by Emma Richardson
I have been working closely with Susan Walsh, the CEO of Sales-Link, Inc., for a few years now, and as our company grew, the need for better communications grew as well. We have developed a good Communication Plan that has been working really well for us, and has benefited our company as a whole.
Hold Weekly Meetings
We have meetings scheduled every Monday and Friday, and the scheduled meetings provide structure for our communications. Monday meetings are for going over the metrics* of the previous week, so it motivates me to review important metrics on our database. On Fridays, we meet about necessary system changes and requirements, so I know I need to prepare by condensing the ideas and issues that surfaced during the week. Having regularly scheduled meetings allows us to incorporate necessary conversations into our routine and keeps the company in forward motion. *(see Metrics and Visualization for metric tips)
Share Calendars
Sharing calendars is another great way to keep everyone on the same page. We have a calendar on our system that enables users to input client meetings, internal meetings, and regular tasks they do. This way coworkers, leaders and I all know when to set meetings and when certain projects are being worked on, in a clear and efficient manner.
Don’t Wait for Questions
Whenever a project is finished, it should be posted and emailed to whomever was leading it, as soon as it is complete. Waiting for someone to ask about it will lead to frustration and disorganization within the company. At Sales-Link, we use Slack, Skype and Microsoft Outlook to communicate about projects. I post large files to Slack, since Skype and Outlook have file-size limits. Next, I send a message to the project manager via Skype, since notification is instant. If I was originally emailed the project, I will also send a reply to the email with an update. There should always be an updated indication of a project’s status and completion.
Use a Project Management Tool
Projects, and their due dates and details must be tracked, and using a tool is the easiest way to to do it. Sales-Link uses Monday.com as our tool. There, we have boards for each manager, and a board for our system requirements, which is accessed by our programmer. Within each board, we assign a group for the project, then add pulses of tasks within each group. It’s a very helpful tool that helps organize workflow, and I encourage you to take advantage of the free-trial they offer.
Communications Plans are important for the success of every company, but most importantly for those that employ remote workers, and popping into each other’s offices to share information is not always an option.
I love this image from Linda Finkle’s Twitter feed…this is what members of a corporation can feel like when they don’t have an effective Communication Plan in place!