommunication is something that they cannot afford. During this time of uncertainty with the world put on pause and workers being sent home, communication is more important than ever.
Miscommunications tend to occur when individuals forget that their interpretation of the world is not the only interpretation of the world. It is important to look through the lens of others to gather a well rounded perspective of any situation. Many professionals know this to be true, yet proper communication can fall to the wayside when panic ensues.
It is important that during this time of confusion, the whole company is on the same page with a united policy and procedure. With managers separated physically from their teams, communication skills of teams are put to the test and efficiency is even more important to cutting costs when possible.
Communication can be bolstered during this time of social distancing through fast modes of communication with clear and consistent messaging. Keeping these concepts at the forefront as a reminder of where to improve will no doubt help communication remain solid as working from home becomes a widespread norm. However, this test in communication should be used as a learning experience for many companies when they return to normal business activity.
Communication should always be a priority and these trying times should be evidence of its importance.
What about you and your organization’s communication strategies have you noticed since working from home?