7 Ways Hudson Area Small Businesses Excel at Cultivating Effective Team Communication and Collaboration

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. They account for 99.7% of all US businesses and employ nearly 60 million people. In order to compete with big businesses, small businesses need to be nimble and efficient. That means having a strong team that knows how to communicate and collaborate effectively. Here are 7 ways small businesses can improve collaboration and communication courtesy of the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce.

1. Don't Micromanage

One of the quickest ways to kill morale and stifle creativity is to micromanage your team members. If you want your team to trust you and work collaboratively, you need to give them the freedom to do their jobs without constant supervision. That doesn't mean you should be completely hands-off. Knit People recommends that you check in on projects and provide guidance when needed, but resist the urge to hover over your team's shoulder all day long.

2. Don't Forget About Collaborative Online Tools

There are tons of great online tools that can help improve communication and collaboration within your small business, such as Google Drive, Slack, Trello, and Asana. These tools allow team members to share files, ideas, and tasks in real-time, which can help streamline processes and increase productivity.

When your teams include members from different departments, you may want to equip your employees with a file conversion tool. This way, no matter which file type the team receives, they can turn it into something they can easily view and edit. For instance, if you use a PDF to Word converter, you can change the less edit-friendly PDF from a member of the marketing team into a Word document so you can make minor changes without bothering them to make the edits.

3. Ensure your company climate supports open communication as well as idea sharing.

In order for your team to be effective, everyone needs to feel comfortable communicating openly with one another—even (and especially) when they don't agree with each other's ideas. Encourage your team members to share their thoughts and ideas freely, without fear of judgment or reprisal, and create an environment where debate is encouraged.     

4. Motivate employees to give and receive feedback.

Feedback is essential for any team that wants to improve its performance. Make sure you're regularly soliciting feedback from your team members on everything from their individual work performance to suggestions on how the company could run more efficiently. Not only will this help you identify areas where improvements can be made, but it will also make your team feel valued and appreciated.

5. Create opportunities for your teams to collaborate.

One of the best ways to promote communication and collaboration within a small business is by encouraging employees from different areas or teams to work together on projects. Not only does this help employees get to know each other better, but it also allows them to develop new skill sets and build relationships that they can rely on in the future.

6. Hold Regular Team Meetings

Another great way to encourage communication and collaboration among your employees is by holding regular team meetings. Koban Team explains that these meetings provide an opportunity for everyone on the team to stay up-to-date on what's going on within the company, raise any concerns they may have, and share ideas they have for improving processes or solving problems.

7. Celebrate Successes Together

Finally, it's important to take some time out every once in a while to celebrate your team's successes together. Whether it's taking everyone out for lunch after hitting a big sales goal or throwing a company-wide holiday party, celebrating successes together helps build morale, strengthen relationships, and improve communication.

Create Your Own Collaborative Culture

Improving collaboration and communication within your small business is essential for achieving success. Establish a company climate of open communication by working together and showing your employees that you trust in them. And remove silos whenever possible by creating opportunities for cross-team collaboration and celebrating successes together. With these changes, you can create an environment where your employees can thrive.