Communication - it's much easier said than done
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Getting staff to talk to each other ought to be the least of your problems, but internal communication can be one of the hardest nuts to crack in business.
"Communication comes up in every department. The repercussions of not communicating are vast," says Teo Theobald, co-author of "Shut up and Listen! The truth about how to communicate at work". Poor communication can be a purely practical problem.
Gearbulk, a global shipping business with branches around the world, faced language and geographical difficulties, as well as a huge amount of paperwork.With up to 60 documents per cargo, it was a logistical nightmare to track and monitor jobs, while tighter security regulations after 9/ 11 meant customs documents had to be ready before a ship was allowed to sail. Installing an automated system means data is now entered only once but can be accessed by anyone in the company, wherever they are.
"Reporting is faster by a matter of months," says Ramon Ferrer, Vice President of Global IT at Gearbulk. " An operational team carrying a voyage all the way across the world doesn't always have to be talking to each other - and we don't waste time duplicating the same information."
Given today's variety of communication tools, it seems strange that we still have a problem communicating. But the brave new world of high-tech can create barriers - senior managers hide behind their computers, staff use voice mail to screen calls, and employees sitting next to each other will send emails rather than speak.