We recently started an M.O.D (manager on duty) log on our main server computer – there are only 5 of us that fill this role on a regular basis, but we were struggling with communication (amazing for a bunch of talkers). If you work an MOD shift, you write in the log – and the next shift any of us works, you read the log. We’ve only been doing it for two weeks and it has been very beneficial to us so far. Only the five of us have access to the log, that way we can include any information as detailed as necessary. Our Guest Services staff uses a shift log – they pass information via the written word from shift to shift on a daily basis – and if there’s something to watch for on any particular date, they’ll go to that date and make a note. Our security staff (overnight) also uses a shift log to communicate to the “day shift”.

We put notices and information in paychecks, and we post a lot of communication up by the time clocks, and e-mail is always helpful in getting the information out (but not as wide-spread as other options). Our management team (department managers) meets once a month – and our food and beverage group meets once a week (and some non-foodies come too).
Machele J
Chico Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa, Pray, UT

If communication must be real-time in any organization, it requires an internal system, like Microsoft Outlook, that supports calendar scheduling of important events, as well as email or text messaging. Those of us at Enmark who need to keep informed real-time, must carry a communication device (we use the Motorola Q) that interfaces with our Outlook calendars and email. Any scheduled events or emails will be uploaded to our Q device as frequently as we wish…I set mine up to get updates every 15 minutes during regular business hours…and we can set up the notification for new messages or meeting reminders as ring tones or vibration mode. In this way, we can stay connected, even if one team member is in New Jersey, another in Chicago, and the rest are back here in Ann Arbor. If your team members are in closer proximity, and you just need to speak with then, even within a couple of miles, a Nextel-type “walkie-talkie” system may be the ticket, or the less-obnoxious head sets like they use in Office Depot.
Jerry K
Enmark Systems, Ann Arbor, MI

On a previous job I had staff inside and outside of the office and in order to communicate the same information to both, I asked each individual to check their emails each night for the next day’s information, scheduling, etc. If it was a detailed item, I would have them leave me a voicemail that night of the best time to call them the next day and would do so. If we had more general information that was group related, I would set up a conference call 2 days in advance so they would have a day to rearrange their calls for that day. If necessary, I would arrange drop off’s and utilized snail mail as a last resort of course.
Bob O
Arden Companies, Southfield, MI

Asgard Press is a virtual company and growing rapidly. So the aspect of inter-company communication takes on a greater significance without an office or any common workspace whatsoever. As an added wrinkle, our team is a mixed bag of those of us that travel a lot, and those that are pretty much home-based.
Well, it turns out there are some common workspaces that are emerging. Here’s a rambling streamofconsciousness description of what we’ve tried, what’s worked, and what hasn’t worked—and what’s a work in progress.

Basic assumptions
As a virtual company, communication is based on a few assumptions. First, that we each have a computer of some sort that can access a high-speed Internet connection. Second, that we each have a separate phone line for old-fashioned calls–either a landline or cell phone.

Skype
This free program is pretty good for multi-party conference calls of up to 10 people. Whenever we need to have conference calls, we use this. The sound quality is usually superior to any landline or cell phone as long as you have a reliable internet connection. We routinely use Skype to chat with the folks at our printing plant in Korea. It’s great.

iChat Video
Since most of us are Mac users, we occasionally use iChat for video conferencing. It’s not as reliable as Skype for some reason, but when we need to have that ‘next best thing to being there’ experience, it’s a great way to communicate ‘face to face’. We’ve also tried multiparty videoconferences of 3 – 4 people, with mixed results. The host must have a great internet connection, and everyone else needs to have a pretty good internet connection as well. This is particularly helpful when we are trying to work on a printing project where visual description is essential. It’s also a good way to discuss stuff that is sensitive and subject to misunderstanding – it’s helpful when discussing bad news, for example, when you can read each other’s facial expressions.

Email
Of course, email is our primary form of intercompany communication. However, what we have found is that it can get out of control if we ‘cc’ everyone all the time, which we used to do in the name of keeping everyone ‘in the loop’. What we found out was that it had the opposite effect. People got used to just skimming the subject lines or ignoring emails entirely, if they weren’t addressed directly to them.

Google Docs
We tried to work with google docs a bit, but found it to be a bit inelegant and not as user-friendly as we would have liked in terms of collaborative workspaces.

Intranet / virtual office solutions
A work in progress that David is now spearheading is our virtual office / intranet. Basically he is designing a web-based area where we can post our projects and related information—a central repository, if you will, but also more than that. It’s a place we each of us can give feedback and offer comments, and also share certain documents as we build them out–like spreadsheets and databases.

