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4 minute read
Communication plays a fundamental role in every area of the organisation.
It helps build and maintain strong relationships, facilitate innovation, ensure transparency and also contribute to growth.
To be successful, everyone needs to be on the same page and understand the organisation’s vision and effective communication is the only way to do that. 
6 Effective Communication Goals for Your Team
- Contribute More in Meetings
- Put an Emphasis on Face-to-Face Meetings
- Make Regular Feedback Compulsory
- Schedule One to One Interactions
- Encourage Two-Way Feedback
- Offer Communication Training
1. Contribute More in Meetings
It’s common to feel uneasy and unwilling to speak up in meetings. However, the longer this goes unaddressed, the more likely it is for people within your team to continue avoiding speaking up. So, one effective goal to aim for is ensuring each person in a meeting contributes with at least one comment or brings at least one talking point to address.
As a manager, it might be a good idea to set the trend yourself and speak up first. By following your lead, more people within your team will feel more inclined to speak up and communicate - even if it’s one comment.
Before you know it, this becomes a habit and you no longer have silent meetings which feel like lectures. Everyone’s engaged and they want to get their thoughts and views across which makes for better communication throughout the organisation.
2. Put an Emphasis on Face-to-Face Meetings
Platforms like Slack and general email chains are useful for quick messages between team members to deal with small issues. However, it can cause long-term problems such as messages being deleted or just lost in the shuffle. Also, it’s just not the best way for people to communicate within an organisation.
There’s nothing better than a verbal dialogue between team members. So, a goal you could implement is limiting the time for when platforms like Slack can be used, setting the example yourself or telling the team outright that the organisation is focusing on face-to-face interactions.
This makes it easier for your team to focus. People can capture attention in a way that isn’t possible in a virtual environment. In-person interactions are the best ways to build relationships as well as trust which means messages won’t ever get lost in translation.
Without making this a goal, it’s difficult to read everyone’s body language and what your team is really thinking or feeling.
Read: Examples of communication SMART goals you need to implement
3. Make Regular Feedback Compulsory
Another communication goal for your team is to make regular feedback between everyone compulsory and regular. A good way for you to set this goal is to start giving regular feedback yourself. Positive comments and constructive criticism help a person evaluate their work and improve in certain areas.
To take it a step further, give your team the opportunity to request feedback from each other frequently. Firstly, this encourages communication between different members of the team and secondly, it’s not always coming from the same manager.
To make it more fun, try randomising it so team members pick out different people each week or month to request feedback from. This stops them from strictly communicating with the same people or those they’re comfortable with.
Instead, it’ll encourage them to speak to others more regularly and make effective communication more of a regularity.
4. Schedule One-to-One Interactions
This goal is something that can have a great impact, both in how your team improve their confidence and also your relationship with them. In this goal, you can either book time out with your team or have them take the lead and organise regular one-to-one sessions to talk to you or other managers.
This open-door policy makes you more transparent and approachable. When your team becomes more comfortable with this culture throughout the organisation, they could also talk more openly to everyone else.
With this goal, you not only become approachable but it helps put your team’s mind at ease as they no longer have to bottle up their problems.
Related: Types of internal communication you need to be doing in your organisation.
5. Encourage Two-Way Feedback
Following on from the previous goal, try encouraging two-way communication throughout your team. This goal isn’t just limited to you and an individual either - it can be across the entire workforce as communication helps progress towards organisational goals and achievements.
A common mistake many people make is offering feedback which turns into one-way dialogue. In each one-to-one meeting, explain that the goal is for each person to present their own comments and concerns. The more opportunities they have to speak up and the more frequent it is, the more likely it is they’ll communicate more effectively with other people rather than staying quiet.
Combine this with enforcing the goal of regular appreciation and feedback and you have another method to promote communication within your team.
6. Offer Communication Training
What better way for your team to communicate than by learning from some of the best communicators around? A goal you can set for your team is to attend at least one communication training event per quarter, year or any other time limit.
This shows you’re seriously invested in their development as you’re taking steps to help them improve this skill. This goal will also equip your team with tips, tricks and everything in between that they can take back to your organisation and try out in real-life situations.
Without implementing this goal, you could be at risk of your team not developing their skills and communication within your organisation can remain ineffective. Solid teamwork through effective communication can help achieve your organisation’s goals and keep everyone more motivated.
Along with improving communication within your teams and setting goals, it’s also important to think about your own skills and how you can develop them further. To help you enhance your communication skills, check out the handbook we’ve put together.
How to Communicate Goals to Employees
Now that you have identified and set your communication goals, the next crucial step is to effectively communicate them to your team. By clearly expressing these goals, you can ensure that everyone is aligned and understands the expectations.
To begin, schedule a team meeting dedicated to discussing the communication goals. Start by reiterating the importance of effective communication within the organisation and how it contributes to overall success. Emphasise that these goals are designed to improve collaboration, transparency and innovation.
During the meeting, provide a detailed explanation of each goal and its significance. Take the time to address any concerns or questions from your team members. Encourage open dialogue and create a safe space for everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.
Improve Your Communication Skills With Our Free Handbook
In our guide, we’ve covered lots of areas of communication within an organisation environment. From how to enhance communication within your team, public speaking skills, opening and closing presentations plus so much more. All the necessary information is there in one handy place.
To get your free copy, click on the link below.
