How can I improve communication within my teams?

Team communication is imperative to success. Therefore, learning ways to improve communication within a team will improve productivity and overall team structure.

Without proper communication within a team, success is less likely. The overall productivity and quality of a teams work is based on the want to succeed, improve as a team over all and enjoy a built camaraderie.

There are many ways a manager can improve their team's communication. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind while you figure out what tactics you are going to use to increase the open mindedness and communication within your team.

Knowing the right steps to building a productive, integrated and low turn over team is the key to success. Here are a few steps that will help your team to be on the way to a sense of connectedness and higher profitability.

1. Have the right people in your team. Each team has many players. Some are more talkative than others, some are the hard working-quiet type, others are there to get a paycheck. Whatever the type, recognize each personality and match your communication with theirs.
2. Us a value and innovative mind set.Locate and listen to the different talents within your team. Doing this will build trust and creativity.
3. Provide a meaningful and needed work atmosphere. Everyone wants to work with a purpose. Have the work a person does be needed and important.
4. Offer some change. The same old same old can become tedious. Get some variance going. You may be surprised at the skills you find out there.
5. Create some focus, and align some vision. Create a common goal within the team and help your team see this vision so they know what they are working towards.
6. Set proper expectations. We all want to know where we are going and what we are doing. With proper expectations set, and a reasonable follow through, a teams trust will grow and succeed together.

Use your creativity with building teams communication. Make team communication a fun and often practices procedure.

Changing a few simple things can help increase communication and activity in a team. Start with the basic needs. What is the environment around you? Are you seating in a way that leaves employees on the edge, or away from the team. If possible, arrange seating in a close, but not to close environment. Allow for some play and small decorations. Put desks in a diagonal form if possible. Create a team atmosphere with nametags, pictures of team activities, and stats.

Increasing team connectivity through community service, sport activities, or company picnics etc, is also a great way to start communication. At work sometimes we are so busy; communication is the last thing we think about. Get your team involved in an activity away from the work area. This will cause a reason to talk and build relationships on a less professional end.

Keep the communication channels always open. One of the main things about managing a team is that you must keep your end of the communication open also. There is a huge problem with being a manager in that you get so much going on; forgetting to manage a team is often the result. The main goal in management should be to listen, and participate with your team. A team's communication and productivity comes from being in a positive and strong relationship with their leader as well as with their teammates.