The Benefits of Cross-Team Communication
No matter the size of your company, no matter the industry you’re in, no matter your product or service or who you serve – good, clear communication is critical to success. It’s been said that “Bad communication ends a lot of good things, good communication ends a lot of bad things.” Everybody desires strong communication, and yet it often seems elusive.
If your business has multiple teams or departments, effective cross-team communication is perhaps even harder to achieve. Don’t throw in the towel or stop aspiring for great communication in the workplace; it is absolutely vital to success – not only to each individual team but ultimately to the company as a whole. Here are some of the many benefits of regular, reliable cross-team communication within your company:
1. Cross-Team Communication Improves Company Culture
Search “Top Workplace Frustrations” on Google and you’ll likely find poor communication or some form of it in most of the top results. Cross-team communication – whether impeccable or poor – can significantly impact company culture.
Every staff member has a specific skill set and wants to feel valuable. Take this scenario for example: Amber has been working as a graphic designer at a marketing firm for just over a year. She loves her work and she enjoys her colleagues, but she struggles with one of the account managers, Natasha. Natasha often asks for quick turnaround deliverables for her clients, but she rarely provides enough information for Amber to start, much less complete, the project. There are usually several back-and-forth emails – sometimes even between Natasha and the client – before Amber has enough detail and understanding of the task to complete it. Things would be a lot easier, she thinks, if Natasha communicated better with all the parties involved.
This isn’t an airtight example (nobody’s perfect, after all), but it’s easy to see how poor communication between departments would be a fast track to frustrated and disgruntled employees. No company thrives on that. Clear communication of expectations, assignments, roles and responsibilities between teams leads to healthy professional relationships and a healthy company culture.
2. Cross-Team Communication Improves Efficiency
Another benefit of strong cross-team communication is improved workplace efficiency. In the example given before, Amber was frustrated – in part – because she felt like her time was being wasted. Because she didn’t have all of the information she needed from the start, the project took significantly longer as she waited for additional detail and direction. The stop-and-go nature of the project distracted her from fully applying herself to her tasks, increasing the chances of mistakes.
No matter the workplace or industry, effective cross-team communication helps improve efficiency between individuals and departments.
3. Cross-Team Communication Improves Collaboration
A final benefit of strong cross-team communication is improved collaboration. Let’s revisit our scenario from before one last time.
Following the last assignment, Amber has communicated her frustrations to Natasha, asking for clarity and the full scope of a project in the future. Natasha has agreed. Amber has just received a new graphic design assignment for another client. Because she has a better understanding of it, she decides to invite her colleague Derek, an animator, to be involved in the project. The final result is fun, engaging and well received. The client loves it.
When a company’s teams communicate well with each other, a collaborative spirit begins to develop. Because they know they can trust and rely on each other – and as their understanding of and appreciation for what other departments do grows – they start to think more about how they can work together. This leads to new ideas, fresh perspectives and exciting initiatives.
Improve Cross-team Communication With Pinnacle
Pinnacle Accounting & Finance has been matching team players with companies in the Pittsburgh area for over a decade. We know what great communication looks like because we expect it of ourselves. We’ll find it for you, too. Whether you’re looking for permanent placement or interim professional services, our vast network will find you a candidate who improves your company’s communication, culture, efficiency and collaboration.