Your team is losing productivity due to poor communication. How can you turn things around?

Communication is essential for any successful contract management team. It helps you coordinate tasks, share information, resolve issues, and avoid misunderstandings. However, poor communication can have the opposite effect. It can cause delays, errors, conflicts, and frustration. If you notice that your team is losing productivity due to poor communication, here are some steps you can take to turn things around.

1 Assess the situation

The first step in addressing a communication breakdown is to identify its root causes. To do this, ask yourself and your team members questions such as what communication channels and tools are used, how clearly expectations, goals, and feedback are communicated, how disagreements, changes, and risks are handled, and how communication quality and effectiveness are measured and monitored. Answering these questions can help pinpoint the gaps, barriers, and challenges that affect communication.

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Sanjib Roy

Group Chief Technical Director, Mentor, Advisor to the Board, Strategic Planner, Telecom Expert ,Program manager,Independent Consultant
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Do a catharsis of the gap in communication, who is not getting what from whom , or is it that some info is getting delayed. So we need to call the team to understand that and then the internal stake holders, may be the Technical or MIS or the Stock & Inventory department. So we need to rehash and standardise the format and the frequency of delivery of such information, assign responsibilities and escalation matrix and do an weekly evaluation of the new process and if that is helping in plugging the communication gap, otherwise do a fine tuning in the process by iteration till it meets the need of information sharing in time to act and improve productivity.

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2 Establish guidelines

The next step is to establish some guidelines and standards for your communication. To do this, you can create a communication plan that outlines the purpose, audience, and frequency of each communication type, such as reports, meetings, and emails. It should also include the roles and responsibilities of each team member and stakeholder, the preferred communication methods and tools for different situations, the format, content, and tone of each deliverable, procedures for reporting, escalating, and resolving issues, as well as metrics and indicators for evaluating performance. A communication plan can help you ensure that your communication is consistent, clear, and aligned with your objectives.

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Giovanna Bortoto

Advogada Gestora | Empresarial | Digital | Inteligência Artificial | Contratos | Setor Alimentício
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Muitas vezes o conflito dentro da equipe ocorre quando não há um escopo de trabalho definido. Delimite o escopo de trabalho de cada membro da sua equipe. Quando o escopo for compartilhado, deixe claro como será a distribuição da atividade entre o time. Estabeleça fluxo e rotina de trabalho, garanta que cada um sabe exatamente o que fazer e a quem recorrorer quando necessário.

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3 Improve your skills

The third step to success is to improve your communication skills and competencies. You can do this by actively and empathetically listening to your team members and stakeholders, asking open-ended questions, and providing constructive feedback. Additionally, you should adapt your communication style and language to different contexts and preferences, using clear, concise, and respectful language while avoiding jargon and ambiguity. Finally, make sure to check for understanding and confirm agreements and actions. All of these efforts will help you build rapport, trust, and collaboration with your team members and stakeholders.

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4 Use the right tools

The fourth step is to use the right tools and technologies to facilitate your communication. This involves selecting the appropriate tools for different purposes and audiences, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, or project management software. Additionally, it's important to set up and maintain the tools properly and securely, as well as train team members and stakeholders on how to use them effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, you should integrate the tools with each other and with existing systems and processes, while also reviewing and updating them regularly. By doing so, you can streamline your communication processes and improve communication quality and speed.

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Nelson Bossolan

Consultant l C-Level l Infrastructure l Concessions and Public-Private Partnerships
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Firstly, you must identify the main causes of poor communication and then address them . After that, you must implement clear communication protocols and establish regular check-ins to enhance the information flow. Just encouraging an open dialogue, an active listening and providing regularly feedbacks can solve most of conflicts or misunderstandings within the team.

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5 Seek feedback

The final step in optimizing your communication performance is to seek feedback and continuously improve. Ask team members and stakeholders for their opinions and suggestions, and consider conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather feedback. Analyze the feedback to identify strengths and weaknesses, then implement changes based on best practices. Monitor and measure the impact of your improvements to gain insight from your communication experiences. Through ongoing feedback, you can make adjustments as needed to ensure your contract management team's productivity and success.

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