The success or failure of any startup depends on team’s ability to communicate.
Effective communication = aligned tasks and clarity of roles = team members moving in the same direction = greater chance of success
Poor communication = uncertainty of who is doing what = a team moving in multiple directions = failure
So, how do you get your startup team to communicate clearly
Here are some tips
- Ensure that there is a defined communication node (a team leader or project manager).
The project managers most important task is to ensure that communication follows between the team members and between the members and the client. It is their role to ensure that each team member understand their role and the roles of everyone else.
Project mangers should spend time with each team member to ensure that information flows efficiently. They need to remove communication bottle necks and disarm information hoarders.
- Use the most appropriate communication channel
Information spreads through a startup in two ways;
- from one person to another, or
- through a singular communication forum
Both channels have their merits.
Person-to-person information flows are great at ensuring that the right person receives the information that they need while shielding others from noise and distractions. It can also help enforce business hierarchy.
One-to-one information flows can however create a real-world game of “broken telephone” where information hoarders distort the message.
Singular communication (e.g. Slack, a group email, a company address or a WhatsApp Group) ensures that the entire team knows wants going on. This is great for general information and general updates.
Giving everyone most of the info at the same time can however cause widespread debate, distractions and uncertainty.
- Trust
Team members that trust each other believe that they will receive the information that they need, when they need it.
Team members that are worried that they are being left our of the loop or that their colleagues don’t have their best interest in heart will use gossip and back channels to get info. This is a poison and will breakdown effective communication, all trust and loyalty.
If you have a member in your team that doesn’t trust the team, get rid of him.
If you are in a team where you can’t trust the leader, leave.