Good communication is an essential tool for increasing productivity and sustaining strong working relationships at all levels of an organization. Section 7.4 of the ISO 9001/AS9100 standard requires a proactive approach to communication through implementation of a communication strategy. 

Internal and External communication

When working with communication requirements within an organization, there should be two aspects to be considered; internal and external. Internal communication is a means to ensure the employees have the information they need to be able to carry on their job duties effectively. On the other hand, effective external communication ensures that relevant stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, regulatory bodies, and financial institutions are appropriately informed.

Developing a communication strategy 

According to the standard requirements, there are 5 questions that should be addressed when developing a strategy and foundation for communication in the organization:

• What is being communicated? In other words, the organization should identify and describe what message is being conveyed. For example, it would be beneficial to document and define communication regarding goals, plans, progress, milestones etc. While it is not required by the standard, it would be beneficial to document these details in order to develop an effective communication plan.

• When will you communicate? Of course, not every interaction needs to be planned ahead of time, but it is important to schedule specific times for more important matters such as follow-ups, meetings, or recurring interactions. A simple example of this would be to clarify communication times by saying something along the lines of “The first Monday of every month”, or “Thursday November 4th at 11am”. This practice is meant to establish a sense of discipline and responsibility around communication.

• With whom are you communicating? While this may seem simple, there are still effective ways of doing this. It’s important to be specific about where the message is going and who needs to see it. Additionally, to avoid information overload, it’s beneficial to tailor the message to specific target audiences.

• How are you going to communicate? There are limitless methods when it comes to communication media. It is not always necessary to have top of the line communication technology; what matters is that the platform is secure and efficient for the organization.

• Who/where is the communication coming from? Who is in charge of ensuring that the message is received? The communicator is more likely to be a member of upper management if the message is critical.

Overall, Good communication can improve teamwork and project collaboration, and It is applicable to almost every sector. Keeping open lines of communication ensures that management and the staff underneath are on the same page, which improves employee satisfaction, workplace productivity, and benefits the organization overall.