Effective communication is when you are able to convey your point clearly and concisely in a diplomatic manner. Being able to communicate effectively in the workplace is a soft skill that will bolster your career growth as you form robust connections with your peers, customers, and managers.
Having communication skills means that you can respond to verbal and non-verbal cues. It’s knowing when a matter of concern is best delivered in writing, conversation, or accompanied by a visual presentation. Communication is a skill that involves more than just talking and listening, you also need to factor in eye contact, facial expressions, demeanour, and tone.
Communication is commonly regarded as a soft skill because it is more about how you interact with people than a job-specific ability. It is an essential skill that employers look for in job applicants when hiring as it gives way to positive relationships, problem-solving, and team synergy.
What is Team Synergy
Team synergy is when a group of individuals are able to collaborate and work well together as a result of harmonious interactions. Synergy is achieved when every individual contributes their efforts and perspectives to the success of a shared goal.
For teams to be synergistic, individuals must be able to assess and effectively communicate their strengths and weaknesses. Doing so allows teams to complement each other’s skills and shortcomings. Synergy refers to the collective energy of high-performing teams to innovate and create solutions that wouldn’t have been possible alone.
Team synergy can be nurtured and developed when individuals are encouraged to hone and practise their communication skills in a supportive work environment. Here are 8 SMART business communication goals and objectives that will empower your teams to be synergistic.
8 SMART Business Communication Goals and Objectives for Teams
Applying the SMART approach to business communication goals and objectives makes targets easier to grasp. When goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, individuals become aware of what they need to do and accountable for their progress.
The 8 SMART business communication goals and objectives listed are actionable steps intended to guide teams as they work towards synergy.
1. Communicate Clearly and Concisely
To communicate clearly and concisely, you must be able to relay your message using as few words as possible. Clear messaging allows teams to prevent confusion. To practise being concise, think about what you want to say and prioritise the most important message. Then, avoid unnecessary filler words or details.
To make this business communication goal and objective SMART, team leaders can structure and send clear and concise task updates and expectations. This gives the team a template they can apply in discussions and presentations.
2. Use Inclusive Language
Every industry and department may have a different set of acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon. While these words or phrases are meant to simplify discussions with individuals belonging to the same team, it may be puzzling for some.
Use inclusive language and practise respectful dialogue when communicating with a wider audience outside your team. Avoid acronyms and highly technical terms as much as possible because they may detract from your main message. If you must refer to the technical term, be prepared with a definition or a glossary for presentations.
3. Establish Credibility
When pitching or challenging an idea, it is crucial to establish credibility. You must be able to support your message or argument with reliable, valid, and feasible research. This can be a collection of audits or customer experience scores and other key performance indicators.
When you can present facts and statistics, you illustrate the value of your project and make it easier to map progress and success. Train teams to have relevant data and metrics ready for presentations and brainstorming sessions. With the gathered insight, teams can align themselves to predict potential setbacks and devise suitable solutions.
4. Speak With Confidence
Confidence is another soft skill that must be acquired to fortify business communication goals and objectives. When you speak, you must be dignified in your choice of words and gestures. The same level of confidence must be apparent in your writing style and tone.
Your confidence translates to your ability to make a strong point, ask pertinent questions, and close a deal. To inspire and instil confidence, teach your team how to sustain eye contact, properly enunciate and articulate their thoughts, and tips to answer difficult questions from an audience.
5. Maximise Impactful Storytelling
Through storytelling, we can create scenarios that elicit emotions and actions from the audience. By maximising impactful storytelling in a professional setting, we are able to humanise our message and move people to act on our intended outcome.
Incorporating the skill of storytelling into your business communication goals and objectives makes your messaging more relatable, engaging, and meaningful. Storytelling enables teams to have a deeper understanding of the consumer’s journey and what drives them to purchase. Stories are easy to remember and share which helps you stand out and build trust. For your next team meeting, prompt them to utilise case studies, customer testimonials, and imagery to tell compelling stories.
6. Provide Regular Updates
Ensure open communication within the team by encouraging everyone to provide regular updates. Settle on a software or app dedicated to internal or external communication as well as project management. This way, teams know where to source information.
Providing regular updates allows everyone in the team to know the task status and address issues as they arise. Updates can also be in the form of media materials such as blogs, podcasts, or videos that shed light on the task topic.
7. Active Participation in Discussions
Make an effort to cater to different communication and learning styles to promote equal and active participation in discussions. During one-on-one check-in meetings, team leaders can identify what is holding back some team members from speaking up in groups. Also, suggest or enrol them in trainings or workshops for their professional development.
Part of cultivating an inclusive and proactive work culture is to support and empower preferred communication and learning styles. Give people the option to participate through the meeting chat. You can also make a video recording of the meeting or send everyone a copy of the presentation deck for further review.
8. Share Wins and Give Feedback
By sharing wins and giving feedback, you make it possible for everyone in the team to feel seen and acknowledged. This business communication goal and objective ingrains the attitude of gratitude and accountability within teams.
When you celebrate good work and give recognition, you boost employee morale and engagement. On the other hand, feedback allows you to motivate individuals to perform better and deliver more ideal results.
Key Points on SMART Business Communication Goals and Objectives
Leaders have the responsibility to relay business communication goals and objectives and guide their teams towards achieving synergy. On the other hand, every individual should take it upon themselves to learn and harness their communication skills to effectively contribute to team effort.
Making business communication goals and objectives SMART allows you to establish clear targets along with actionable steps. Include numerical and/ or monetary values to make tasks more specific and assign realistic deadlines to easily track progress, milestones, and areas for improvement.
The SMART business communication goals and objectives above are all aimed at fueling collaboration and problem-solving within teams and ultimately sparking synergy. At myOffice, we equip teams to support each other and attain their collective goals in a safe and professional setting.
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