How To Master Communications In The Modern Office

How To Master Communications In The Modern Office

With technology constantly changing, communication has become more complex than ever. Whether delivering documents in a secure method by uploading them through a server, or having a meeting with potential investors in many regions at one time, communication has given us options that we’ve never had before and every year they are advancing even further.

As these options continue to improve, they also become more challenging. Understanding how to get the most out of the various forms of communication while staying up to date with technology can be difficult.

Email

In today’s modern society, nearly everyone has email and checks it before beginning their work day. Many have a good grasp of how it works and how to work it to their benefit, they understand that it’s more than just compose and click the send button. Not everyone gets the concept though and many aren’t using their email to the full potential. Learning to understand and use the various options that email software has to offer is important and can save a lot of time and money in the long run.

One of the many benefits is creating and utilizing a shared template and it can save users hours of work each and every week. Unfortunately, not everyone understands that templates are available in emails so very few actually use this method.

Archiving email can speed up retrieval when you’re in a hurry and it can help to secure audit trails as well as save you memory on your computer. It’s so easy and can save a lot of time as well as money.

Virtual Working

In today’s modern world, working from home isn’t just for parents that have sick kids or executives who are secretly taking a day off to watch sports on television. If systems are set up properly, virtual working can save a lot of commuting time as well as wear and tear on vehicles, not to mention reduced costs of office rentals and improved flexibility for many people’s schedules.

Of course, everything has its down side as well. Virtual employees don’t have the benefit of someone who can help troubleshoot any issues that may arise during the working day. They can’t simply walk across the office to another person and ask questions. When working from home it’s important to make sure that everyone who works virtual meets together occasionally and knows who else is working on the project or at least who to call if they get stuck. There are still rules that should be followed in order to make this flow smoothly.

Virtual meetings also require rules. You can’t read body language so easily through video so you’ll need to communicate clearly and not rely upon what you “think” is going on. Regular teleconferences or webinars are important in the virtual world. You’ll also lose out on the pre meeting chit chat that can often bring you up to date on a project. You may feel out of the loop and have to work harder to get back into the loop.

IT support is also important when working virtual. Nothing is worse than being halfway through a project or meeting only to lose your connection.

Consider Phones

As in email, phones are a must for office work. Never take them for granted. Large offices spend a lot of money on high tech phone systems. You need to be able to direct calls to the right person. Automated systems need to automate properly.

Excellent communication will ensure a smooth running office. You’ll need good communication and good support in order to make it all work together smoothly but it is becoming more common than ever to work virtually, even for just part of the week.  It’s a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon.