Recover from Dysfunctional Internal Communication in 8 Steps

Mr. Left Hand, let me introduce you to someone. I'd like you to meet Ms. Right Hand. You'll be working together quite a bit on this job, so it's important that you communicate with one another and keep each other in the loop. Otherwise, this project could end in disaster.

Does this sound familiar? I find that many organizations function with a severe handicap--a lack of communication among their people, and it can create an atmostphere of confusion, resentment and frustration, and it can result in a complete lack of productivity.

My experience with organizations both large and small is that people are so busy and so wrapped up in their own to-do lists, that communication is often an afterthought, if that. Managers think they don't have time to communicate, but you certainly can't get back the time wasted by lack of communication. So let me share a few tips on how to improve internal communication so that you can build an atmosphere of trust, enthusiasm and productivity.

1. Send your staff a weekly e-mail that summarizes all of the important things they need to know for that week. Consolidating this into one written communication reduces inbox clutter and helps keep your people organized.

2. Keep a notebook (or electronic device) handy, and write down ideas you want to include in the memo. It's easy to forget by the end of the week.

3. Keep a communication to-do list, and mark the items as "complete" when you've done them. This may sound simple, but I find one of the biggest communication blunders of busy executives is that they THINK they communicated something, but really did not.

4. Make sure the right people are in the loop from the very beginning. Nothing brings on confusion and resentment like starting a project, but not communicating with the entire team up front.

5. If you change course or direction, make sure you TELL everyone who needs to know.

6. If you can, utilize technology such as Outlook's calendar to schedule meetings. That way, if you need to change the date or time, everyone will be in the loop. It also helps when scheduling meetings, so you can see the availability of your participants.

7. Consider developing a simple intranet for your staff, volunteers or members to access common data, event calendars and important announcements. This can be a simple, organized way to make sure everything you need to communicate is in one place.

8. Don't forget to give your folks a little face time. While technology is time saving and can be very useful, it's also important to weave-in some face-to-face communication.

Follow these simple tips, and hopefully your Left Hand and Right Hand will be working together seamlessly, and you'll have a more content and more productive workplace.