By Fiona Prince

Hundreds of books and thousands of articles exist that analyze organizational communication successes and breakdowns—while providing quantitative (measurable) and qualitative (anecdotal) evidence of how investing in communications training at every level of an organization positively impacts the bottom line.

Survey Says…Communications Count
A similar number of surveys show that effective communications programs in organizations lead to significant improvements: enabling leadership teams to make decisions, management teams to collaborate, project teams to come in on time and on budget, and operational teams to increase productivity.

But what type of training should you invest in? How much should it cost? Moreover, how will you measure the return on investment (ROI) against your bottom line?

These are questions that many HR professionals are called upon to answer when decision-makers are allocating training budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

No-Cost/Low-Cost? Interpersonal Communications Key
While there are valuable, high-priced options for leadership and management teams, this article proposes that a no-cost/low-cost option is feasible and ideal for all staff.

How? The aim is to develop skills in the one area of communications that is the foundation for everything that happens in the workplace, namely, interpersonal communications. These are the everyday interactions that occur between people as they do their work: in-person, by phone, by email and online in virtual meetings.

An Anecdotal Stretch
Bear with me while I take you back a few years to a program that casts a bit of light on this concept. In the 1990s, when studies revealed that prolonged computer-use was contributing to a bevy of health issues amongst employees, forward-thinking organizations instituted health and wellness programs. These programs ranged in scope from recommending no-cost team stretch-breaks twice a day to high-cost fitness centres with scheduled aerobics, core-strength, and yoga classes.

Let’s focus on the no-cost/low cost option—team stretch breaks. How did they have a positive effect on the bottom-line? How are they related to improving interpersonal communications in the workplace? And, how were they implemented?

Let’s work backwards to answer these questions:

First, how were they implemented? Employees stopped for this break at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. They sat or stood in their work area with one person leading a set of recommended stretches for the upper body. These breaks were simple: no sportswear or athletic prowess required, 10 minutes away from the computer screen, twice a day.

Second, how were they related to improving interpersonal communications in the workplace? As team-members engaged with each other face-to-face, away from their desks, they developed stronger relationships built on what Patrick Lencioni, in 2002, identified as the five behaviours of a cohesive team: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability and results.

The purpose of getting together was to do the stretches, but the conversations and problem-solving that occurred was spontaneous. The benefits of spontaneous interactions in the workplace are supported by studies connected with The Water Cooler Effect by Nicholas DiFonzo.

A 2009 post by Alex Pentland for Psychology Today concludes that “knowledge, shared attitudes and work habits, and social support happens through office chat about how to manage specific situations, people, and problems, sharing tips, talking about life-work balance, and so forth.”

Third, how did they have a positive effect on the bottom line? For small groups, these stretch-breaks did double duty as mini-status report meetings. Employees shared what they were working on and what challenges they were facing as they did the ten-minute stretch routine. Collaboration increased, duplication of efforts decreased, process improvements occurred organically, and productivity increased. In customer-service areas, employees handled stress more effectively and surveys revealed that customer satisfaction increased.

These twice-daily informal stretch-breaks supported organizational goals for building healthy workplaces, with the added benefit of increasing interpersonal communication effectiveness and emotional intelligence.

Building the Case For Leadership
Okay, I can hear you saying, “There is no way that our leadership, management or employees are going to go for mandatory stretch-breaks twice a day! And many of our employees work from home. How is this option helpful?”

Let’s go back to answer the earlier questions.

What type of training should you invest in? How much should it cost? And how will you measure the return on investment (ROI) against your bottom line?

First, we’ve covered the bottom-line. We know statistically and anecdotally that strong interpersonal communications and working relationship will improve problem-solving, decision-making, collaboration, customer-service and productivity.

If you need actual statistics to back up your business case you may find high-quality, authoritative reports from sources, such as: The International Association of Business Communicators; Harvard Business Review; and, Gallup.

Second, how much should it cost? If your organization has already allocated funds for employee training, it should fit within that budget. If that budget is up for review, one formula you could use is to assess employees’ weighted-salaries (wages, benefits, office space, and equipment) and recommend a percentage for each employee. For example, if an employee’s weighted salary is $60K, then $300-$600 for that employee would be equivalent to .5 to one per cent of their annual salary.

With the right program, the company will see a much higher ROI than .5 to one per cent.

A Range of Affordable Opportunities
Third, what type of training should you invest in?

Here are three no-cost/low-cost options for you to try:

1. Encourage twice-daily mini-status meetings (stretching optional) for employees who have traditional desk/cubicle environments and work a five-day work week.
2. Choose an easy-to-read, interpersonal communications book such as Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team, or Deborah Tannen’s That’s Not What I Meant. Make the book available for employees, and email short bi-weekly excerpts that employees can discuss in their regular staff meetings (in-person or online).
3. If your budget allows, choose a personality assessment tool, and, with the help of a skilled consultant have everyone in your organization do the same assessment. Follow up the administration of these assessments with short, weekly tips on how to use the results to improve communications and working relationships with coworkers, managers, staff and leadership.
   NOTE:This third option is not for an annual or bi-annual event. This is more than doing yet another assessment. It is an investment in internal processes and a process in itself. To send people offsite or bring in a skilled consultant for one day without follow-up and follow through is equivalent to sitting on the top-deck of a tour bus in an exotic country and saying, “maybe I’ll come back here one day”. It may seem like money well-spent in the moment, but it will become nothing but a memory with no power to support your workplace.

Communicating Productivity
Through employee surveys, we know that when communication issues get in the way of employees working together to deliver quality services, productivity decreases. Less productivity usually translates to higher costs and lower profits.

For profit and not-for-profit organizations alike, we know that communication issues between management and staff affect the employees’ desire to be ambassadors for their company. This could cause their circles-of-influence to shop and donate elsewhere. Unresolved communications issues may also result in high staff turnover and inhibit the organization’s ability to attract high-quality staff to fill vacant positions.

Take a chance. Create a 90-day plan to improve communications in your workplace with one or more of the above mentioned options. I’d love to hear your results!

Fiona Prince is a communications and behavioural coach, facilitator and teacher living in Victoria, BC. Her background includes employee and management positions in the hospitality industry, retail, public-sector and not-for- profit sector. She teaches communications, business and academic writing courses for Royal Roads University and the Justice Institute of BC. Her approach to interpersonal communications in the workplace involves teaching fundamental communications principles, in conjunction with personality assessments. She has a Master of Arts in Applied Communications, is a certified Keirsey Temperament Professional, an authorized Everything DiSC partner and an accredited facilitator of The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team. Fiona also offers free weekly communications tips from her website at princeheron.com. You may contact her directly at fiona@princeheron.com.