Improving internal communication is a key factor in creating  a successful ethics and compliance program. Workplace communication isn't something that should only be done during times of organizational change. To reduce confusion and improve organizational performance, employees require consistent, ongoing communication. Select communication methods appropriate for specific work environments and conduct regular communications audits.

Asking for feedback identifies problem areas where messages are misunderstood or not received at all. Effective communication is necessary for both internal and external audiences. This post will focus on improving internal communication amongst departments, management and employees.

Communications Audit

A communications audit is useful for detecting areas within an organization that lack information, suffer from frequent misunderstandings and identifying areas that may be subject to information overload or duplicate messages.

To maintain open lines of workplace communication within an organization, don't wait until a severe communication issue arises to conduct a communications audit. A communications audit should be used as a precautionary procedure to prevent communication breakdowns or blockages within the company.

According to HumaNext Communication Ideas, by definition, a communications audit is:

"A snapshot of an organization's communication strategies, activities and programs. It's an assessment of the effectiveness and credibility of current communication vehicles and media, including publications, web site, intranet, blogs, meetings, face-to-face communication, and other communication media. It uses processes such as observations, analyses and evaluations, focus groups, interviews and surveys of employees and other key audiences whose support is needed to improve communication, understanding and collaboration in the organization."

To get the most out of a communications audit, focus on the obtaining answers to important questions that dig deep to identify the root cause of communication blunders.  In the HRMagazine.co.uk article “Engaging Employees Through Relevant Communications Will Require a Team Approach from HR, Marketing and Communications Teams,” by Andy Philpott, the author writes:

“All too often, the question asked is, ‘Did we get the communication out to staff?’, when really the questions should be:

• Did our employees consume and understand our communications?
• What feedback did we get from our employees?
• How did the interaction and feedback differ across our employee population?
• Which channels did different employees access the communication?”

Answering the above questions helps management identify organizational trends and areas that require greater attention to improve communications. Understanding the channels of workplace communication selected by employees in various departments provides managers with insight into preferred points of contact for specific employees or groups.

Communicating With Technology

Existing technologies create endless opportunities for improving communications within organizations. There are multiple arguments for and against using technology to communicate within the workplace. However, due to time and financial constraints, technological methods for training and communication are becoming more common in the workplace.

Communicating through various technology-based mediums helps address employee location issues, as some employees may work from home or are located in various parts of the world. E-mail, instant messaging, intranets, social media and other web tools make it easier for employees to remain informed regardless of their location.

The success of technology as a communication medium depends on the target audience. If the workplace is comprised of individuals who are computer competent and spend most of their days in front of computers, wikis, blogs, intranets and other methods of communication may be the easiest way to maintain an informed workplace.

At Cisco Systems, they implemented an ethics training program using a series of interactive videos placed on the company's intranet. Almost all of the employees at Cisco Systems have access to a computer, therefore, communicating through the company intranet was an easier way to reach such a large number of people requiring similar types of training.

In the SHRM article, "Workplace Communication Series Part III: Communication and Technology," they discuss the use of multiple types of social media and virtual teams to increase employee interaction and collaboration. In regards to social media, the article discusses a number of effective ways to integrate social media into an effective communication plan:

"Organizations can make use of social media in a variety of ways. Departments can hold brainstorming sessions or maintain ongoing conversations with questions and answers on a blog; teams can use wikis to manage projects, share best practices and research case studies; the CEO can keep a blog or a podcast; companies can use RSS feeds to “push” news to employees whenever they come out. Company intranets are often very useful for employees as central hubs of information about the organization."

Regarding virtual teams, the SHRM article, "Workplace Communication Series Part III: Communication and Technology," stated:

"This study looked at an organization that made the change from a traditional (face-to-face) office setting to one with both traditional and virtual employees. The purpose of the research was to compare levels of communication satisfaction of traditional and virtual office workers a year after the change was implemented. Surprisingly, findings showed virtual employees experienced higher levels of communication satisfaction than traditional workers on all factors, including personal feedback, relationship with supervisors and horizontal and informal communication. Researchers propose the positive results may be due to the company’s effective implementation of the virtual workplace. The organization provided virtual employees with appropriate technology, training and support. To reduce the alienation of virtual employees, the company established regular formal communications and informal virtual meeting places. The study suggests virtual environments can be very successful, as long as they are properly implemented and supported by the organization."