What's Your Communication Rut?

We all get stuck in communication ruts, in our personal lives and our work lives. In some offices, no one ever talks to one another. In others, people are so overrun with co-workers popping in to ask questions that they can’t get any work done. Why not consider some of the following ideas to shake up how your office communicates, you might be surprised at how one little thing can make a world of difference.

Abolish the Inbox

Why not take Casual Friday to a new level and shut down emails for the day. Co-workers must then communicate face-to-face with each other and customers or over the phone. For companies struggling with miscommunication and poor relationships, this may be one way to start improving this.

IM’ing Your Way to More Productivity

If every time you put your fingers to the keyboard someone is popping their head in your door and this is a rampant all through your company, try considering a day when all communication is done (where possible) only through instant messenger or e-mail. This stops interruptions when people are busy working and allows them to choose the time they read e-mails or respond to messages. If they are in the groove, they can wait to respond to messages that aren’t urgent.

Bring Back Penmanship

When you want to congratulate an employee or send a note to a client, why not try a handwritten one. It’s more personal and shows you took the time to think of them rather than just dashing off an e-mail. Encourage others to do the same and see how your work relationships improve.