Improve internal communication between departments

1. One video is not the same as the other

Video content is very popular at the moment. Various blogs and vlogs with tips appear every day. There are also many different technologies available to create a video. This often involves making a 'normal' linear video. Another step further is the interactive video. Here you can access additional information or follow a storyline with just a few clicks. However, these types of videos have nothing to do with digital transformation and customer approach. They provide a slightly better customer experience, but have not been transformed, at most somewhat expanded.

2. Keep each other involved

Schedule regular team check-ups for everyone involved in a particular project or topic. It does not matter whether these are long-term or short-term projects. Put them in your diaries and make it a priority not to move them. Discuss the progress and action points. These meetings are also a great opportunity to express feedback and compliments to each other.

3. Talk to people individually

Talking to employees regularly is extremely important. Talk to them every few weeks or months and ask for their opinions on the project, their tasks and the organization in general. Employees want to be heard and often have good insider information that will benefit your project. In addition to internal communication, this improves the involvement of your employees.

4. Make documents and knowledge easily accessible

There is a lot of information available in an organization. Often too much. According to research This does not so much lead to an information overload, but a shortage of knowledge. Ironically, this is not caused by the absence of knowledge, but by its quantity and inaccessibility. Therefore, make it possible for your employees to access each other's documents. A good social intranet platform is very suitable for this. You can protect confidential documents in groups or per person, but you can keep the rest public. It is also useful that with such a social intranet you can easily look up other employees and their skills. Easy if you want to build a team based on skills, or just need someone's number.

5. Encourage people to create content

Creating content for blogs and websites can have a positive effect on your organization both internally and externally. By encouraging your employees to create good content, you enable them to add a piece of their own personality to the organization. Additionally, others can “like” and comment on their posts – another effective tool for promoting productive discussion.

6. Resolve conflicts

Even if only two people are involved in a disagreement, their dispute affects all processes within the company and can disrupt the entire workflow. Help to resolve these conflicts and invest in things like team building. If the team is disrupted, you can also hire professionals to get things back on track. But don't make the mistake that it will all blow over. It is best to tackle persistent conflicts as quickly as possible, before you notice the bottom line. Nothing is as bad for your internal communication (and organization) as people who don't communicate with each other want to collaborate.

7. Create an open workspace

Your marketing colleague will be less inclined to throw rubbish over the IT fence if they meet each other regularly meet in person. Therefore, do your best to promote an open workspace. Try to work in cubicles as little as possible or leave the door open regularly. You may be inclined to think that employees chatting at the coffee machine are costing you money, but give them the space to get to know each other better. That is simply not possible in a meeting.

8. Use a good collaborative environment

Besides the fact that a social intranet helps you do business, it also helps to improve your internal communication between departments. Employee profiles and chat options make it easy to speak to each other. In addition, they can easily collaborate on projects, documents and presentations, or share best practices with each other. An intranet is according to this research on knowledge management the ideal medium for communicating internally and sharing knowledge. It is nice if you have good office integration and an integral search function.

Ready to see how Snowflake works?

Getting everyone on the same page will never be easy. Keep in mind that to improve internal communication between departments, it is best to apply a mix of the above tips. Feel free to touch with for even more tips or experiences.