Establishing effective communication between employees and employers is crucial for any successful business. Streamlined communication ensures clarity, reduces misunderstandings, and enhances productivity, but it’s not always easy to navigate. To address this challenge, we’ve gathered insights from CEOs and top executives who have improved communication in their organizations.
“Expectations of communication preferences should be set immediately upon hire and be company-wide,” Bri Como, COO, says. “I have been with companies where there were multiple emails per person, depending on what department they were in. This led to things being repeatedly sent to the ‘wrong’ email or Teams account, leading to a communication breakdown.”
Cohesive channel usage and organized inboxes must also be accompanied by clear rules set by leadership. Employees and employers can find balance in their communications by prioritizing tasks and setting boundaries for communication channels to respect out-of-office hours.
“If the issue is urgent and needs immediate intervention, chat and call work best,” says Ann Kuss, CEO. “If a question needs clarification or includes any documents, email is the best option.”
From limiting the number of communication channels to developing a unified company communication app, explore the 10 strategies these leaders recommend for setting and streamlining communication preferences.
Limit the number of communication channels
I think that it’s a company’s responsibility to define preferred communication channels and tools to use among all workers. What I would suggest to all managers and CEOs is to implement as few communication channels as possible. Otherwise, it will create chaos. The company should also specify which channel to use for which situation.
I usually differentiate tasks according to prioritization. If the issue is urgent and needs immediate intervention, chat and call work best (e.g., Teams, Slack, Zoom). If a question is long term, needs to be clarified, or includes any documents, email would be the best option. For tracking long-term tasks, I’d recommend choosing one project management tool (Jira, Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Monday, etc.) and sticking to it.
Businesses should also identify the working hours for all communication channels. We should respect our colleagues’ out-of-office hours and not bother them in the middle of the night unless something really critical happens. Clearly setting up rules makes communication effective.
Ann Kuss, CEO, Outstaff Your Team
Design equitable, flexible communication
There are two parts to effective employee communication: centrally providing information in a variety of formats, but also giving employees the tools and options to manage the flow of communications in a way that works for them.
This is an excellent area where equitable design is helpful: I have found that when designing effective communication, considering the perspectives and experiences of neurodivergent people is especially useful. For example, many autistic people process information differently than allistic employees.
By providing information in multiple formats (e.g., videos, written transcripts, or summaries, etc.), you’re more likely to “land” your key messages with a broader set of employees. Additionally, folks with executive functioning differences—like many people with ADHD—navigate the workplace more effectively when they have control over when and how they receive information.
To enable this, your organizational communication tools must have a degree of personalization (e.g., to set notification times and types, color variation, etc.) available so that employees can take control of their information experience. Fundamentally, the key to creating workplace communications that work for everyone is flexibility and enabling autonomy.
Aubrey Blanche-Sarellano, VP of equitable operations, Culture Amp
Categorize communication types
Having quick and efficient communication is one of the biggest challenges when working with a remote team, and it is also one of the major reasons employers are hesitant about remote work. However, setting clear communication expectations can satisfy both parties. In our organization, we use either Slack or Skype for faster communication (primary). But those aren’t the only two options.
We categorize our communication purposes into four types:
- Important updates requiring action
- Quick questions
- Sensitive topics
- Critical discussions
For important updates, notices, or any type of document sharing, we use email and expect a response time of 24 hours. For quick questions, we use Slack and expect employees to respond within two hours. For discussing sensitive topics, we schedule a 30-minute phone call, and critical discussions are held weekly—either in person or through Skype. This expectation setting ensures that employees don’t waste time and effort checking all channels every hour and can focus on their work. On the other hand, we can also relax and not anxiously wait for replies, as we have already established expected response times.
Mike Sokirka, cofounder and remote tech hiring expert, Index
Create a team ‘README’ document
One effective strategy I’ve always advocated for is the creation of a team ‘README.’ Much like a traditional README file provides installation instructions for a program or dataset, a team README offers a quick overview of how each team member prefers to work.
This practice serves as a getting to know you exercise where everyone shares their ‘instructions’ for a successful working relationship. Usually, I include details like the preferred channel to communicate, words to say versus avoid, what makes them tick, areas of improvement, and even values they care about.
Here’s how to use it: Whenever a new team is formed or there’s a newcomer, get them to fill out their README and schedule a short five minutes for them to present it to the team. Be sure to save that document somewhere. During your day-to-day when there’s a need to collaborate, simply look back at the team members’ READMEs to know exactly how and where to communicate.
Here’s a template my company uses, so feel free to download and try it with your teams: ViB’s README Exercise Template.
Mariah West, CEO and SVP of marketing, ViB
Use alias emails
Expectations of communication preferences should be set immediately upon hire and be company-wide. I have been with companies where there were multiple emails per person, depending on what department they were in. This led to things being repeatedly sent to the “wrong” email or Teams account, leading to a communication breakdown, often due to people not monitoring certain emails or accounts but not fully communicating that.
The precedent was never set to monitor all emails, and some only used their parent company email, not the entity email, but email or Teams calls were the preferred method of communication. This could have been solved if team members who had multiple emails had alias emails that were forwarded to their main or parent company email to avoid confusion or things falling through the cracks due to missed communication.
If HR and IT had worked together during the onboarding process, it would have saved much more time and effort in the long run. Working smarter rather than harder should be done from the start.
