How to Improve Team Communication Using Collaboration Tools

Communication isn’t always a walk in the park. 

Sometimes, it can be the most frustrating thing ever.

However, good communication is crucial for managing and scaling your team. 

Effective communication prevents a lot of issues that could negatively affect your project. 

Teams need to know what they’re doing, the goals and objectives of their project, how to sync with other colleagues and collaborate in addition to sticking to schedules and having access to real-time updates to be better at their jobs.

Luckily, this usually daunting task of managing and communicating with your team is easier than ever with collaborative tools. 

So, how do you improve team communication using collaborative tools and why is it vital to securing a successful workflow?

How can team communication be improved?

Building team communication requires consistency and innovation, and a lot of patience. Some way in which team communication can be improved are:

Emphasize the company’s mission – having a well-defined company mission can be a huge motivating factor to encourage team members to come together and work towards a common goal. It also helps them to be more passionate about their work and to contribute ideas to reaching company goals, together.

Set an example – encourage open communication by leaving the door open for teams to express their ideas and concerns about their roles or tasks. Listening and providing feedback is a great way to open up communication and discussions and foster an environment where communication is valued.

Spark creativity – Teams that collaborate tend to be more innovative and creative when coming up with ideas or solutions. Brainstorming, debates, and idea proposals are a great way to get teams thinking and talking.

Run team-building activities – Give team members the opportunity to build relationships through other activities besides work and office duties. Employee wellbeing programs, seminars, training workshops, or simple outdoor activities or team sports can help people communicate freely and bring unity.

Give rewards – Rewarding teams for their hard work and efforts boost office morale and makes team members feel valued and appreciated. This encourages them to continue to put their best work forward and work more efficiently.

Invest in collaboration tools – Collaborative tools allow easier and more efficient communication between team members and managers especially in the climate of remote work and pandemic restrictions. It also brings more clarity to tasks and roles assigned while outlining what each team member is assigned to do.

What are collaboration tools?

Collaborative tools are software that can allow efficient team communication, project management and create a well-organized workplace environment. These tools are used to assign roles, apply schedules, keep track of tasks, deadlines, resources, and much more. File and data sharing is also a prominent feature that helps your team become more productive and complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

So how exactly can collaborative tools boost communication? Well, most platforms have integrated communication features such as webchat and video chat. This can help team members to stay in touch, give updates, or discuss tasks that need to be completed. Remote team members are able to stay in the loop, meetings and other discussions can be easily conferenced.

These tools also mean that team members can be trusted to work independently and with each other without much intervention or supervision from superiors. Giving responsibility to collaborating teams also makes them feel more valued and competent at their jobs and has a positive impact on the work output. 

Some popular collaborative tools that many companies use include:

• Taskworld  
• Trello 
• ProofHub
• Basecamp
• Monday.com
• Microsoft Teams

The benefits of a collaborative team culture

Having a work culture that is based on open communication and collaboration has many benefits. These benefits not only boost employee wellbeing and happiness but have a positive impact on the company as a whole. Some of these benefits include:

Goal alignment – teams have common goals and are motivated to reach their goals via skill sharing and team support. They work with more focus and intention to complete their tasks as a whole unit while rooting for each other and working together to create new ideas and solutions.

Increase in productivity – individuals within a team feel more driven to pull their weight and add to the success of the team. They work on their personal deadlines and assigned tasks with less procrastination and feel comfortable enough to ask for help and guidance when needed from their colleagues.

Better problem solving – shooting ideas off each other, brainstorming, and discussing issues amongst teams helps bring new perspectives and expertise levels or approaches to the table and can ultimately promote a more streamlined way of problem-solving.

More transparency – Collaborative tools are widely praised for their transparency. All project activities can be monitored and tracked for progress, ensure that tasks are completed on time, and maintain a steady workflow with detailed progress reports and data analysis.

A centralized workplace – Having information available on a centralized platform ensures that no one is left behind or in the dark. Guidelines, important correspondence, files, and other data are available to all team members and program managers. Sharing information and expertise to contribute to the greater good of the company creates an environment that has more harmony and better work ethics. 

Final verdict

Good team communication should be a top priority for any firm. A team that knows exactly what they must do, when they should get tasks done, and have open communication means more productivity and efficiency. 

Investing in your team and having open lines of communication means fewer setbacks and less miscommunication. You and your team can reach your goals faster, and your output gets significantly increased. 

When you’re ready to get started, get started with Taskworld for free and see how much easier your team works together.