Written and recorded by Paul Roy, Law Hound
Hello. Welcome to this HR session from data Law. My name is pull. I'm from a law hound of my background is in finance and managing people Good internal communication is essential for any business because it also leads to effective client communication. As Bill Gates say's any business needs on internal communication mechanism, a nerve assistance coordinates actions. So when your internal communication mechanism is good, it sets an example for your external communication with clients. In this session, we're going to examine whether communication is an issue for professionals, the business culture, the basics of communication and tips for effective internal communication. It's communication, really an issue for professionals as professionals. We may much in that we have a high standard of communication on the Oscars, already very effective. Unfortunately, that's not always true. In fact, in August 2017 the solicitor's regulation authority issued a warning notice solicitors regarding offensive communications on what they refer to as a significant increase in the number of complaints relating to inappropriate communications. Es el Rey say that this included Facebook comments made by solicitor leading to a £25,000 fine from the STT after admitted they were offensive and wholly inappropriate late night tweets by a solicitor, leading to rebuke because of the offense they caused three solicitors. It's affirmed being fined a total of £14,000 being liable for more than £7000 worth of costs. After exchanging offensive emails about a colleague, a solicits have being fined £15,000 for emailing clients using language The solicitors disciplinary tribunal. Yes, DT said, was despicable. It's not just about on my communication, though, As Paul Philip, SRE chief executive, has said, this is also about communication within an office or to clients. Solicitors cannot justify their conduct by saying that the communication was private or they did not intend to cause offence All that the recipients were not offended. There is a risk that if you send an email which is the potential to cause offence on that email subsequently commenced the lights, we might take action. The fact is that most professionals today working a pressurized environment, coping with the demands of selling their skills whilst ruling a profitable and successful business. I'm not suggesting this is a valid excuse, but 1,000,000 acknowledgements of the environments we work in when you feel stressed and pressurized. It's also easy for communications standards to drop. So how can improved internal communication help you win clients and impacts on business, profitability, Business, culture, Business culture is about the way things have done in your business, and Liza is very hard. This is because how your business operates internally will usually be the way operates externally. That includes how you communicate with each other and clients. Together with your general communication strategy, we often focus on our external clients. But of course, your business has internal clients to those with whom we work and deliver our internal services. A business culture which more readily exchanges offensive emails about colleagues or internal clients, is more likely to inflicts poor communications onto external clients. Think about the last time you had an appointment with another professional. Were you made to feel welcome bythe stuff or made to feel a bit of a nuisance? Were you offer the coffee with a friendly smile or greeted with a sigh? Was the environment efficient but friendly, or did it feel very sense we're stuff polite and friendly with each other? Or did you witness one member of staff operating another as a quick exercise together, vital information about your own internal communication and how that is portrayed externally. Either spend a few minutes in your own reception area or, better still, as someone unknown T organization to do so on your behalf. Repeat this on a frequent basis. So why is business culture importance? As an calm with professor of organizational studies confirms, the organizational culture provides direction for the organization. Andi influences organizational effectiveness on and shapes the public's image of the organization. Basics of communication. We take communication for granted, but it's good to be reminded that the process involves four steps. Preparing, conveying, recapping and clarifying again. This is something that it's too easy to forget when you have playing. Beat the clock in a rush to complete client work preparation. This involves planning to ensure that your communication is organized. Unstructured. Obviously not every communication requires an agenda, but having focused will mean that you can make your salient points without getting sidetracked, which is essential in a busy environment. When time is so precious, you should also consider the best medium to use. For example, you would use an email to discipline someone. It's also preparing someone to be open to receive your communication, such as a simple I'd like to talk to you about. I would also add that preparation needs to include stopping to think before you communicate, particularly when we have access to instant read communication with so many people under any time communication which can't be retracted, for example, it may be tempting to let the floodgates open my email or on social media when you feel really angry. But those late night offensive tweets that the S r a refer to we'll perhaps never happened if the Celester concerned had taken the time to think beforehand, conveying the actual message. Clearly, this involves thinking about the language you're going to use and how we best received by the recipients. For example, imagine that you want to tell on employees that something which needs to be done can't be done until next week. You can either convey that message negatively by saying, I'm afraid that I can't do that until next week. Convey that same message positively by saying, I'm pleased to say that I'll be able to do that for you next week. It's the same message, but which would you prefer to receive. Recapping the main points of the message is the best way of ensuring that the recipient understands and remembers the message, clarifying that the audience recipient has received the message, which means acknowledging that just because you've conveyed the message does not mean that someone has received it as a cast reminders. It's also really important to ensure that everyone in your business understands the communication, and that will mean adapting it to suit the individual's needs. It means accounted for more obvious factors, such as potential language barriers or taken into account the needs of dyslexia or colorblindness. However, it's also about making sure that isolated employees are involved for example, taking to count those who spend a lot of time away from the business, such as litigation solicitors or reception stuff who are more isolated because