In today’s complex corporate world, communication is crucial to guiding collaboration, progress, productivity, and harmonious relationships. But crafting effective workplace communication guidelines isn’t just about finding the right words; it’s about understanding the pulse of your organization, the needs of your teams, and the pathways to clarity and connection.
Have you ever established communication expectations? Perhaps you have, but it’s been a while since you revisited them or shared them with your employees. Or maybe you haven’t yet, but your team is growing, and it’s time to streamline your processes. Wherever you’re at, follow these eight steps to put these important guidelines in place.
- Evaluate Your Workplace Communication Needs
Before developing or updating workplace communication guidelines, assess your current communication practices, channels, and tools. Gather your leadership team and start by asking:
- Are you managing an in-person, hybrid, multi-location, or remote workforce?
- Where are the gaps? What are the pain points?
- How do you measure the effectiveness of your communication? Is it effective?
- Do you have a crisis communication plan?
Ask your employees for feedback on existing workplace communication techniques through one-on-ones with managers, team meetings, or employee surveys. Then, identify common themes (concerns, breakdowns, bottlenecks) and focus on strengthening those areas.
2. Set Internal Communication Goals
Once you’ve assessed your business’s strengths and weaknesses regarding internal communications, establish a broad strategy. This should account for everything from everyday information and announcements to significant political and societal issues. Include guidelines for leaders to spread key messages and recognize employees who go above and beyond.
3. Create Style and Tone Guidelines
If you have brand guidelines, they are a great starting point for establishing workplace communication expectations. While internal and external communication styles may vary, they should be consistent.
The tone of internal workplace communication may vary depending on context. Official documents and reports may call for a formal style, while social media and newsletters may allow for a more casual tone. Define these parameters clearly.
4. Select Communication Methods and Channels
Include guidelines for written and verbal workplace communication methods. This depends on the purpose, goals, and audience of the message. Examples include:
- Posting official announcements or policies to the company intranet, where employees can easily access them.
- Sending important data in a report via email with an outline, context, and action steps.
- Presenting a new service or product via a virtual or in-person demo to educate employees and invite feedback.
Outline best practices for when to use specific workplace communication tools. Consider how to make messages easy to digest and remember. For instance, 48% of workers say video is the most engaging form of communication—can you incorporate more video updates?
Also, specify when a meeting is necessary versus sharing an update via a project management tool, chat, or email.
5. Set Employee Expectations
- Define workplace communication expectations, including:
- Frequency for checking each communication channel.
- Acceptable response times.
- Updating calendars and out-of-office messages.
- Advance notice required for rescheduling meetings.
For example, some organizations expect employees to respond to Slack messages by the end of the workday, emails within two days, and tagged project management tasks within a week.
Additionally, establish standards for clear communication, good writing practices (grammar, spelling, punctuation), and proper tone in written and verbal communication.
6. Make Communication Integrative and Inclusive
Determine when asynchronous vs. synchronous communication should be used:
- Asynchronous communication: Participants don’t engage in real-time. Employees can engage when convenient, focus on tasks without interruption, and collaborate across different time zones. Examples include project management tools like Asana, messaging apps like Slack, and email.
- Synchronous communication: Real-time interaction through Zoom meetings, phone calls, or live chats for urgent matters.
A multi-channel approach ensures employees feel included and valued, boosting engagement. This is especially important with hybrid and virtual teams.
7. Consider Timing
Leaders should model healthy communication practices, such as setting boundaries on when messages should be sent and responded to.
Avoid fostering a toxic work culture and don’t expect employees to be available 24/7. Define respect for colleagues’ time, including expectations for after-hours communication. For example, if leaders send emails in the evening, they can include a note stating that there’s no expectation for an immediate response.
8. Share Workplace Communication Guidelines
Once your workplace communication guidelines are established, ensure they are accessible. Share them in your employee handbook and on your company intranet.
Also share communication expectations through:
- Workshops.
- Internal newsletters.
- New hire orientation.
Consider recording a video introduction summarizing key elements, such as style, tone, audience, and methods.
Toni Runci is a senior HR consultant and senior implementation specialist with BlueLion, an HR consulting company providing outsourced HR support, an HR hotline and HR projects and training. For more information, visit bluelionllc.com.
