The views expressed by the business participants are their own.
Most companies have some form of dedicated IT management. According to employee surveys, the average ratio of IT to non-technical employees is usually around 4% of the total workforce.
These IT people and departments often need to communicate with other employees throughout the company. From basic day-to-day tasks to long-term collaboration, meeting deadlines and maintaining security, it is important that the relationship between IT and non-technical staff not only exists but works well.
If you are aware of a lack of quality in your collaboration between IT-related departments, here are four ways to improve communication and build better working relationships between technical and non-technical teams.
1. Establish and encourage healthy communication
Communication cannot be ignored in any business setting. Since employees are geographically separated by distance and time zones, it is important to maintain communication, not only within teams but between departments. This is zero, especially in an isolated area like IT.
Another way to improve communication is to hold regular cross-team meetings. Many companies hold recurring meetings where everyone gets together to hear company-wide updates and often direct themselves. If the thought of a full-on company meeting sounds like a huge resource drain, intimidating and time-consuming, fear not. There are many ways you can use this concept effectively.
For example, Zappos holds its well-known craft fairs three times a year. Separating these big social moments helps make them special.
If communication is a problem for any amount, you can go the other way: pre-recorded messages. If you choose this option, be warned that simple video messages can be confusing and long like a meeting. Instead, look for tools that help you send targeted, focused messages.
Marketing platform Drift, for example, used social media tool Zight to improve its internal communications. The company used screen recording technology to send annotated, information-based videos to its employees. This organized and improved the purpose of each message, making it easy to refer to later without having to rewatch everything.
The takeaway? Invest in some form of healthy door communication that fits your workflow.
Related: Effective Communication Is Essential for Today’s Diverse Workforce. Here’s How To Make Sure Your Message Is Clear.
2. Use jargon-free language
Removing jargon and technical terms from basic communication between departments starts at the top. IT leaders must demonstrate how to remove the cluttered language when speaking, recording, writing and communicating with colleagues.
This is not just about leading by example being effective. And it’s because workplace jargon tends to find its biggest fans at the highest levels of business. Another study from MyPerfectResume found that 33% of those surveyed were considered senior managers to be the most likely to overuse workplace jargon.
Even worse? A third of those questioned also used jargon that they did not even understand. Use jargon-free language. It keeps communication transparent and avoids peer pressure and embarrassment from undermining working understanding between IT and other teams.
Related: Here’s Why You Should Completely Stop Using Jargon at Work
3. Bridge knowledge gaps with various training
Expertise and niche knowledge are defining characteristics of IT teams. The value of technology workers comes from their ability to bridge the gap between people and machines. However, this technology is less effective if the communication gap between IT staff and other employees is widening.
Another way to keep all employees on the same playing field is to engage in cross-training. This is a program to educate employees of various departments in fields related to their focus. It emphasizes shared knowledge and helps both parties to respect and understand their respective roles in the larger context of business operations.
Google has mastered the art of cross-departmental training. On the other hand, the company used its whisper courses – a series of mini-lessons via email – to teach mini-lessons on collaboration. In addition, the search engine giant promotes job and career training. This is a peer-to-peer sharing of knowledge and maintains a culture of learning.
Also, the takeaway here is that you don’t need to follow a formula for cross-departmental training. Find something that works for your setup, and invest in it.
4. Cultivate a culture of inclusiveness
Inclusivity is a common goal of workplace culture. Emphasizes making all staff members feel welcome. It seeks to embrace gender, age and other demographic differences and integrate individual and team strengths into the company’s operations.
This is a powerful way to keep IT and non-technical employees connected and respectful of each other’s contributions. As a core focus of how the company operates, emphasizing empathy and respect helps keep those most important communication channels open and healthy.
Neither company has shown real, active involvement in business activities with Pixar. The media company is renowned for its ability to develop high-quality ideas and, at the same time, make sure that everyone feels welcome and part of the conversation.
The company’s “note days” are a tragic example. These are the days when the entire company shuts down and gets together to brainstorm ideas. The result is the best interdepartmental collaboration in modern history.
If you want your technical and non-technical teams to connect, make them feel included.
Related: How to Create an Inclusive Culture at All Levels of the Organization
Breaking down the barriers between IT and the rest of the professional world
The IT department has become an integral part of many modern businesses. But it cannot work in a vacuum. Miscommunication can lead to confused expectations, missed deadlines and compromised safety and security.
It is important that leaders make an effort to integrate their IT and non-IT teams. This keeps everyone informed and up-to-date as you work together to achieve a common goal as a business.
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