My world is made up of codes. It is the central element that drives my universe. I am a self-taught, process-driven programmer with a creative bent of mind. Since I was an engineering student, I dreamt of creating something unique. To satiate my creative appetite, I took to coding. Blessed with abundant support and generous scholarships from my employers, I simultaneously worked full-time and pursued my dream. My passion and high productivity helped me in my journey as well. Finally, I created Field Promax to follow my drive of coding and streamlining processes; and do more of what I know best—coding.
Transparent communication is integral for the success of any business organization. If you fail to disseminate information across all levels of your company, there will be severe consequences that could lead to the collapse of your business processes. This is common knowledge. However, the importance of internal communication goes beyond this point and plays a pivotal role in your business growth.
Without seamless international communication, improving productivity and making more profit in your business is practically impossible. More specifically, if you work in field service management, you have got to develop effective internal communication channels in your organization. But what is internal communication and why is it important?
This blog tries to spell out the significance of internal communication in the service industry. If you want to learn what internal communication is, how it works for you, and how you can benefit from setting up internal communication channels in your organization, this is the best way to find out everything in one place. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into the discussion.
What is Internal Communication?
Internal communication, also known as IC, refers to the collection of processes and tools responsible for effective collaboration and information flow within an organization. It is a process to facilitate interaction between the departments as well as employees of the company.
The communication channels should not be unidirectional, i.e. it is strictly not a medium of one-way communication that is used for sending broadcasts and directives down the lower tier of the organization from the executive level. On the contrary, the management should use the infrastructure should facilitate communication in a way that gives voice to the employees, and enable the management to engage more with the employees working on the ground level.
Ideally, the channels of internal communication must function both horizontally and vertically. It should be. connecting the top management with the lower-level employees as well as colleagues in the same department.
The primary goal of internal communication is to keep employees informed and create a shared understanding of the goals and objectives of the organization. It is crucial for keeping the employees up-to-date with the latest developments in the company, revised strategies, and policies. As such, internal communication lays the foundation for streamlining the business processes and aligning the employees with the organization’s mission and vision, leading to improved employee productivity.
What are the Types of Internal Communication?
Internal communication is a broad term that encompasses various aspects of business communication. As such, there are several communication channels that can be classified as international communication. However, the idea of internal communication can be classified into two major categories:
Downward Communication: In this type of communication, the information flows from the top tier of the organization (e.g. the management/ executives) to the lower-level employees. The purpose of this type of communication is to pass on necessary instructions and relevant information to subordinates.
Upward Communication: In this form of communication, information flows from the bottom tier to the top level of the hierarchy. Here, the subordinates pass on information to the managers, executives, or anyone up the chain of command including the top management. Generally, the information is passed on in the forms of reports, templates, written documents, etc. to inform the management about the ongoing processes. However, this is also an important tool to receive employee feedback and enable them to give suggestions or share ideas. This way, employees feel valued and are more likely to be motivated to contribute more to the organization.
Why Internal Communication is Important for Project Management?
Internal communication in project management refers to the process of sharing information between personnel working on the same project. It is important to keep people working on similar or related tasks on the same page. Here are the chief reasons why project management requires effective internal communication:
Effective internal communication in project management ensures that each employee working on the project is aware of the goals and objectives of the project so that the process can be streamlined to facilitate smooth collaboration. This helps professionals work more efficiently, improve the quality of their work, and reach their goals faster.
Organizations can deftly handle crisis situations on time if they have a sound internal communication channel in place. Transparent communication across all levels of the company prepares the organization to face any untoward situation and allows time to develop strategies for risk mitigation. It helps in both long-term and short-term crisis management.
Internal communication is perhaps the most effective tool to improve employee motivation and increase productivity. When an organization enables its employees to voice their concerns, gives them opportunities to share their ideas, suggestions, and feedback, and informs the authorities about any untoward situation that they may face in their work environment, it makes them feel acknowledged and valued. This leads to enhanced employee engagement and creates a healthy organizational culture.
How to Leverage Internal Communication for Better Project Management?
As such, efficient project management is impossible without an effective internal communication strategy. Project management involves a team of technicians working on different aspects of the project. In order to collaborate and bring the different aspects of the project together and reach the common goal, they need to communicate among themselves, as well as stay connected with the supervisors/managers/executives around the clock.
Now, for people working in an office environment, establishing communication is easier. However, when your employees are working out in the field, it gets a little more difficult to keep them connected. However, there are still ways you can establish sound internal communication. Just follow the steps:
1. Plan for the Project
Before you start the project, consider communication in the early stages of your planning phase of the project. Try to map out where your teams will be working, and at which points you will need communication. Try to assemble and assign your teams wisely. Planning for these helps your project facilitate better communication in the long run.
2. Automate Your Processes
Managing remote teams using a manual, paper-based method is perhaps the greatest challenge in service delivery. You need to deal with multiple employees working at multiple locations at the same time, all the while your executives/managers are located in the office. Therefore, you need something more efficient and easy-to-operate so that you can keep them connected seamlessly. And there is no other alternative than digital tools in this regard. That’s why you need to automate your processes, i.e. use software solutions to manage your field teams.
3. Choose Mobile Technology
Mobile technology has revolutionized communication since its innovation. It has had far-reaching impacts across every possible aspect of modern life, including business.
Until now, it was practically impossible to stay connected for remote teams. But if you give them access to mobile apps for field technicians, they can keep in touch with the supervisors as well as the office all the time. You can even monitor their real-time location thanks to the power of GPS technology integrated with these apps.
Final Words
To sum up, internal communication is crucial for overall employee performance and maintaining transparency in the organization. It is indispensable if you want to build a solid relationship with your employees and build a strong organizational culture.
It is even more important for organizations working with remote teams, for internal communication is an absolute necessity for successful collaboration. And the best way to facilitate communication channels for them is to adopt digital technology.
So, if you are running a business with your employees scattered all around the globe and want to develop more efficient strategies for project management, choose mobile technology today. Invest in the best field management app and watch your business flourish in no time.
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