Collaboration between departments is necessary in every business structure. Departments must ensure their decisions do not negatively impact other organizational units. Teams must also collaborate to carry out specific tasks and ensure the organization functions efficiently.

However, according to a Harvard Business Review study, only around 25% of businesses have truly effective inter-departmental communication. So how can you ensure your departments communicate efficiently to support productivity, innovation, and customer satisfaction? There are several ways to break down silos and lead your company to success.

Define Measurable Goals

Organizations must define measurable goals to ensure their company succeeds. Goals may be specific to various departments, but overall goals must be established for everyone to adhere to. These could include driving sales, improving customer satisfaction, or boosting productivity. Establish clear metrics leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Common goals may be more specific to one department than another, but once they are established, everyone will understand how to do their part to reach them. They will allow managers to monitor progress and determine areas of improvement.

Establish a Communication System

Every organization should establish a system that ensures departments and leaders communicate effectively. They can integrate regular meetings, shared workspaces, and collaborative technology.

Meetings should be designed to boost productivity, not distract from it. Therefore, CEOs should plan every meeting with efficiency in mind. Too many cooks may spoil the broth.

CEOs may consider meeting with individual departments monthly. A quarterly meeting may be conducted where all leaders are present. Regular check-ins can fill in the blanks ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Rewards and Recognition

Rewards and recognition are an integral part of every organization. They motivate employees to do better. Employees who receive rewards and recognition will feel more valued in the workplace.

Employees can be rewarded for any number of accomplishments, and collaborative efforts must be included in this reward suite. Workers and managers must be recognized for their ability to consider other departments in their decision-making processes. They may also be noted for their accomplishments in introducing systems that foster collaboration.

Implement Workspace Technology

Various technological tools can support collaboration and communication in a workplace, but few rival workspaces like Slack, Asana, and Monday for internal matters. These systems allow teams to share files and send direct messages for real-time updates. Tasks can be scheduled and marked as ‘in progress’ or ‘complete’ ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Workspace technologies can also provide leaders with insights into how well teams collaborate and reach goals. For example, if a team is struggling to complete projects, the leader can check in to determine what is causing delays. They can suggest techniques to boost productivity.

Leaders must ensure these platforms help their organization reach its goal by training employees to use them. The technology should become a part of company culture ensuring teams utilize them to guide their projects.

Team Building Activities

A communication breakdown could occur because employees in your company aren’t well-acquainted. They may not feel comfortable approaching one another about certain business matters. Team building activities can change this sense of division.

Team building activities come in many shapes and sizes. You can host a company outing and encourage teams to work together to solve escape rooms or complete obstacle courses together. CEOs may also invite teams out for dinner, drinks, or coffee.

The main goal is to get teams to know each other and feel like they can trust each other in the work community. Once barriers break down, teams will communicate on matters and solve problems quickly and without friction.

Coordinating Presentations

There may be times when you must present information to clients requiring input from various departments. Rather than have each department present separately, ask them to consolidate information into one graph or PowerPoint model. In addition to fostering collaboration, this approach can simplify the presentation process making information easier to digest and reducing meeting length.

Clients will appreciate the efficient approach. The clarity of the presentation can also breed transparency. In this sense, collaboration may help your organization win more contracts.

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