What do you do if your organization is struggling with communication gaps?

Communication gaps can cause frustration, confusion, and inefficiency in any organization. They can also damage trust, morale, and productivity. If you want to improve your internal communication and avoid these pitfalls, you need to identify the root causes, apply some logical reasoning, and implement some practical solutions. Here are some steps you can follow to do that.

1 Assess the situation

The first step is to understand the scope and nature of the communication gaps in your organization. You can use various methods to gather feedback and data, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation. You can also look at indicators such as employee engagement, turnover, customer satisfaction, or project outcomes. Try to find out who is affected by the communication gaps, what are the main issues or challenges, and how they impact the organization's goals and performance.

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Ester Barros

People and Human Resources Management | Payroll | Recruitment & Selection | Benefit | Training
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Lidar com falhas de comunicação em uma organização pode ser desafiador, mas é crucial para o sucesso a longo prazo. Então acredito que avaliar a situação é o primeiro passo essencial. Coletar feedback e dados através de métodos como pesquisas e entrevistas pode fornecer insights valiosos sobre as lacunas de comunicação e seus impactos. Identificar quem é afetado e os principais problemas ajuda a direcionar os esforços de melhoria de forma mais eficaz. É uma abordagem proativa que pode ajudar a restaurar a eficácia da comunicação e impulsionar o desempenho geral da organização.

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2 Analyze the causes

The next step is to apply logical reasoning to identify the root causes of communication gaps. Tools such as the 5 Whys, the fishbone diagram, and the SWOT analysis can be used to help with this. Consulting experts, stakeholders, or colleagues can also provide different perspectives and insights. Some common culprits of communication gaps include a lack of clarity or alignment on organizational vision, mission, values, or strategy; ineffective or inconsistent communication channels, tools, or processes; cultural, linguistic, or generational differences among employees or teams; silo mentality, territorialism, or competition among departments/units; poor leadership, management, or supervision skills/practices; and low trust, respect, or collaboration among employees/teams.

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Amanda Maia Ramalho

Partner AMR Advogados | Professor | Head of Innovation | Speaker | Entrepreneur
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Analisar as causas dos conflitos de comunicação, requerem uma observação de processos e escuta ativa dos envolvidos. As organizações, hoje, tem times multi geracionais, o que faz com que, muitas vezes, o processo de comunicação não se estabeleça satisfatoriamente. Esse é um desafio que precisa ser enfrentado com seriedade, tendo em vista ser uma realidade imposta e que durará ainda por algum tempo.

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3 Plan the actions

The third step in improving the communication flow and quality in your organization is to develop a plan of action to address the causes of the communication gaps. To do this, you can use tools such as the SMART framework, the RACI matrix, or an action plan template. You may also want to involve your employees or teams in the planning process to ensure their buy-in and commitment. Possible actions include communicating the organization's vision, mission, values, and strategy to all employees and teams; establishing or improving communication channels, tools, and processes; providing training, coaching, or mentoring to enhance communication skills; promoting a culture of diversity, inclusion, and respect; encouraging cross-functional collaboration; and recognizing or rewarding successful communication achievements.

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4 Implement the actions

The fourth step is to execute the plan of action and monitor the progress and results of your communication improvement efforts. Tools such as the Gantt chart, dashboard, or scorecard can be used to help with this. It is also important to communicate expectations, roles, and responsibilities to employees and teams clearly and consistently. When implementing the actions, it is beneficial to prioritize the most critical or urgent communication gaps first, allocate sufficient resources, time, and support for the initiatives, communicate the benefits, challenges, and risks to employees and teams, solicit feedback from employees and teams regularly and respond promptly and constructively, and adjust or modify the plan of action as needed based on feedback, data, or outcomes.

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Jessica Gibson

Corporate Communication and Culture | Brand Management | Employer Branding | Organizational Culture
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Don't get bogged down in theory. Start with small, achievable actions that can be implemented quickly. The key is to diagnose the root cause and take practical steps to bridge the communication gap.

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5 Evaluate the outcomes

The final step is to evaluate the outcomes and impact of your communication improvement efforts and identify the lessons learned and best practices. To do this, you can use tools such as the Kirkpatrick model, the ROI formula, or the SWOT analysis. Celebrating the achievements and successes of your communication improvement efforts is also important, and you should share them with your employees and teams. When assessing the outcomes, consider questions such as whether you achieved the goals you set, how you measured the communication outcomes and impact, what were the benefits or risks associated with the effort, and how can you sustain or enhance the communication improvement efforts in the future.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Gerardo Garrido

Gerente de Refacciones en Suzuki Motor de México, S.A. de C.V.
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Empresa, Mas de uno con un objetivo común, lo mas importante es hacer que todo el equipo sepa cual es nuestra misión y nuestros objetivos a corto y mediano plazo, deben comprender también su contribución al negocio no importando su posición y nivel de jerarquía.

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What do you do if your organization is struggling with communication gaps?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess the situation

2 Analyze the causes

3 Plan the actions

4 Implement the actions

5 Evaluate the outcomes

6 Here’s what else to consider

Internal Communications

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What do you do if your organization is struggling with communication gaps?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess the situation

2 Analyze the causes

3 Plan the actions

4 Implement the actions

5 Evaluate the outcomes

6 Here’s what else to consider

Internal Communications

Rate this article

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