Optimise communication to keep your business productive, sustainable and competitive

According to a survey of 2,000 office employees in the UK, the average office worker misses important or useful information at work four times a week, and 38 per cent miss information at least once a day because they have too many communication channels to manage.

This is frustrating for communicators… and yet the problem is even bigger.

One study found that reading a large number of e-mails causes "e-mail apnoea": our breathing gets interrupted, disturbing the flow of oxygen and bringing us to the state of fight-or-flight, which disrupts the nervous system.

Other studies show that being constantly exposed to excess information harms memory and concentration, and shuts down creativity and the ability to see the big picture. In these conditions, employees do not only lose their health, but they cannot innovate, deliver full value to clients and colleagues, and solve problems effectively.

That is why optimising communications in your organisation is not only about engaging and informing employees, but keeping the whole business productive, sustainable and competitive.

As a wellbeing at work specialist, I have a few tips on how to minimise the overload and maximise the impact of communications.

1. MAKE IT A STRATEGIC PRIORITY

Bring this conversation to the table with the leaders, raise awareness about the harm of digital overload and interruptions, and make it your common goal to preserve mental health, reduce cognitive overload and increase productivity.

2. BE BOTTOM-UP

Give voice to employees and choose a way to measure their exposure to noise – for instance, via a survey in which they could evaluate their current condition and suggest how communication could be improved. Seek interactivity; ask questions on a regular basis.

3. BE HUMAN

Think of your audience not just as recipients, but as people who are trying to do their work the best they can while cutting through a lot of noise. Demonstrate empathy, be authentic and reach out on an emotional level. This will open up your audience and make it more receptive and collaborative.

4. BE FRUGAL

In the digital world, more is not better – quite the opposite. Always think twice about what, when, to whom, and how you wish to communicate. Target your audience, avoid fragmentation and duplicated messages. Reduce your channels to the necessary minimum.

5.MAKE IT DIGESTIBLE

Our brains have only a limited capacity to process information. You can help your audience by putting communications in a digestible, "snackable" format that is easier and quicker to grasp. Avoid long paragraphs, quotes, abbreviations and law excerpts. Keep your sentences short and practical. Consider replacing or supporting text with video: it is said that one minute of video content is worth 1.8 million words.

Working remotely
 

It is certain that top-down efforts to reduce informational overload will never be enough. Employees have to take their own initiative in reducing the noise and remaining concentrated as well. Incidentally, as an internal communication specialist, you are suffering from the information overload yourself.
 

There are multiple ways to reduce it while working from home.

1. DISABLE NOTIFICATIONS

Break the dopamine-releasing reward cycle by deactivating visual and sound notifications on your devices. If you can, keep your private phone away from your desk. A study demonstrated that the mere presence of a phone makes people less engaged and less productive, even when people are successful at maintaining sustained attention.

2. SKIP A MEETING, VIRTUAL OR REAL

Research says meetings are the biggest enemies of productivity. Seek to reduce their number and participants, predetermine their time and avoid them when you can.

3. ALLOCATE SPECIFIC TIMES FOR E-MAIL

Choose a window of time in which you only manage your e-mails. This will let you do one thing at a time and focus. You can also manage e-mail expectations by setting an autoreply, if your role allows it: "I check e-mail 3 times a day, at 9am, 12pm and 4pm. For urgent matters, you can contact me at …". If you can, avoid opening your e-mails as soon as you arrive at work because it immediately draws you into a flow of short-term problems instead of real priorities.

4. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

Our happiness entirely depends on our ability to be present here and now. Get tasks and ideas out of your head by writing them down. Learn to notice your breath, feel your body and your physical environment. Become self-observing: are you scrolling down news on your screen out of boredom, procrastination or you need a break?

5.DISCONNECT

It is better to have fixed hours dedicated to working – and then have your computer and documents out of sight. Your phone should also be better out of sight or in flight mode daily out of work hours (late evening and while you're asleep) and outside your bedroom. If you use it as an alarm, replace it with a regular one. Practice digital detox on Sundays and on vacation: this will help you reconnect with the present moment, and give a break to your overstimulated brain.