We’ve all heard many times that communication is the key to every good relationship. The same truth applies to businesses. Lack of communication in an agency setting can lead to missed deadlines, unrealized visions and other easily avoidable issues.
To ensure your team members are on the same page at all times, it’s important to take a good, hard look at your agency’s communication practices to see if anything is amiss. Follow these tips from Forbes Agency Council to find and correct any existing gaps in communication.
Members of Forbes Agency Council offer suggestions for agency leaders to identify and correct inside communication issues.Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Put Everything In Writing
What I’ve found helpful over the years is to have everything in writing. Recap every conversation and see if there are any errors in communication. Additionally, using a project management tool is extremely beneficial as it allows for strong efficiencies in communication and collaboration. It ensures that the staff knows their responsibilities, management is managing and deadlines are being met. – Jeeyan Rostam-Abadi, Hawke Media LLC
2. Define Your ‘North Star’
Teams need a North Star, like a mission statement—they need something that everyone is aligned on that is clearly defined, provides a structure for prioritization and lets people visualize what the team is working toward. Creating that North Star based on the team’s needs can help fix smaller miscommunications that can lead to larger issues. Buy in across the team is key. – Whitney Fishman, Wavemaker
3. Crowdsource Your Leadership
Leadership isn’t meant to be exercised by managers alone; it’s offered to those who are willing to step up and assume the leadership role. Facilitating an ecosystem that invites the exercise of leadership will empower team members to identify communication gaps and deal with the challenges they present accordingly. – Ahmad Kareh, Twistlab Marketing
4. Take It Offline
Avoid relying on the send button to address issues that could have a huge project impact. Instead, pull your team together on a call or in a room to identify and tackle the communication roadblock. This type of interaction allows for deeper dialogue and limits email back and forth. During the meeting set objectives and assign clear expectations. Then commit to a deadline and follow up. – Cheryl Myers, Smart Panda Labs
5. Set Calendar Notifications For Deadlines
Our agency sets calendar notifications throughout and before a deadline hits, and these notifications are shared with the account leader and clients (when relevant) so no one misses a deadline. These alerts create a call to action to touch base on the project or deadline, and the automation reduces the stress of anything falling through the cracks. – Meredith Xavier, The Ligné Group
6. Establish A Shared Set of Goals And OKRs
At each of my companies, I like to establish a set of quarterly objectives and key results (OKRs) around everything from revenue to improving our culture and communication. By outlining about six OKRs and reviewing them each quarter, our team can create alignment around long-term goals, hold each other accountable to these goals and begin brainstorming strategies to reach these. – Kristopher Jones, SEO.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer” data-ga-track=”ExternalLink:http://lSEO.com/”>LSEO.com
7. Hold Face-To-Face Team Meetings
When I identify a lack of communication, I increase face time with my team, address issues head-on, ensure goals are understood, remove obstacles, keep promises and provide support. One of my favorite books is Radical Candor, which encourages a disposition of open communication and genuine care for one another. I hearken back to this book often. In fact, I had my entire team read it. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
8. Listen To Your Team
The best communicators are the best listeners. When a leader detects there is a crack in communication, it’s time to start listening. Start listening to the members of the team and identifying universal issues. Once the issues are understood, get the team aligned on new processes that need to take place. The process may be painful, but the outcomes will ultimately drive success for the team. – Lori Paikin, NaviStone®
9. Break Down Barriers Across The Hierarchy
Don’t be afraid to challenge the traditional notion of a corporate hierarchy. Whether this means monthly meetings, a more communal workspace or regular company outings, make it a point to break down the barriers between founders, investors, managers, employees, etc. Your goal should be to make each employee feel as though their voice is heard and opinion valued—no matter their title. – David Shadpour, Social Native
10. Promote Soft Skills Training
Poor communication can have a huge negative impact on the success of projects, but good communication doesn’t happen at the flip of a switch. It requires commitment, clear leadership and a plan. Promoting soft skills through an internal training path is the first step; however, to solve the problem, it is important to combine training with a clear communication process shared with the team. – Daniela Pavan, The Ad Store New York
11. Make Proactive Communication A Priority
Since we started our company we have been focused on proactive communication. If anything falls short it is always communication that is the cause. We make it a point to be collaborative and set the stage for communication being the most important issue. All staff know that it is better to over-communicate than not at all. When we find communication is the issue, we address it immediately. – Justin Christianson, Conversion Fanatics
12. Learn From Communication Breakdowns
Once a project fails at some point, you will know where the breakdown happens and how to overcome it. Now, there are warning signs of a potential failure. This can be more time on the project than expected and client calls that are unscheduled. To fix these issues, you need to have a specific deliverables list and reference that list with the client and team members. Use it as a checklist. – Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
