It’s safe to say that interaction and communication are key aspects for creating an efficient, engaged and emotionally intelligent team, especially during these socially distanced times. With the uncertainty of a global pandemic, staying connected has never been more vital. 

There will come a time where diverse teams from different sectors find themselves working together remotely on a common project. This is known as inter-team communication. This is the moment when your team’s interaction and communication skills can really be put to the test, as they will have to demonstrate their versatility, listening and alignment capabilities. This often fails in certain organisations because they forget to prioritise the success of cross-functional projects and lack a systemic approach. 

So, what exactly are the ways in which leaders and team members can help improve cross-communication amongst teams through virtual connections? 

• Introduce everybody on the Team – This seems obvious but is often forgotten. It is vital to introduce everyone who will be taking part in the project and what their role will be on a video call. This will ensure there is no confusion between members and everybody knows exactly what they are doing, avoiding the exclusion of any member. 

• Learn to listen – Don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to different members of the teams. It’s important to let everybody have a say, and learn from the other team members or teams instead of competing against them. Training teammates to engage in feedback via email and video calls, interacting positively, resolving conflicts and engaging in conversation via a safe and dedicated chat channel will also make a significant impact on results.

• Take advantage of team Diversity – Often, inter-team communication consists of teams from different company backgrounds working together. At times, this can cause conflict as each team has a different way of working and a different level of expertise, especially when working remotely. But, if taken positively, inter-team collaboration can be of great benefit to the project, as everyone can bring new skills and ideas to the table. 

• Hold frequent and transparent meetings with the whole Team – It is essential to maintain an on-going open and truthful communication with your teams, especially now. By adopting a more casual and real-time mode of communication, or organising virtual events outside of work, you will create a comfortable and judgement-free space. Also, regularly sharing work with each other and with your leaders, stimulates contribution and generates valuable feedback, creating a more trusting environment even through a screen. 

• Empower your Team – Make sure to set clear goals for everybody in the team so that every member is aligned. This will make the process more efficient, offering teammates the freedom to spur their creativity and self-satisfaction. Platforms like TeamEQ also offer teammates a voice to communicate with the team leaders on what they consider the priorities of the team or project to be. 

• As a TeamLeader, switch up your Leadership Style – It has been proven that leaders who are both goal and relationship orientated have led the most productive and innovative teams. This can be done by changing up your leadership style for different projects. For example, a leader could start by making goals clear, clarify responsibilities and deadlines and then move onto a more ‘laissez-faire’ approach, which allows members of the team to create their own working schedule from the comfort of their homes. 

Smart and Innovative HR Analytics tools like TeamEQ can really help boost your team’s ability to collaborate and communicate effectively, maintain alignment towards a common goal, improve overall performance and productivity and create a positive and healthy working environment. TeamEQ clients have said that the platform has improved their internal communication by 45%, and this will only keep growing as we adapt to the new modes of virtual collaboration. Read more about this study in our White Paper!

It is important to remember that teams are the heart of each organisation, and if the team stops working, the heart stops beating. This is why it’s so vital for leaders to prioritise the way cross-functional teams are set up and how well they work in order to ensure successful inter-team communication. 

Discover how TeamEQ can help you improve inter-team communication, interaction and cooperation by asking for a demo today.

By Claudia Bosso (TeamEQ)

You might be also interested in:

• Building a high-trust team or organization? Yes you can!
• Authenticity, trust and accidental cats… Some of the things we learned in 2020
• No more business as usual! Driving change at every level of an organization