Interdepartmental communication can help an organization achieve its objectives. It also strengthens employee relationships, which can result in improved productivity and increased profit. This article from the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce talks about why communication between different departments matters, why it sometimes fails, and how to easily communicate with other departments.

Why Interdepartmental Communication Is Important

Communication can make or break an organization. For example, if the managers fail to communicate the sales forecast to the operations team, the latter may not be able to achieve its quota. Chron. explains that this failure in communication has a negative impact on the business and may lead to conflict between team members in various departments. The only way to resolve this is by properly (and promptly) communicating the right message.

Good interdepartmental communication can build trust and save time. When departments accurately deliver information, there's little need to do fact-checking, which can be time-consuming and can impact the team's overall productivity. For instance, if the human resources department informs the recruitment team of the qualities to look for in new employees, it helps the recruiters hire the right talent. 

Why Interdepartmental Communication Sometimes Fail

One of the reasons interdepartmental communication sometimes isn't effective is the lack of proper communication procedures. An established communication protocol should be in place to get the right message across. Work pressure can also impact communication — the sales department may be so engrossed in reaching its targets that its members fail to consider the impact on other departments when the sales team fails to give updates promptly. 

It can also be difficult to communicate when many or all the employees in your Lake Oswego, OR, business work from home. You must have a communication plan in place to help resolve this issue. Decide on a collaborative tool to use to ensure everyone is heard, and all facts are communicated to the right departments. 

How to Easily Collaborate With Other Departments

If you're presenting a financial report to upper management and you have several documents to share, try to keep them all in one PDF file for easy organization. You can add charts or graphics to your PDF file, where you can edit or reorder them to help you better present the report. And the PDF converter is free and easy to use. Even if your original file type is different, you can convert, merge, and save it with a few simple steps.

Google Docs also includes a collaborative feature to make it easier for you to connect with other departments. Trello offers a task management feature that allows anyone to collaborate with other departments in real time. 

Tips to Effectively Communicate With Other Departments

A regular meeting to discuss new information or updates can help improve interdepartmental communication. Hugo recommends setting aside time each month or quarterly to let team members update everyone on how well the company is doing, adjustments to be made, whether to increase the workforce and other relevant matters. If you and other team members work remotely, use Zoom to better communicate with your employees. 

Use the right communication tools to allow team members to easily collaborate, and avoid using jargon to prevent confusion. Organize company events to help the employees in your Lake Oswego, OR, company build better relationships. 

Enhance Interdepartmental Communication 

Effective interdepartmental communication is essential to the growth of an organization. Having regular meetings and utilizing the right technology can also help. So make the time to develop healthy communication practices in your business. Your employees and your productivity will show the benefits.