Improving Communications
How can you improve communication that is controlled by another department?
Excellent advice! If you find that method is not working 100%, what are your suggestions to help improve that method of communication?
@jean
You can follow up by voicemail or email, and when speaking to them do keep an open mind, and not only give them the respact they deserve but also make them feel that they can express what they are feeling.
When communicating to another department we should stay professional at all time and be clear when communicating the situation to them. We should works as a team even through communication.
@jean
@jean It is important to understand what that department's expectations are for routine communication. If they only answer incoming phone calls, then my urgent email might go unseen. If I have left a voicemail, but the department uses email as a written record of communcation, then again my inquiry could be neglected. Once the department's preference is understood, I would use that method as a primary tool, and then supplement it with other methods. For instance, if I know that phone is preferred, then nitially I might leave a voicemail. If I receive no response, then I will leave an additional voicemail and send an email detailing the attempted contacts and the issue. If that receives no response, I would leave a voicemail, send an email, and copy the email to someone in a leadership role in that department, again detailing my attempted contacts.
I think it all boils down to putting the student/s first. If you are both working toward the same goal, which is servicing the student, it makes interdepartmental communication easier. Foster a good working relationship with the department head.
You can take the department head out to lunch and build a better relationship with them. Over time, you will work much better with them.
I have learned that when using e-mails for communication to not hit that send button right away. I tend to not let my emotions take over and rather then make a impulsive reaction, I prefer to think things through first and make sure that I will not offend or be mis-understood
I would think that a meeting, in-person, would be helpful so that everyone can share their individual thoughts. Everyone else can listen to and consider everyone else's opinion and work together to join on common ground.
Great insight Eric! It certainly helps to have a top-down approach to communication so that everyone is communicating a consistent message
Elizabeth Wheeler
It is next to impossible to know what every department communicates on a regular basis because everyone is trained separately by managers who might have different goals or values. Having a more cohesive team that is trained together with the same outcome goals is a great way to improve communication. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
Departments should ensure that the information they are giving to other departments in the organization is reliable to help improve operational efficiency.
I would possibly have a meeting with the other department and discuss improvements we could all make as a team.
I try to find out what exactly they are trying to get accomplished and work with them
Darless, That's correct! Consistency in training is very important when training any and all departments. Does consistency mean training the exact same thing, all the time?
Dr. Jean Norris
Train the other Department all communication must be consistent.
Hi Brian,
I work in a College, and we had the same communication problem under the old president. The actual president has been in charge for over eight years, and she increment the communication between departments having a short meeting with all managers once a week. In the meeting every department talk about retention, collections, goals etc, this way we work together knowing other departments need instead of just our part. For example I am the registrar and I communicate with the rest every time that I change a student status because I am aware that any delay may affect FA or BO or even the instructors. I suggest that you should start using the board and maybe other employees will follow you.
Thank you, Abdel halim!
Asking for a face to face meeting is a great way to start improving your communications! Being on the same page as the other person is essential.
Dr. Jean Norris
I would ask them for a meeting face to face with our department and put all the points we needs to improve in our communications in the future and discuss them then we have to have a test message between us to test the effective communication after the meeting and from there we will work ahead.
Abdul
teresa, That is a great perspective! Thank you for posting.
Elizabeth Wheeler
