Three Ways to Promote Meaningful Communication Today

Communication is a key element of the cultural success of your organization. While culture change doesn't happen overnight, you can start promoting meaningful communication today. Here are three tips: 

1. Be Transparent

Transparency is critical to communication and creating trust in your organization. Providing context around decision-making provides insight into the work your team is doing. Being transparent opens up the conversation and allows your team to bring new perspectives and ideas to the table. Sharing information also improves productivity and encourages collaboration. 

2. Create New Communication Channels

There are a few ways to do this depending on the flow of information inside your organization today. Here are a few ideas

- Set aside time for Q&A at team meetings

- Create a document for your team to collaborate and share ideas - we use Quip! 

- Write a weekly/monthly newsletter to share information across the organization

3. Consider your Word Choice

When it comes to encouraging meaningful communication, eliminating buzzwords is a good way to start. Brainstorm a list of overused words that have lost their meaning to your team. Share your list, and ban those words from your meetings for the year. In 2018, I'm banning think outside the box, give 110%, take it offline, knowledge transfer, and synergy. Since I shared the words I'm banning in 2018 on the Salesforce Blog, I've heard from Trailblazers and team members that we need to eliminate the meaningless jargon from our vocabularies. Join the conversation here.