In managing any workplace team, communication is pivotal. Indeed, one of the marks of an effective leader is his or her ability to vary communication styles to address each team member in a way that connects. This can be easier said than done, yet there are a number of digital technologies that make team communication easier.
In other words, one of the best ways to communicate more effectively with your team is to create a digital workspace—an environment where everyone has easy access to digital communication tools. In this post, we’ll offer a few general guidelines for making that happen.
The Benefits of Digital Tools
First things first: What are the benefits of digital communication in the workplace? Consider that there are a number of different types of digital communication tools you can bring into your workplace, from basic chat applications and instant messaging to file-sharing and collaboration platforms. Often, the best approach is the integrative one—bringing together different tools to enhance your teamwork and communication.
As you consider different digital tools for your business, look in particular for these benefits:
- Ease of communication. Digital tools should make it less burdensome to communicate within your team, not more complex.
- A good digital work solution keeps everyone on the same page at all times. When you use technology at work, it should help everyone see the big picture more clearly.
- Increased productivity. Rather than being a time vampire, your digital communication platform should save employees time and hassle.
How to Improve Team Communication Using Digital Tools
Selecting the right tools is critical—but even once you’ve got a system in place, there’s much work to be done actually using those tools to boost your teamwork and your workplace communication.
As the leader or manager, you set the tone here, and it’s important to marry your digital communication tools to your well-honed team management skills. Some specific tips we’d offer include:
- Don’t treat digital platforms as a replacement for face-to-face communication. While it can often be nice to pose a quick question in Slack or via Skype, you’ll ultimately want to have more serious or weighty interactions directly.
- Always think before hitting the send button! Again, as the leader, you set the tone—and it’s important to always maintain the proper tone and civility level in all your digital communications. You can’t unsend digital communications, so be careful!
- Be mindful not just about how you communicate, but when. In order to help achieve work-life balance within your company culture, it’s important to avoid late-night or after-hours communication. Set a good example for your team, and know when to log off for the night! This is one of the oldest email management tips in the book, yet it’s important enough to reiterate here.
- Avoid over-communicating. Remember that just because you can reach out to someone via a messaging program, that doesn’t always mean you have something important to say!
- Make sure everyone on your team has access to the right training for these digital communication platforms. Remember that not every employee will have familiarity with cutting-edge, collaborative tools. Ensure your IT crew is able to get everyone up to speed.
Manage Your Team with Salient Networks
Digital communication tools can help you boost your team management skills and create a more productive, collaborative, and efficient work environment. This requires not just the right technology, but also the right strategy—and Salient Networks can assist with both.
Our ITaaS services are geared toward helping business clients make wise, strategic decisions about their technology needs. We’d love to help you discover some of the efficient IT services that can make your business run more effectively. Reach out to Salient Networks, a leading expert in technology and business, today, and let’s schedule a consultation!