17 ideas and tools to strengthen sharing and communication in organizations

By Christian Élongué

Man by essence is a communicating being. And as long as companies are made up of humans, communication will remain a key factor in growth and performance. Communication whether internal or external is essential for sharing knowledge and building a learning organization.

According to the Holmes Report, companies with effective communication strategies have 47% higher shareholder returns, more engaged employees, and lower employee turnover.

According to a Harvard Business Review study, the degree of collaboration between workers and their leaders has increased by 50% or more over the past two decades. Moreover, employees now spend nearly 80% of their time on collaborative activities. The problem is that employees have very little time to actually work.

HBR's study confirms this finding by showing that 20-35% of the contributions that add real value come from only 3-5% of employees. So while collaboration is increasing, fewer people are turning it into productivity. This does not mean, however, that collaboration is a bad thing. In this article, I'm going to share 17 ideas (new and classic) and tools to improve communication and collaboration practices in business.

1. Classic emails
   
   Email is one of the classic tools for corporate communication and this is because employees already expect to receive emails; so their attention is almost often earned email can bring together all the other channels of internal communication, including videos, podcasts and corporate PR.
   
   Tip: One of the best email services specifically geared towards internal communication is "Contact Monkey".
   
   
2. Use video more.
   
   With Millennials (born between 1980 and 1995) making up about 50% of the workforce, and Generation Z (1995-2015) starting to join the workforce, video is a must-have medium. Considering that 48% of workers consider video to be the most engaging form of communication, you'd be remiss not to incorporate video into your internal communications. And according to a report from Melcrum, "93% of internal communication professionals believe video has become essential."
   However, many companies don't realize the power that video has both externally and internally. Using audio and video is far more entertaining and engaging for your team than reading a long email. Here are some examples of practices that would be better communicated and documented through video:
   
   Recognition programs are ineffective"
   
   This makes sense because we all appreciate being recognized and celebrated for our efforts. Having tools that recognize and celebrate employees in a timely manner is therefore a great way to retain them longer with the company. Since resigning and hiring a new employee proves to be very costly for any company, I encourage you to explore corporate employee recognition and reward tools.
   
   Tip: Bucketlist provides you with over 10000 corporate reward ideas and allows employees to indicate their preferences.
   
   
3. Digital whiteboards
   
   They facilitate brainstorming and visual thinking. However, if your team isn't in the same room, you often have to dive into back-and-forth emails to explain a concept to your peers. To solve this crucial problem, digital whiteboard tools have been developed. I particularly recommend:
   
   -ConceptBoard which has a free plan with limited features. The pro plan starts at $7 $5month), Business ($9.5/user/month).
   -Microsoft Whiteboard which is a free download but part of the Office 365 suite
   -Google Jamboard starting at $4,999 (includes 1 Jamboard display, 2 styli, 1 eraser, and 1 wall mount) + $600 annual management and support fee.
   
   
4. Having a collaborative business planning tool
   
   Your level of planning directly influences your level of productivity. While you can plan your day or month on your own, sometimes it's important to do it as a team or department, as it allows you to know what hours your colleagues have free and plan accordingly.
   
   Tip: Basecamp and the Office 365 suite have a collaborative calendar for this purpose. Both tools will allow you to be more transparent in scheduling and limit the number of unnecessary questions and email exchanges, increasing your productivity.
   
   
5. Institute an open door policy
   
   In my workplace in Ghana, the door to the HR Director's office is always open. This encourages employees to easily come up to her to share and builds a sense of closeness and collaboration.
   
   In general, allowing your employees to have and share their opinions is one of the most effective ways to improve motivation in the workplace. Encourage two-way feedback and insist that their opinions will not affect their position in the company.
   
   Tip: An open door policy reduces reporting relationships and helps employees realize that their opinions and thoughts matter.
   
   
6. Publish a monthly company newsletter
   
   This gives you an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of the company, its products and services, especially to new employees who may need to familiarize themselves with company processes and procedures. It also helps to inform employees of the latest developments and performance indicators.
   
   Hint: As it is only published once a month, it is likely not to be dismissed as spam.

In conclusion

It is the people within the organization that make the business possible. If they communicate effectively, they will progress, and so will the company.

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