It can be challenging to keep up with the pace of change when it comes to business communication. Communication tools can now complete astounding feats, like communicating with millions of people right across the planet in an instant.
However, the potential that all communication tools offer is often not well understood or utilized properly. This is why you should consult experts. A business management consultant can get you up to speed on communication trends that can:
- Boost your ability to extract insights from data
- Enhance your crisis preparedness
- Improve employee engagement, satisfaction and retention
This article will look at three business communication elements in which the fastest-moving businesses invest. These trends are examples of where the most astute business leaders are ensuring their workforce is both knowledgeable and skilled to propel their well-prepared organizations into a profitable future.
Read on to find out why investment in learning data visualization, crisis communication, and employee rewards communication skills is so important right now.
Data Visualization
Businesses are now using many analytical tools that gather vast amounts of data. This, in theory, should provide better insight into business trends and be used to drive informed decision-making. However, reporting the data and communicating what it represents can be problematic.
The older columnar format of reports is no longer useful or practical. Often, decision-makers cannot derive the necessary information from this style of reporting to get the answers to their questions. This is where data visualization tools come into play.
Data visualization is all about presenting data so that the results are visible and the insights obvious. Dashboards, maps, graphs and charts can all be used to format and present data so that the answers to key business questions can be easily found.
What You Need to Know
Every organization needs to understand data visualization to make the most of the data they are accruing. Within your business, you need people who can:
- Understand the importance of visualizing data well
- Present the results of data analysis in a way that people can understand
- Use the right forms of visualization at the right time
- Present multi-dimensional data without losing dimensions
- Understand the benefits of presenting non-structured data like audio or video
Who’s Responsible?
Any of the following would benefit from a better understanding of data visualization:
- Data analysts and data scientists
- Business analysts, managers and executives
- User experience analysts
- Graphic designers, web designers and developers
- Anyone working with data analytics, artificial intelligence or machine learning
Crisis Communications
The unexpected does occur. Crises can happen due to internal processes going wrong, via accident or unfortunate circumstances, or as a result of external forces. When an emergency happens, businesses must work hard and fast to minimize damage, retain their reputation, regain trust, maintain business relationships, and remain solvent.
There are a few famous examples of when good crisis communications were of paramount importance. Do you remember when KFC ran out of chicken, when worms were found in Cadbury’s chocolate, or when Pepsi was the victim of a syringe-in-a-bottle hoax? Are you prepared for something similarly unexpected to happen to your business?
A few turbulent years of political upheaval across the globe, unusual weather patterns, and the COVID-19 pandemic have stirred many businesses into better preparing their communications team for potential crises.
What You Need to Know
If you are not yet prepared for a crisis affecting your business, then you need people who can:
- Anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and manage a crisis
- Create a crisis communication plan, content and strategy
- Establish a delivery plan, including draft documents and holding messages that are ready to go
- Build the infrastructure to support crisis communications
- Debrief after the crisis and use operations, actions and results to modify plans for the future
Who’s Responsible?
Large enterprises can have a director for crisis communications and a supporting team. However, SMEs will need to rely upon:
- All those in communication and PR roles within the business
- HR managers
- Directors of the business
Employee Rewards
Hiring is a competitive process. More and more businesses are recognizing the importance of having an employee rewards communication strategy in place to attract and retain top talent.
Even businesses with the very best rewards strategy in place will not reap the benefits unless it is communicated effectively. Organizations must effectively inform, persuade and motivate all stakeholders to improve their employee rewards communications to stay competitive.
What You Need to Know
To effectively communicate your employee benefits, your business must have people who can:
- Plan and manage a communication campaign
- Know the characteristics of effective communication
- Identify the appropriate channels for your campaign
- Organize consistent communication on rewards throughout the business
Who’s Responsible?
Good rewards communication skills are vital for:
- Compensation and HR professionals
- Business leaders and directors
Invest in Business Communications
Communication is crucial to growing and managing your business.
You must communicate the insights from your data to convince people to act on them. If you do not know how to address stakeholders and the public in a crisis, your hard-earned reputation could become permanently damaged. Finally, effectively communicating the rewards of staying in your company can induce employees to stay.
This is why you must keep up with the rapidly changing world of business communication. Consult a management consultant to learn what other areas of business communication you should focus on and invest in.
