If you imagine a company as a vehicle, its engine would probably be the internal communication. This is how things are invented and ideas discussed then carried out in order to provide some real power to the company. If the engine does not work, then neither does the vehicle.
However, in the constant race for new clients and new projects, many companies seem not to care much about internal communication. Many businesses still rely on paper notebooks, flash USB drives and 1-on-1 meetings for their needs, but these doesn’t really work in they year 2019. In an era of (too) high accessibility and (still too) low security, internal communication faces quite a few problems and challenges. How can these be handled in your company, especially if you work in a sensitive industry where communication itself causes some trouble?
Not only employers think that internal communication is crucial
- 74% of employees feel they are missing out on company information and news. (Gallup)
- 30% of employees ignore their employer’s mails. (Apprise)
- 53% of employees claims that a single platform consolidating all company info would make it easier to receive and share content. (Mindshare)
- 50% of employees say that lack of transparency holds their company back (Towers Watson)
- Well communicated companies are likely to have 4x higher levels of engagement. (Towers Watson)
Employees seek changes too. By using outdated tools, or using no tools at all, employee engagement is visibly decreased and not able to be managed or tracked. By attending endless meetings employees may lose focus, motivation and a few important pieces of information in the pipeline. It also reflects in their efficiency and so some don’t feel engaged even if they want to be. Therefore, even if changes are to take their time, employees are often willing to embrace them, because it is eventually going to make their work easier. Boosting morale is always warmly-welcomed.
The modern workplace in sensitive industries
Communication tools are not new, but not too many of them are prepared for working perfectly in the business environment. Managing effective communication in the workplace saves a lot of time, hassle and potential crisis escalation. But, importantly, what comes together with it is security.
Sensitive industries, such as banking, insurance or law companies, need to be especially careful while following digital transformation footprints. Implementing unreliable solutions may not only disturb the workflow, but it also costs time, money and often data.
Those aforementioned industries (and many more: healthcare, research or government, just to name a few) constantly have to face challenges. Well-maintained internal communication won’t eliminate them, but it can help avoid a few mistakes and increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity.
Four pillars of internal communication
Security
Sensitive industries need to be aware of double checking everything in order to provide enough security and safety of information. Otherwise, some important data may reach the wrong people. The least of their problems may be just a co-worker who is simply not involved with the project. But the worst can happen if, for instance, a competitor finds out about it. That “It” could be a new feature, new pricing or some personal data - no matter what, it needs to be secured and transferred safely.
Secure data rooms can assure the safe sharing of sensitive data within conversations. Under no circumstances should sensitive date be communicated via email or unsafe messaging apps.
Security in sensitive industries plays a major role and this doesn’t mean that processes necessarily need to slow down. We live in an era of digitalization in which you can have both security issues solved and quick communication provided. This matters most for data that includes personal details, such as a customer base. Working on it, storing and sharing such a file needs to go hand-in-hand with data protection and be compliant with secure regulations.
Project management
An effective, relatively quick and reliable project management is a pain in the neck for many sensitive industries. In the past, some simple emails may have worked well, or even hands-on meetings were effective for teamwork. However, nowadays when we live in an era of disruption and information overload, emails can be missed quite easily and sometimes they cause a delay in project delivery.
However, it is vital to identify the right workflow then use supporting project management software and solutions to help it along. This applies not only to sensitive industries, though.
For out-of-the-box cases, such as a team of remote working digital nomads, project management is crucial and can resemble a chain of dominoes. If one person doesn’t deliver, others have nothing to do and need to wait for the outcome first. But with a transparent set of tasks, appointments, deadlines and reminders, avoiding anything seems to be impossible.
Project management is also a significant part of an agencies’ work, as they need to meet clients’ requirements and deadlines. The workflow, based on tasks and deliverables, should be readily accessible by anyone in the project, who can take a look at how others are doing and how much work is yet to be done. This can all happen without sending several emails or asking in person, since everyone sees updates on their own user panel.
Modern solutions help with tracking project management from conception (ideas) to completion (ideas’ execution). Even if sticky notes can work as little reminders, they are not going to cope with bigger initiatives.
File management
Sending important, sensitive data via emails, the Cloud, some online solutions or flash drives is, quite simply, not the greatest idea, since anyone can somehow hack it and intercept essential documents. Losing something you’ve been working on for a while can be a waste for you, but also potentially cause damage and financial loss for the company. Introducing a digital file management solution supports security, gives you some peace of mind and saves time, as anyone designated on the team can access files. No more clogged mailboxes, requests or even visits to your desk with a pendrive to upload some files on it.
Sensitive industries need to adapt to digital changes while keeping high-level security standards, so a modern file management system is a must, not a choice. With many online solutions supporting work on a daily basis, it is now easier than ever to keep files on track. Every day, insurance companies produce thousands of clients’ data that need to be properly secured. Any leaks cost money and reputation. With advanced solutions (such as Stackfield), files can be encrypted during the upload process and decrypted while downloading, with no third-party access. It’s as simple and safe as that.
Flexibility
We live in times where remote working is nothing strange, shocking or surprising. What’s more, employees not only appreciate such opportunities to work, but also demand them increasingly often. Sensitive industries are nothing different here: managing internal communication is easier than ever before, with the internet being accessible almost everywhere in the world. If employees can access company information and be in touch with colleagues via mobile solutions, then it is a huge advantage for work flexibility. Sensitive industries tend to have representatives who spend a lot of time on business travelling or meetings out of the office, or even work remotely. Having an opportunity to contact the team while they are away can save time, keep others in the loop and even reduce their own stress. In the past, others had to wait for a call or for someone to show up in the office and share all the details from a particular trip or meeting. Now, it can be briefly described in a message to those who are involved in the project.
Another crucial aspect when it comes to secure, flexible communication is web security. Today, we work not only when we're in the office, but technological progress has made it possible to work from nearly any place on the planet. No matter which WiFi hotspot you're connecting to (whether it's an open or secure connection), you should be able to send messages and have access to the company's files. Therefore, you need a system that you can fully trust, so that even if you'll end up using an open connection you'll know that your chat and documents are totally secure.
Should sensitive industries avoid technology for internal communication if they need to care about security all the time? Quite the contrary. The digital transformation as well as the improvement of some internal processes can quickly bring benefits. We mentioned quite a few solutions above: if combined together, they make a great, reliable and built-to-last work engine.
Stackfield combines them all being a collaboration tool that offers flexibility without any security gaps. Here you can test Stackfield for free.