Unified Communications is an emerging trend in workplace transformation that provides many benefits. Outside of a single, consistent set of tools to manage your communications, one of the important benefits is that it can help improve your company culture.
Trust
Trust is a key element of building a cohesive team, and one of the essential elements of trust is good communication. If you’re in the same room with someone, you can make eye contact, nod when someone is speaking, and pay attention to show them you’re paying attention. When your team is distributed, working from home or in separate offices, how do you indicate you’re listening? How do you show you’re paying attention?
Through presence management, you can show you’re available and ready to connect. You can use web and video conferencing to connect and show key verbal and visual cues that you’re listening to, and through SMS and chat – you can respond quickly to show you’re connected and build your sense of team.
Investing in a Unified Communication product brings a set of powerful communication tools to your team, and allows you and your team to communicate well. Some of the keys to keep in mind to foster great communication;
Listening
Use presence to show when you’re available to connect, and if you’re stepping into a meeting or putting your head down to get to work, make sure you update your status. Your team will learn to adjust their messaging when you’re busy – leaving a voicemail or email when you’re away, rather than waiting for a response to an instant message.
Nonverbal communication
Video chat allows you to show the non-verbal cues of listening, eye contact, and paying attention. Even with text, you can indicate you’re listening by what you type. If someone sends a message or asks a question and you are busy or need some time to think through a response, send a quick note back and say you’ll respond shortly. Letting that person know you heard them, and will respond is a great way to show you’re listening.
Clarity and concision
Keep your message clear and your words well crafted. Make sure if you’re sending an email you spend some time re-reading your message to ensure it is clear and short. If you’re in a messaging thread, ask questions if a word is ambiguous. As a reader, you’re also responsible for helping clarify a message. We’ve all had autocorrect change our words for us, and sometimes we catch it, and sometimes we don’t. As a reader, assuming a positive message and asking questions is a great way to build a sense of team.
Friendliness
With so many ways to connect through Unified Communications, spending a little time each day connecting with your remote team can be a great way to build a social connection amongst your team. Keep your interactions focused, so you’re not interrupting someone throughout the day, but a few check-ins as you get down to work, as you would do over coffee if you were in the same office can keep you connected and build relationships. If you invest time regularly, when you hit a tough issue it makes it easier to connect with a team member and talk through any issues.
Confidence
Many people are nervous about public speaking. Getting up in front of a crowd and talking is not a favorite (quote of death). Online web and video chats give people a chance to practice presenting to small groups they know and can build their confidence in presenting to larger groups.
Empathy
Email is a hard way to communicate emotion and nuance. Using voice, video and instant messaging where you can have a back-and-forth conversation allows you to connect with your team and build understanding together. Assuming the best of your team, and questioning to ensure you’re right is a great way to build trust with your team. If you’re connecting with someone remotely, ask them a little bit about where they are as a call is starting. Knowing they’re home with kids, in a noisy coffee shop, or on a serene beach will help you shape how you communicate. You may need to repeat your words if someone is in a noisy place, or you’ll have to keep your presentation interested to keep their attention away from the crashing surf.
Respect
One of the keys to building trust, and great communication is adapting your message to the audience you’re speaking to. If you need to connect with someone on your team, Unified communication allows you to check in quickly on instant messaging, find the best way to connect, and then strike up a conversation in the best format for both of you. Having options for communication integrated allows you to see if someone is available, and reach out in the format that works best for you and the team you’re connecting to.
Communication is complex, and it’s hard work to do it well. Keeping these principles in mind as you reach out to your team will help improve how you communicate. Unified communication solutions give you choice and flexibility in how you connect and allow you to adapt to the team you’re working with. When you have a diverse, distributed team, having a way to connect with some on audio, some on video, with text updates for those in another meeting – all through the same platform is incredibly useful. Modern employees expect modern tools, and providing those in a coordinated, cost-effective way can be challenging. If you’re facing these challenges or are tasked with implementing a digital strategy that needs better communication tools, explore if the CounterPath Unified Communication platform is the right fit for your needs.