Providing your customers with the best product or service on the market starts with cultivating the best possible internal team to create it. Poor workplace communication is a death sentence for marketing teams, who rely heavily on collaboration to pump out their best ideas. When members of your team feel that their voices are heard, they feel motivated, valued, and are more likely to perform better. If your team members don’t feel heard, their work will suffer—and so will your ROI. If you are a marketer looking to increase your company’s value in an efficient and meaningful way, look no further than your internal team.
Today’s employees are thirsty for communication. In fact, 71 percent say they want their coworkers to be “like a second family” to them. To meet the demands of the workforce and continue boosting morale and productivity among your existing team, consider the following ways to cultivate strong workplace communication:
1. Increase Innovation
When employees feel comfortable openly communicating their ideas, they become more cooperative and more innovative. When they feel their creativity is stoked, team members are more likely to experiment with out-of-the-box solutions to common problems and will begin exploring more innovative ideas.
Why it matters to marketers:
The most memorable campaigns are those that challenge convention and shatter expectations. Take the Doritos “No Choice” campaign as an example. In 2016, during the height of one of America’s most notable presidential elections, Doritos partnered with Rock the Vote to encourage college students to register to vote.
Poor workplace communication is a death sentence for marketing teams, who rely heavily on collaboration to pump out their best ideas.
Doritos set up vending machines on college campuses that prompted students to answer whether or not they were registered to vote. Those who were registered got to choose between Doritos’ well-known chip flavors, nacho cheese and cool ranch. Those who weren’t registered to vote got “No Choice” Doritos—an attempt at mimicking the way those who don’t vote get no choice among the presidential candidates.
Ideas as unconventional and powerful as this can only come from employees who are passionate and excited about their work. When innovation and open communication aren’t only valued, but encouraged, your team will create work that exceeds expectations.
2. Create Cohesion
When employees communicate and bounce ideas off one another, they create cohesion among the team, which leads to an uptick in efficiency and productivity. For example, Inc. found that 73 percent of employees who say they work at a purpose-driven company are more engaged than those who don’t feel driven by purpose. Team cohesion is important because it means everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goals. It’s paramount to your success.
Why it matters to marketers:
In order to impress your clients, every person from every department needs to be operating on the same timeline and with the same goals in mind. From accounts, to creative and everything in between, open communication is the only way to ensure a project meets its deadline and meets the goals outlined in the project brief.
3. Establish Transparency
Transparency is important both internally and externally. Internally, transparency needs to exist between employees and leadership teams, so employees know the goals of the company and can do their part to reach those goals. Additionally, the more transparent leadership is with its employees, the greater the sense of trust will be throughout your organization.
To increase communication between leadership and the rest of the team, consider using the following ways to request feedback:
- Set up a company forum where employees can express their concerns
- Accept feedback and suggestions via email or in a separate channel on Slack
- Reserve a whiteboard in the office for employee comments and questions
When it comes to external communication, it’s important to be transparent to help your organization gain trust among key audience members. When employees are openly communicating their experiences at work, promoting your organization’s services, or recommending someone for an open position, they are effectively strengthening your brand’s reputation among the public.
Why it matters to marketers:
No client wants to get caught in a tangled web of empty promises and subpar work. When transparency is common practice in your workplace communication, it will bleed into your communications with clients as well. Staffbase found well-trained employees with whom the company’s goals have been clearly communicated help improve the client experience and ultimately boost revenue. The more you can establish open communication in and outside your office, the better chance you have at attracting and retaining leads.
4. Follow Trends
Remember that your employees are not just part of your company—they’re part of an industry. It’s important for everyone on your team to stay up to date with the latest industry trends and competitors’ position in the marketplace. Encouraging your employees to engage with current events, share articles with the team, and start internal discussions about marketing best practices will not only improve workplace communication, but also strengthen your employees’ knowledge and skill set, which in turn helps them produce better work.
Why it matters to marketers:
The marketing industry is fast paced and constantly changing. If your team falls behind on keeping up with the news or fails to keep an eye on the competition, your organization’s reputation will quickly fall behind, too. Your team should share current events, blogs, reports, and relevant statistics with one another to ensure the entire team is as knowledgeable as possible. As marketers, we strive to present the best ideas to our clients, which is why we have to keep up with the changes not only in our own industry, but in our clients’ industries, as well.
5. Announce Achievements
Regardless of your industry, one thing is certain: employees want to feel appreciated. Even the smallest bit of public praise can go a long way. In fact, research from the American Psychological Association found employees who feel valued at work also experience “higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and motivation.” Consider these ways to incorporate regular praise into your daily work routine:
- Announce an individual or department’s success at your next meeting
- Tag employees on Slack or highlight their names in your regular newsletter
- Set up a “kudos” box, where employees can drop positive notes about their coworkers’ performance, to be shared with the team at a later date
These practices not only boost your team’s morale, they can also contribute significantly to your organization’s productivity and growth.
Why it matters to marketers:
Praising employees for their work not only makes them feel good, but also cultivates an added sense of responsibility and improves work ethic. An employee who consistently pumps out praise-worthy work will want to continue doing their best, so as to receive more praise. Conversely, a lack of praise can be a great motivator for an employee who has been dragging their feet.
Communication is Key
You’ve heard the old adage, “communication is key.” Make it your mantra.
Effective communication in the workplace gives purpose to the work you are doing. Although it takes time to establish open lines of communication, the payoff is always worth it. When employees feel supported and heard, they’re better able to produce innovative work that not only helps build trust in your brand, but also sets your organization apart amongst the competition and leaves you with a greater ROI. If you’re looking to boost morale and increase the value of your organization, start by giving these tips a try!
The power of open communication comes into play most noticeably when brainstorming. Check out our tips on facilitating a productive brainstorm session.
