People are often described as the lifeblood of any organisation and, if that holds true, communication must be the central nervous system. The way information is relayed between all parts of a business has a direct impact on outcomes. 

The sudden changes faced by businesses in 2020 shone a light on the way organisations communicate. Switching to a remote working model had a concussion-like effect on communication, where usually efficient responses were less predictable, vision was affected, and, for many, it caused a big headache. 

Even as many staff in Australia and New Zealand return to their usual workplace, the tools used during lockdowns continue to play an important role. A study from The University of Sydney study found that 75 per cent of Australians want to work from home two days per week and expect their employers to be supportive of this.

So, is it time for your business to redesign your workforce communications? Here are three reasons why it should be the priority of your business.

Staff morale

Just as poor communication has a negative impact on morale, choosing more effective options of communication can help people feel good about what they do. When people are happy in their work, they inevitably provide better service, which means the business, its employees, and its customers all win.

Collaboration tools, like Google Workspace, are created when you get the smartest tech and business brains to redesign the traditional noticeboard, word of mouth, and random disconnected systems. Datacom’s collaboration specialists are now seeing workforces communicate better from their home offices — with the help of the right tools — than they ever did with people sitting on the same floor of their office, also helping to improve staff morale in the process.

Varied communication styles

We all learn, interpret, and disseminate information differently. Some thrive on interactions like phone or video meetings, while others crave uninterrupted time to tackle demanding tasks, and prefer to read updates when it suits them. The different styles can lead to clashes and frustration when teams and personnel collaborate. 

Fortunately, the better-designed workplace tools understand the psychology of communication and cater well to these varied needs. Even though we have all faced negative impacts in some way from the global pandemic, the uptake of cloud-based collaboration technology has been a silver lining for some of us. Organisations focusing attention on this crucial business function have seen it pay off.

Training

Using Google Workspace, users get all their productivity, communication, and collaboration tools in one seamlessly integrated bundle. They can create a document together with colleagues on a video meeting, record and share it with others unable to attend, add actions directly into a calendar, and search it later to pinpoint a particular keyword or phrase. 

Because the tools are integrated and intuitive, it would be easy to assume training is not needed. Many staff found their way during lockdown, but there will be a small percentage who struggle with change. It is important to offer support and ensure everyone is equipped to use new tools.

There are plenty of options available. Online videos are available to learn about key features, and your Datacom account manager can be a great resource for quick tips that fit your organisation’s way of working. One of the best ways is to identify competent users in different parts of your organisation. Supporting these users to become app experts and encouraging them to act as coaches to the less confident is a tried and tested way of making sure everyone gets to make the most of the new tools. Since less confident staff may feel isolated, the extra interaction can also be a great excuse for a colleague to check in for a chat — using the new collaboration tools, of course.

Want to check out Google Workspace for yourself? Download your free toolkit, or ask us for a free trial to get started. 

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