Team communication is the foundation of team cooperation. However, for many teams, members may hinder each other's communication due to various reasons, reducing the overall work efficiency of the team. Especially when the team gradually expands, this problem will become more and more serious.
what can we do about it?
First, you have to find the source of the problem. When you feel like your team is miscommunicating, make sure you figure out what went wrong and why. When you start out with an assessment, you may be able to quickly find out where the problem is. Most of the time, though, you'll find it only after careful reflection and observation of the team's condition, followed by a thorough assessment of the entire process.
Next, I'll highlight some of the most Latest Mailing Database common causes of poor team communication, which you can check against your own team. Only after you have identified the problem can you solve it. After each cause of poor team communication, I've added some advice.
First, though, these suggestions are just ideas and principles, not keys to success. Be aware that every team is different, so maybe these tips work for some teams and not for others. (Sorry, reality is so cruel!)
Reason 1: Your own problems
This is the hardest point to assess! You need to take time to think about your role in the team, think more about how your words and deeds affect team communication, and whether you play a key role in the team.
At this point, you can think about your personality and communication style ( with the help of MBTI or DiSC if necessary ): Are you a good listener? Are you good at advancing team discussions? What kind of team atmosphere have you built?
If you find it difficult to do a self-assessment, seek outside assistance. For example: find a "neutral" outside the team, such as a professional coach, psychologist or consultant.
The fix: If you find yourself likely to be the cause of your communication problems, and you're ready to admit it, act now!
Finding a way to make a difference in a team takes hard work, and some of the strategies that work are: develop your management skills, develop your communication skills, and develop your listening skills.
Reason 2: Problems with the team
Sometimes team communication is only the tip of the iceberg of team problems. Underneath this problem, there may be major problems such as insufficient team cohesion, poor team culture atmosphere or inconsistent team collaboration. While team management and related topics are another area, here we can talk about a few key factors that make a team work efficiently: members have a common goal, trust each other, have confidence in their own abilities, and have a sense of identity with the group .
These are called "team emotional intelligence," so a "problem team" will lack at least one or more of the above factors.
Solution: Some people will say that you can't force a team to work together. It's not easy to turn a "problem team" into a high-performing team, but we can facilitate the process. If you can, start by thinking about whether you've picked the right person. Generally speaking, whether people can cooperate amicably or not depends on the relationship between them.
Of course, you also need to consider other important elements of team development, such as: clear team goals, metrics for the evaluation process, team training, team decision-making power, incentives, and an open team culture.
Reason 3: Team remote communication problems
Typically, a team will work in the same building or even the same office. But now, many teams working face-to-face have become remote collaborative teams—teams whose members are geographically dispersed and rely on technology to communicate. But as remote work and working from home become more commonplace, the challenges posed by remote communication will affect the agility of teams.
For example, the following common problems:
time zone differences;
Small misunderstandings eventually turn into big problems;
lack of adequate communication;
Likewise, overcommunication leads to information overload;
Technical minor issues.
But don't worry, most problems can be solved. All you need to do is set a good example and choose the right methods and tools to help your team communicate effectively remotely.