With the majority of the population working from home and socially distancing to stop the spread of Covid-19, boardroom meetings have turned into Zoom calls, office friendships have moved over to Slack and WhatsApp, and there is an enormous physical separation between colleagues. This past year has upended the corporate office structure as we know it and has brought on many unique challenges that, if not overcome, can negatively contribute to the long-term success of a company.
Entrepreneurs leading fast-growing companies with expanding workforces need to ensure that they adjust to this new reality and implement new strategies to deal with the communication challenges posed by a virtual workforce.
Internal communication is the heartbeat of a company and is vitally important if an organization is to function effectively. In our new socially-distanced world, employees should feel that they can easily communicate with their team members and leadership. Unfortunately, the current work environment can lead to situations where:
Entrepreneurs play a critical role in keeping their employees informed, motivated, and hopeful. This can be done by leading the way with clear and effective communication that brings confidence and unifies the company to not only fight to exist, but to truly thrive despite challenging circumstances. Well-thought-out strategies to improve internal communication can have a direct impact on success in 2021 and beyond.
Related: How to Improve Communication With Your Remote Team
Here are 10 things you can do to improve internal communication:
Many of us are still uncertain about what a post-Covid normal looks like, but we do know that remote work will continue for the foreseeable future. Adding new systems and communication tactics are a great way to improve engagement and boost performance.
One major thing that the past year has taught us is that virtual communication has its drawbacks and that mediocre internal communication can ultimately stifle performance if left ignored.