of the nature of their role. Effective internal communication In this section, let's examine some important steps you can take to enhance your internal communication, which will in turn improve your external communication. Show the vision and values stop by ensuring that you take the time to share defined common goals and values because this creates healthy and positive business culture on a sense of belonging. Employees will be more engaged if they're clear about the backgrounds of that communication, the business goals and values, what's expected off them and exactly what their role is within your business. Why they are doing what they do. Ultimately, good communication will mean an increase in productivity, and clients will benefit from multi vacated employees who have focused on giving clients the best possible service because they feel part of your business and will be loyal to it. However, sharing vision and values is not something which you just do that induction or perhaps once a year. It must be an ongoing process and you need to share. Both the good and the bad were quick to disseminate but news such as client complaints but less hasty to share success. How Maney office meetings, if you called to share but news or problems as opposed to meetings called to specifically share something really good, which has happened, make it easy to get ensure information. Knowing the best way to share information within your business is key on. That needs to start with the best way to share general information with everybody. Central mechanism employees value transparency and, in fact, in some surveys, is a very top of satisfaction and happiness at work. Having essential mechanism for sharing information means employees will know, as opposed to thinking that they know. So unless you formally share information, you were leaving it to the business grapevine to gossip, rumor, word of mouth, a misinterpretation, how and some small organizations it may be feasible to call a quick meeting with all employees and use face to face a central mechanism so that all employees get to know information. At the same time. However, most organization that is no longer feasible on If that's you, you will need to consider which mechanism will work for your business while effective example of an internal communication mechanism, is using an online platform, which combines a project management tool on the chats up to bring employees together so they can get to know key information and have the opportunity to interact and engage. For example, look at www dot base camp dots come, which enables you to create a hates Q gathering together all employees seeking use for business announcements on what is happening. Generally, it also enables you to break off into different teams of projects. We can have information or, if you like news, which particularly applies to those people. You may already have an internal communication system, a similar tool for your client work, which could be expanded to achieve this. Alternatively, your business may already have internal communication systems, which were using or have one, which is a part of a similar till for your client work, which could be expanded to include external communication if you already have until communication mechanism. When was the last time that you consider whether it's still the most effective feel business? The fact that it is, for example, parts of an existing office management package you bought several years ago doesn't also massively make it the best for you right now. Always take the time to explore the best tools that will work to an hance your organization. As Bill Gates said, I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects, strengthen connections. What's of your internal communication mechanism? It's important for managers to take the time to get to know their team members and equally important for team members to get to know each other Here are some of the ways that experts suggest to help you achieve this. Be productive. As a manager or business owner, you need to be proactive and arranged to see stuff regularly so you can get to know them. Not only will this help you communicate effectively on build relationships, but by getting to know stuff, you'll recognize any issues much sooner and consequently, be able to resolve the much faster, be approachable and interested. Shed real time to talk to stuff Time when you could devote your attention to the relevant employees. There is nothing more did motivating for employees than to know that the management's interest is engaged elsewhere. All that they're destructed, for example, by client work that they need to complete. Listen, Mawr say less listening is obviously a vital part of communication, which benefits both parties. However, I would also add that listening involves taking on board nonverbal signals on body language such as facial expressions, gestures and posture the's air, often as if not more important than the actual words themselves. For example, facial expressions often betray a person's true reaction to a message. Whilst listening. You need to ensure that you make eye contacts and make it clear that you want to hear all the communicator has to say so. For example, use verbal encouragement. Such is yes, or I see, effective communication means that you should actually say less. You need to get straight to the point because of shorter messages, much easier to absorb. However, there is a tendency to say much more than you need to, particularly when delivering a less palatable message. Instead, you need to eliminate unnecessary information and details, which don't directly contributes your message or purpose. Whilst ensuring the recipients still has sufficient details. Understand your message. So when conveying a decision, make sure that then please have enough information to understand the reasoning behind it. Lead by example. Remember, the employees will watch how you communicate with others and follow your lead is being what your business finds acceptable. It therefore makes it vital that you immediately take action about unacceptable communication, whether it's internal or external, for example, had the business mentioned by the S. R. A, where three solicitors exchanged offensive emails about a colleague, simply felt sake action, leading the solicitors to perhaps anticipate that this type of communication was in some way tolerated your existing communication before you can start to improve your internal communication, you need to consider your current position. Ask yourself a clear about how effects if your internal communication is. If not, now is the time to get feedback from your employees because, after all, they can offer you some of the best solutions to help you make your communication the most effective it Cumbie Thank you. That now concludes this session. Thank you for joining me on the data. Jorge Char session on I hope that you will enjoy future data Lord training sessions.
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