Bri Como, chief operating officer, Argon Agency
Use pulse surveys
At our company, we believe that flexible and effective communication is key to building a collaborative and inclusive workplace. We make it a priority to understand and respect the unique needs and preferences of our employees, ensuring that everyone feels heard and valued.
One approach that has really worked for us is using regular pulse surveys to gather feedback on our communication methods and overall employee satisfaction. This ongoing feedback allows us to quickly address any concerns and adapt to changing needs, making sure our interactions are always efficient and comfortable.
By staying attuned to what our employees are saying, we create a more responsive and supportive environment that boosts productivity and strengthens our organizational culture, paving the way for innovation and growth.
Jaclyn Lee, Group CHRO, Certis
Hold regular in-person team meetings
I manage a sales team, and I have found it to be imperative to have in-person meetings each week. The best model for managing my sales team is for us to meet twice per week in person.
We meet first thing Monday morning to get motivated and to set up our week properly. We discuss pending sales, sales techniques, new sales, and strategies for cultivating sales opportunities. We utilize text messaging to communicate during the week as situations present themselves. This allows for quick responses and gives my sales team the ability to communicate with me on the fly if they need help in the middle of a sales presentation.
We wrap up the week with a second in-person meeting. The vibe of this meeting is celebratory. Everyone comes to the meeting to share the sales they’ve cultivated, and everyone gets the chance to present their sales numbers to the team. We celebrate everyone’s successes, which keeps our sales team highly energized and encouraged.
While it can be tempting to use new technology, I find it extremely difficult to create dynamic energy remotely. Tried-and-true in-person meetings work best for me and help me keep my team focused and encouraged.
Thomas Minieri, founder and author, Lemonade Maker
Use games to align
Communication gaps abound in corporate America. To err is human; to communicate is human . . . thus, we err and communicate, right? To bridge some of these gaps for ourselves and our clients, we created a new approach. Cards for Culture sets the tone and opens communication lines.
Why a game? It’s a unique and fun way to engage teams (and leaders) as the cards visually represent the company’s values (called Keys to Success) and how they align with communication standards. For example, if a team values the Key to Success called “Clear Communication,” they will determine the acceptable Defining Behaviors.
What does “Clear Communication” look like on the best days? Create guidelines for success but also allow space for differences. What surfaces are commonly desired behaviors like when to speak directly to others about important issues, how avoiding drama is important, or what it means to be present at meetings.
Many organizations are not having these critical discussions with their team. They assume that teammates (old and new) have similar values (in this case, specifically communication styles)—yet this is not true. Cards for Culture involves employees in the creation of values and ensures they are thriving.
After behaviors are determined for each Key to Success (typically there are seven to 10), we encourage organizations to “Bring to Life” what they have discovered and share alignment across the company in habits, visibility, and process creation.
How could we bring to life our “Clear Communication” Key to Success? Share Keys to Success during meetings, work their introduction and early adoption into onboarding, and make them visible in common areas or on mousepads. Use the Keys as a common language and basis for interview questions or assessment questions within the performance reviews. We create habits like how we address each other in the hallways and start meetings. And we establish policy/guidelines: Email for detailed information and documentation. Phone for urgent matters. Chat for quick, informal questions. In-person meetings for collaborative discussions and problem-solving.
By leveraging tools like Cards for Culture, organizations can set a positive tone, foster open dialogue, and align communication practices with values.
Melanie Booher, president and chief creative officer, PEOPLEfirst Talent & Retention Consulting
Adapt to effective methods
While tradition would say the employer gets to set the rules around communication—selecting its preferred method—many managers find themselves using whatever method actually garners employees’ attention.
While it would be great if a company could select one preferred method and require employees to use it, the law cares only if employees and employers knew what they needed to know, not whether a particular method was used. For example, an employer can’t say in a harassment policy that employees may only email HR. Provided an employee told someone in management, the law will hold the employer to knowing.
It won’t matter if an employee didn’t use the communication method outlined in the policy; it will only matter if the employer has sufficient knowledge.
Kate Bischoff, owner, k8bisch LLC
Develop a unified company communication app
Organizations seem to calibrate communication preferences with customers reasonably well, but less so with their own people (employees, partners, collaborators). For decades, we’ve hailed (or hoped) the Intranet as the go-to portal, but sadly, that’s where (IMHO) most company information goes to die!
So, we need a vibrant and useful company app that meets people where they are (invariably on their mobile device) to select what they want to know about and how they prefer to be part of the communication value chains. This isn’t to blur personal and company access; this is a one-time preference exercise for existing and then newly joined colleagues and collaborators.
Once we have analyzed that information, we then act upon it.
Invites, messages, and interactions need a single point of access. Otherwise, we’ll continue to have multiple log-ins and platforms and a loss of coherence about where people need to be to find what is useful to them. And, importantly, interact with others.
One secure and opted-into portal to link them all. Is that so wildly nirvana-esque as to be unfeasible? I hope not. Else, I’ll see you at the Town Hall or the canteen and then on MS Teams, Slack, Notion, Telegram, WhatsApp, Jira, Oracle, Workday, Confluence, Mural, Mighty, Zoom, Asana, Gmail, Trello, Outlook, Miro, etc.
Perry Timms, chief energy officer, People and Transformational HR Ltd
Apply to the Most Innovative Companies Awards and be recognized as an organization driving the world forward through innovation. Final deadline: Friday, October 4.
