Clear and effective communication can be challenging - especially within today’s hybrid model of work.
But whether you’re meeting with an internal team or communicating with vendors or clients, communication remains at the foundation of a successful workplace.
No matter the industry, streamlining workplace communication can save time, reduce costs, increase productivity, and boost morale. Start improving hybrid team communication today by following these five tips:
Create a strategy
The best way to see results is to come up with an end goal and how you want to achieve it. Start by examining your current team communications plan and identify areas of improvement. Pose key questions to your team.
Ask yourself what works - and what isn't working? How do you communicate with your hybrid teams? How do you efficiently connect with others when you are on-premise at the office? What produces successful communication when you or your team are working remotely?
Examine communication technology
From advanced content sharing to hybrid meeting room solutions, there are plenty of technological tools to help you improve workplace communication.
Once you've identified your team’s pain points in communication, the next step is to seek solutions that target those specific aspects in a workflow.
For example, if you're looking for a way to make meetings more efficient, or to consolidate different pieces of content in one place for presentations or project meetings, consider using visual collaboration software.
Enable rapid sharing of cross-platform content
Platforms for sharing content and virtual communication is a necessity in today’s hybrid workplace. From CRMs to productivity tools, different departments across an organization often have different needs - making standardization between consistent software platforms challenging across the board.
The best way to support employees using the most efficient tools for their team without sacrificing cross-departmental communication is by investing in cross-platform technology.
Wireless device sharing solutions like ThinkHub visual collaboration software, allow everyone on a team or in a meeting to share active web-based platforms as well as images, PDFs, video files and more - all on one massive, interactive Canvas.
Encourage face-to-face communication
As we’ve learned throughout the pandemic, there is inherent business value in face-to-face communication that gets lost through other forms of communication. However, with the rise of video conferencing, we also know that real-time face-to-face communication is possible with just a single tap to start in BlueJeans, Webex, MS Teams, and Zoom.
Now, executives can join meetings across the country, connect with alternate branches across the globe, or speak with remote employees all via video conferencing. Video conferencing often builds a greater sense of camaraderie between participants.
However, it’s important to note that simple video conferencing is often not enough for a full collaboration session when you’re looking at more than a single piece of content...
This is where visual collaboration software comes into play.
Find creative + engaging ways to communicate
The more creative and interactive you can be with your communication platforms, the greater audience engagement. Interactive collaboration technology reduces distance disparity by allowing participants to contribute to a meeting remotely, just as if they were in the room.
What’s more, studies show that higher levels of interaction increases knowledge retention post meeting - meaning that participants are able to be more productive after a meeting and follow-up with team members more effectively.
To discover how ThinkHub collaboration software can improve your team’s communication in the workplace, schedule a demo today.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and relevance.
Additional Resources:
3 Essentials to a Successful Remote Collaboration Session
Visual Collaboration vs. Video Conferencing: What To Use And When
Six Powerful Remote Work Trends: New Research on Meetings and Digital Communication
Reimagining the Spaces We Collaborate In
A Look Inside Today’s Typical Work Environment
Originally published March 2nd, 2017, updated March 2nd, 2021