Good communication habits with coworkers and team members are critical for nearly every career path. Although it is widely accepted that better communication leads to better success in business, it is not as widely known how to improve communication, especially when old habits have been so deeply entrenched.

But it is possible to change those old habits and adopt strategies for better communication. It takes plenty of determination and discipline, though, which is not always easy. However, for teams that truly are committed to each other’s success – and the success of their business or organization – improving communication strategies is more than possible.

Here is how your team can adopt better communication habits.

Why communication matters in business

Good communication among employees and their employers can have multiple benefits, including increased overall productivity and improved job satisfaction.

On the other hand, poor communication hurts business operations. Too many employees are left feeling like they have not received enough clear direction, which hurts confidence and, in the end, negatively affects results. Some managers are not comfortable with how to deliver better communication.

Hopefully, these pointers can help sort that out and guide you toward creating an environment where better communication flourishes for everyone.

Provide clear directions and feedback

Clarity is a primary foundation for developing better communication strategies and habits.

By providing clear directions and feedback, you remove guesswork and don’t leave room for much, if any, interpretation. Clarity allows employees to know whether they are on the right track and whether they are meeting expectations. This removes self-doubt from the equation and can actually be a confidence booster, too.

So, when delivering expectations, be sure to provide the entire team with proper direction, goals and desired outcomes. The entire team should know the project’s scope and the breakdown of who is responsible for specific tasks that will bring the project across the finish line. Nobody should be left second-guessing their role or whether their progress is satisfactory.

Meet regularly for updates, discussion

Teams that communicate well make a habit of regularly touching base for updates and discussion pertaining to projects, other work-related matters and also just general get-to-know-you conversation opportunities. These regularly scheduled meetings, which can be held as easily over the phone as in person, serve multiple purposes.

For one, they can build camaraderie, helping team members relate better with one another and feel closer to each other. This relationship-building benefit improves everyone’s ability to work together toward a common goal. Employees or team members that truly feel like they are working as part of a team can better understand each other’s strengths and where they may be able to lend a hand in certain areas to achieve better results.

These deeper connections matter and are a crucial part of not just developing better communication habits, but also creating teams that simply work better together.

Try creating and maintaining a paper trail

There needs to be a record whenever communication happens. This can be physical notes, an email sent to yourself (and others, if you would prefer) or an actual audio recording of a conversation.

This strategy allows for feedback and conversations to be tracked. Managers can make sure they are giving consistent answers to questions. These “paper trails” can also serve as a track record for goal or project progress.

Finally, these notes or recordings can serve as a source of accountability for everyone on the team. As long as the notes are shared, everyone should be able to remain on the same page moving forward.

Be mindful of time constraints

Good communication takes time. However, time is a regular constraint and challenge that must also be managed. It is important to be respectful of everyone’s time. So, whenever holding a team meeting or conference call, be sure to announce a specific time start and end – then stick to those times.

See, meetings or calls that do not start on time can often get under participants’ skin. It sets the wrong tone from the start. The same things can be said for calls that do not end on time. Be mindful of these constraints and you will see better communication across the board.

Time limits can also be a burden on constructive conversations, though. That is why it is also important to have the ability to hold discussions for as long as necessary, without time restrictions.

Keep conversations on-topic

When teams are communicating, they need to try and keep conversations on-topic and relevant to the expected subject. This better ensures more efficient and effective discussions.

One way to ensure this is to create and send out an agenda to everyone who will be attending the meeting or joining the call. All topics to be discussed should be on the agenda. It’s also a good idea to assign time limits for each topic, not just the entire call or meeting. Make sure to keep to those time limits and direct any off-topic conversation back to the topic at hand.

Use the right communication tools

For many teams, specifically those that are distributed or work remotely, better communication relies on the use of the right tools and software.

When it comes to conference calls, your team needs a solution that offers an array of features that are designed to make those calls more efficient and effective, such as no time limits, free recording, HD audio quality, the ability to easily minimize interruptions and more.

Your team can access a conferencing solution with all these features – for free – with Conference Town.

Create an account or start an instant conference call

That’s right. With Conference Town, you get the best of any conference call service out there at absolutely no charge. That’s because we believe that your business or organization should not settle for any service that’s free. You should also expect the best – and get the best.

Experience the best free conference call service by creating an account or starting an instant conference call right now. By using Conference Town, your team will be on the path toward better communication.