The internal business communication is one of the most important elements for the management of the business. Having an efficient message, the groups become more aligned and productive, and the occurrence of internal conflict tends to decay.
For that reason, it is important to have adequate tools for business communication, that would help to optimize dialogue and make it become faster, qualified and precise. Besides, it is necessary to know how to implement them and keep their maintenance in an efficient way.
Having that in mind, this text has been created especially for you! Continue with the reading and become familiarized with business communication, as well as learning more about 8 tools to facilitate its use inside a company. Keep up with it!
What is internal business communication?
In a corporative environment, the sharing of relevant and strategic information is really important. And that is exactly what constitutes internal business communication: it establishes channels in order to keep collaborators aligned and engaged with the ideals and purposes of the organization.
That occurs through stimulus and conduct that enable the company to reach its objectives. The exchanging of information about the evolution of the enterprise allows everyone to know how the development of the company has been– what grants transparency.
Therefore, with internal business communication, the relationship becomes agile and exact. Besides, it occurs both in a vertical and horizontal way: that is, from the mangers to the collaborators (and vice-versa) and among the professionals who have the same hierarchic level. That is why it is vital for the development and survival of the organization.
One of the merits of internal communication is to avoid the occurrences of crisis situations. That is because since all the members of the team are constantly informed about what goes on in the company, there are no unpleasant surprises when this information is spread externally.
Why is it important?
When the internal communication is efficient, it helps on the resolution of even performance problems – especially those related to the team’s motivation. The reason for that is because the professionals feel valued by the company and become defenders of the brand.
The alignment and the motivation of workers grant more competitiveness to the organization. Therefore, that makes the company outstanding in relation to the competition – after all, the areas are more engaged in reaching the best results.
It is the internal communication that makes the bridge among the collaborators of different groups in all the departments of the company. This internal communication both presents new members and recognizes deliveries and achievements. That, consequently, facilitates interaction, improves the organizational environment and stimulates interpersonal relationships.
A study from Tower Watson showed that enterprises which have the best financial results have an efficient internal communication. In general, the successful companies worry about improving and invest in training for the managers to communicate better with their teams.
How does internal business communication works?
The internal business communication does not restrict itself to the circulation of a kind of newspaper and some emails or bureaucratic announcements for the collaborators. It is required to go beyond that and include the workers as active subjects in the production process. For that, various means and strategies may be used.
As every action starts with communication, it helps to guide the enterprise in the world of business. Flaws in this process can cause financial loss, but the worst thing is when these mistakes put in risk the organizational atmosphere of the company – since that can bring lots of difficulties.
For that reason, the sharing of information through internal business communication must contribute to improvements and to the achievement of the company objectives. After all, it is this strategy that allows the subordinates to know about how the company is structured, what is expected from them, suggestions, solutions, and so on.
Which are the tools for business communication?
There are many ways of making the internal processes flow. You can see, as it follows, good tool options in business communication that may increment these processes and make them more efficient.
1. The message board
This is one of the simplest and traditional tools, but it is still very efficient. The message board is a kind of board in which you put on important messages or announcements. It must be put in a place with a high flux of staff (near the electronic point, the drinking fountain, and other similar places), and visible to all.
Its objective is to communicate about important events, such as meetings, training or evaluations that require the presence of the collaborators. In bigger companies, the message board can be divided into areas or groups. Moreover, it needs to be constantly updated.
This method is not indicated to be used alone – other more technological resources need to be included in order to connect the teams and make sure there is synergy.
2. The intranet
The intranet is an internal net of computers. It works as the internet, but in a private way and inside the limits of the institution. Its access is only allowed to the staff of the company themselves or to other authorized people.
The purpose of this tool is to interconnect the various departments of the company, even if they are physically separated. In that way, professionals have access to the internal information with more agility, what contributes to the increase in productivity.
Besides, with the intranet, it is possible to make the virtual distribution for training, important announcements, development reports, promotional materials, among others.
3. The suggestion box
The suggestion box is another instrument that is much used in organizations. Its objective is to collect creative ideas to solve problems or optimize activities in the company. In the internal communication, it enables professionals that feel uncomfortable to speak in public to express their opinions.
In order for this tool to really work, however, it is important to:
- Define a focus for the ideas (such as the improvement of customer service, the improvement of the product and others). When there is no focus, the creative process is damaged.
- Establish the rules to select the best ideas and what will the rewards offered be. Consequently, the workers will feel more motivated to participate.
This resource is very practical. When applied in the correct way, it may produce great results at all levels of the organization.
4. The corporative video
The video is a big ally to the internal business communication, thanks to its agility and dynamism. In bigger companies with branches, it is even possible to make live transmissions for all the board of personnel, which saves time and money.
The most interesting thing is that, nowadays, this tool is available for all. You can make Skype calls or produce videos that are more professional, edit them and share them in training, integrations, and others.
Through the videos, it is possible to transmit important information, messages of high administration and talk about the releasing of products and services. It is, whatsoever, a lighter and more pleasant way of communicating inside the company.
5. The software on demand
The software is a more robust solution, capable of resolving great part of the problems and integrating various functions in a single place. In this way, it is possible to centralize communication and eliminate the need for using lots of tools.
This is the most secure and the fastest means of communication because the data is encrypted and transmitted in real time. Together with the use of software, it is possible to better manage the team, to delegate and control duties and still increase the productivity.
Besides all that, the software can be developed on demand, according to the need of each company. You may include or eliminate certain functionalities.
6. The mobile apps
The apps are becoming more popular each day, because, after all, everybody has a smartphone nowadays. Moreover, this is a solution that offers more mobility – everybody can carry the app everywhere, on the palm of their hands.
Nowadays, there is a big variety of these tools. Using an app, one can publish information, segment the internal public and construct groups.
7. The corporative email
The email is still a very effective tool for the communication with the internal public. By making use of that, it is possible to send messages to the whole group at once, what grants a faster speed to the business communication.
In this case, it is important to keep the frequency and the quality of the information, besides stimulating the participation of the personnel. It is possible to share news about the company, as well as sending spreadsheets, reports and other documents. It also makes it easier to file and find older information.
It is important not to use free accounts (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo and other similar ones). Opt for the corporative email to have more credibility and safety in the exchange of information.
8. The social networks
Using social networks is an innovative way to optimize the internal communication. This tool is gaining more and more space in organizations because it is capable of integrating a great number of people and stimulate the exchanging of ideas.
However, some precautions are needed so that the personnel doesn’t get distracted with parallel activities. So, it is essential to clarify the purpose of the network, to create a manual for conduct and establish a moderator which will be responsible to approve the posts.
This tool has been very much used in the remote work when professionals need to work from home or during trips. It is important to remember that this model of work has been growing exponentially in Brazil.
These are some of the main tools for internal communication. In order to choose the ideal one, it is important to reflect upon the needs and the size of the enterprise. In bigger companies, one may opt for more robust and professional tools.
On top of all, it is necessary to stimulate the participation of the leaders in the continuous improvement of internal communication. A clear dialogue must start from the top: for that reason, leaders must construct a good relationship with the ones being led.
Now that you know the main tools for business communication, how about taking the opportunity to share this knowledge with your friends? Share our content on your social networks so that other interested people may also have access to it!
