Lack of Internal Communication in a Company

New technologies are really beneficial in this day and age. However, at the same time, they’ve caused a series of difficulties that we must overcome if we want our company to work properly. One of the most important issues to overcome is a lack of internal communication.

Internal communication is the process through which a company’s different components transmit information among themselves. Through this process, employees are able to work together and be in tune with each other.

Nonetheless, it’s common for companies to go through stages where there’s a lack of internal communication. T his limits both the company’s results and the employees’ welfare. In this article, we’ll study the causes of this phenomenon so that you can avoid it in your company.

Lack of internal communication: What is it exactly?

There must be internal communication at every level inside a company. In this regard, some of the most important types of communication are:

• Communication for decision-making: Those in charge have to know exactly what their employees are doing so they can have the necessary information in order to make assertive decisions. This applies to both directors and intermediate positions.
• Coordination between departments: In a large company, the different departments must communicate since they’re interrelated. Those responsible for each department must be aware of what the other ones are doing to be able to do their work effectively.
• Operations: In smaller fields, team members must know all the information regarding their projects and the company’s general goals. This promotes work engagement and employee effectiveness.

Occasionally, these three types of communication don’t flow as they should. Those responsible for communication may transmit the information inappropriately (through really short messages or social networks). There could also be no direct communication channels between the different members of the company.

On the other hand, sometimes there is a willingness to communicate but the employees simply don’t have the necessary social skills to do it appropriately. The first thing people should do is develop communication skills so that they’re able to use them in effective ways.

In all these cases, there will be a lack of internal communication inside the company. This will affect the overall results and the employees’ welfare. That’s why it’s so important for companies to pay attention to internal communication. If they find there’s a problem with it, the sooner they solve it, the better.

Now, does this problem have a solution at all? What can companies do in order to improve their internal communication?

How to improve communication in a company

In this section, we’ll be talking about the three most important steps that companies can take to solve a lack of internal communication.

1. Clarify the company’s mission and vision statements

All companies are governed by a mission and a series of particular values that may be implicit or explicit. When employees aren’t aware of them, it’s pretty much impossible for them to know the true purpose of their work.

On the contrary, when employees are able to understand a company’s goals, missions, and values, they’re able to communicate with each other more effectively. They basically share a common hierarchy of priorities.

2. Strengthen the bonds between the employees

It’s true that it’s important to know how to separate work life from personal life. However, establishing genuine bonds with colleagues and bosses can be very beneficial. Not only does it increase job satisfaction and improve the company’s work environment, but it also makes the communication process a lot clearer.

For this reason, planning activities to help strengthen the bonds between employees and bosses can be an incredible investment.

3. Work hard to improve social skills

As we already mentioned, some people want to communicate but don’t know how. If you detect that this is happening inside your company, it may be a good idea to plan a workshop dedicated to learning to improve social skills.

This will help employees communicate easily with each other and put an end to those issues that result from a lack of internal communication.