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Practical Ideas for Effective Communication

Do you know the difference between “Communication” and “Effective Communication?”

“Communication” can be defined as “the exchange of information or news” while “Effective Communication” produces “a desired effect which is the result of intentional or unintentional information sharing.”

Every organization strives for effective communication, but it sometimes falls short of its goal. So, what are some practical ideas for achieving effective communication?

Let’s examine some tools and practices that Team 1 Plastics, a plastic injection molding company for the automotive industry, uses to create an environment in which all Team Members can effectively communicate with one another.

At Team 1 Plastics, information sharing flows in three distinct ways, and specific tools are used to assist each flow.

1. From Team 1 Plastics to its Team Members
2. Back and Forth between Team 1 Plastics and its Team Members
3. From the Team Members to Team 1 Plastics

First, let’s look at some tools used to assist the flow of information from Team 1 Plastics to its Team Members.

One of the tools used is SharePoint – a web-based application used for document and content management. SharePoint is available to each Team Member on any of the computers or kiosks in the plant. A Team Member can read general announcements, safety information, or access HR (Human Resources) forms and policies.

Another tool used is Break Room Monitors. Information on the monitors is kept updated and contains pertinent information to the Team Members, such as important notices, employment opportunities, and company performance updates. The slides on the monitors scroll every 10-15 seconds.

Second, let’s look at how effective communication is achieved back and forth between Team 1 Plastics and the Team Members.

The use of email is an effective tool. The Team Members are issued a company email address on their first day of hire. To encourage regular checking of their company email, the Team Members’ electronic pay stubs are emailed each pay period.

Monthly Open Book meetings are held for all Team Members enabling the Team Members to know exactly how the company is doing financially and what strategic planning is occurring.

Another tool is daily production meetings. Each plant department meets to discuss their work production and any issues that may have emerged.

Annual 360 reviews are prepared for each Team Member – managers, supervisors, and hourly employees. During the review process, the Team Member’s peers are given an opportunity to respond to a survey regarding that Team Member’s work attributes. The Team Member and his/her supervisor will discuss the positive and negative findings to the survey with an objective to help the Team Member improve in work performance.

The third flow of communication is from the Team Members to Team 1 Plastics. The main tools used for effective communication in this flow are surveys.

Each year, the Team Members are encouraged to participate in the Annual Team Member Satisfaction Survey. The questions in the survey are the same each year so that yearly comparisons of the results can be made. Questions include the following:

• I like knowing the company financial information that is shared with team members.
• Within the last year, someone from Team 1 has talked to me about my personal or professional development.
• How satisfied are you with health insurance?
• I know what is expected of me at work.

The survey is emailed to the Team Members. To encourage participation of the survey, a Music Survey is included. The Team Members can choose what genre of music they prefer to be broadcast throughout the plant. Response rate of participation for the Annual Team Member Satisfaction Survey is generally 60-70% of Team Members. After the survey has been completed, the results are shared with the Team Members.

Using all of these communication tools, Team 1 can analyze feedback and determine what changes need to be made to improve communication. Effective communication fosters trust and builds positive relationships which leads to excellent Team Member morale and a healthy work environment.