The Importance of Team Communication

We know that COVID-19 is all that is being talked about right now. We’ve been in touch with many business owners and our focus is keeping your attention focused on what you can control.

Small business owners do more with less every single day. They are innovators. They solve problems. They figure things out. We’re hitting pause on our newsletter to bring you a tip each week as your business deals with COVID-19.

The good news is these will be short. They will be practical. They will help you improve your business, not just in response to current events, but long term.

This Weeks Tip: As we all know, the world is a constantly changing environment right now. More than ever, communication is key to success. As we talk to business owners about these rapid changes, communication with your team rises to the top.

For some, teams are now working remotely. Others are still working in their office but trying to maintain social distance. It’s important for leaders to make sure that the day-to-day communication doesn’t suffer, but to also provide a clear vision during this time.

Three quick tips to implement include:

• Move to structured communication. This is a great time to create agendas for your meetings and stick to them. There is no more just stopping by someone’s office to discuss something that just came up. Keep a running list of what needs to be discussed in various meetings to help cut down on interruptions and emails. Be sure to schedule a specific time and place for needed discussions.
   
• Talk about vision. This is the time to connect your team to the vision. Yes, it’s tough right now. Yes, there is a lot of uncertainty. As a leader, your team is looking for you to set the tone and vision. It’s okay to address the uncertainty of the times, but always remain connected to the vision. The vision needs to be crystal clear. “How” we work might be changing, but that doesn’t mean the results have to change as well.
   
• Check in on your team. Don’t forget communication with your team right now doesn’t have to be all business or just day-to-day business. If you can’t talk to employees individually make sure that your managers can. Have a touch base with each team member to see how this is impacting them and what they need.