Culture of Written communication
I've worked in many companies, and one thing that stands out to me is the importance of written communication. It's not just about getting your ideas down on paper;
I've worked in many companies, and one thing that stands out to me is the importance of written communication. It's not just about getting your ideas down on paper; it's about ensuring that everyone knows what you're doing, who needs to be involved, and why. That's why I recommend following these four simple rules:
Send and receive written messages instead of meeting.
In a world of asynchronous communication, you can still get work done while communicating with others. There is no reason to spend time in meetings when you can send and receive written messages instead. Meetings are not a productive use of time or energy because they waste your time by the number of people involved and the amount of energy required for each meeting.
Meetings are also poor ways to communicate because there’s no space for questions or ambiguity about what needs to be discussed; instead, everyone will have an agenda set before them based on previous discussions that haven’t been recorded anywhere so it becomes difficult for anyone else who may come into the room later on (or even now) understand what was discussed earlier in person rather than just reading off someone else's notes from memory."
When a call is necessary, keep it brief.
When it comes to making calls, keep them brief. The fewer words you have to use and the more direct your message is, the better. Use a timer or stopwatch on your phone so that you know how long each call should last. If there is time left over after finishing your call with someone, schedule another meeting with that person later in the day or week (or even month).
When a call is necessary, send the documented info before the call.
When a call is necessary, it is good practice to document all the agenda points and possible conclusions you would like to make in the call. Instead of discussing the entire topic, establish an offline asynchronous communication using document-based collaboration. It helps in collecting early feedback before the call and sets you to prepare better and onboard the team even before the call.
Use documented status updates to cut down on email.
Use status updates to cut down on email.
When you’re sending out a lot of emails and texts, it can be easy to lose track of what’s going on in the office. A document-based status update helps keep everyone informed about what's going on at all times. This will help you avoid sending unnecessary messages that only confuse people and waste time when they don't need your attention anyway. They're also great for keeping track of things that need doing or being done—if there are any questions about an issue, just refer back to the document!
Documented status updates encourage asynchronous communication between colleagues since they do not require immediate responses from anyone involved; instead, they allow people who aren't physically present during meetings or conferences can also participate in the conversation with a detailed understanding based on the documented details.
Following these four simple rules will create a high-performance culture that encourages fast, clear communication to keep everyone on the same page and moving in the right direction.
Use the four rules.
Don't be afraid to deviate from them.
Ask for help when you need it.
Be consistent in your communication style and tone of voice, rather than being overly formal or informal depending on the situation (i.e., never say "hello" when someone mentions their name at work; always ask "what's new?").
If you're not sure how much time someone should spend on a task, ask them how long they've been working on it before giving feedback on how much longer they should spend doing it—this will help keep everyone on track with their workloads!
Conclusion
To get the best performance from your employees, you must create a culture where everyone knows what needs to be done and how to do it. By following these four simple rules for written communication and establishing a clear process for decision-making in your company, you can have a high-performing workforce that understands the importance of staying on track.