This has already cut down on the number of emails and missed communications considerably. I have personally been very frustrated in the past when I’ve taken the time to write and send emails about certain things in depth, and a few days later people ask me the same question or vice versa. With this virtual office, we input the info once, and everyone can access it easily and quickly.

Ultimately, there is no replacement for face-to-face communications. The energy and enhanced productivity that comes from working in ‘real time’ cannot be substituted by virtual solutions. We try to find excuses to get our team together at least once or twice a year—a trade show or other gathering provides a good excuse for team building and in our case, for folks to meet one another for the first time(!) Meanwhile, the upside is that we are each able to maintain a good amount of freedom to work in our pajamas or save water and not take showers or brush our teeth when necessary. And for those of us with small children, it’s great to be able to spend more quality family time as well. Another plus is that we are able to work across multiple time zones, so when the busy season hits, we can provide customer service over a longer virtual day.
Peter S.
Asgard Press, virtually everywhere

We have a store log right by the time clock for all employees to read when they clock in. And in my department, I have a cashier log, a customer service desk log, & an office log, which the appropriate personnel are required to read as soon as they get here and before they go out to the register (if applicable). We pass on procedure changes, notes about upcoming meetings, and lots of other essential information through these logs. I try hard to keep things positive – they tend to tune out if there are too many “don’t do such-&-such” kind of notes – and also to only put information that pertains to that audience in each log, or else again I run the risk of people tuning out if half the stuff they’re reading just doesn’t apply to them. This has worked very well, especially within my department.
Sheryl M.

Good Foods Market & Café, Lexington, KY

We combine a communications book with the daily sign-on book so that important issues are communicated as and when each person signs on for their shift.
Steve H.
Kooltana Pty Ltd

We have little books we keep in each “area” of our establishment (the cookline, the dishline, the deli, the dining room, the bar). these are essentially “log” books, but we write notes to each other because there are shifts and not everyone is here together to discuss ideas and problems/solutions that come up. So, we write in our little books and everyone knows to look at the book each time they begin their shift to see if there is any information they need to be aware of (sometimes it’s just a “happy birthday” message to the person coming in…)
Shelly L.
Cosmos Deli, Port Orchard, WA

In January of 2008 First Alternative planned to roll out a new and vastly improved Merchandise Return Policy. Part of our vision for the new policy was that it was easy to explain and all staff understood it. In our microcosm we came up the idea of 10 tell 10. The instigator of the change made these small cheat sheets and gave ten of them to each supervisor. The supervisor then had a one on one discussion with 10 staff people. They explained to policy, gave the staff person the cheat sheet and then asked the staff member to explain the policy. When complete the staff person got a passport sticker. This strategy gave each staff person a tool to use, the clear expectation that they were to know the policy and the reward of another sticker to add to their passport.
Evelyn H.
First Alternative Co-op, Corvallis, OR

As a quick answer to your question, like other organizations our company uses meetings of different formats and frequency. There are at least two annual occasions when we all get together (we are currently 50+ employees) – the annual “Kick Off”, early in the year, when we present and discuss plans for that year, and a teambuilding event, usually 2-3 days in late spring or early summer, where we combine formal components (presentations, discussions) with fun during the days and a party or two in the evening. We introduced a new / improved intranet on our internal Web site last summer, which also has formal sections as well as entertaining ones (“Fun stuff”), as well as a management blog on various official and unofficial topics.
Ivo S.
Perpetuum Mobile, Zagreb, Croatia

We hold regular bi-weekly meeting of all managers available, which has worked pretty well. We encourage all managers to have quick “stand up” meetings within their locations as a follow-up to the Mgr. meeting. This proves to be much more difficult with the variety of staff being full and part time. It also can backfire on management sometimes when information is shared that was not ready for the rest of the staff, or manager only information, or staff in one location understands something completely differently that staff in another location. Any suggestions on how you effectively get correct and decipherable information out to all staff? As you state a memo sometimes is not always the best way to communicate.
Jimmy E.
Old Mill Square, Pigeon Forge, TN

I’ve grouped the ideas into four categories, but there is definitely overlap, so I recommend reading them all. Thanks to everyone who wrote!

Face-to-Face
One system we use is to have each shift supervisor discuss the information with the co-workers on their shift. The shift supervisors work from a master employee list and the employee initials next to their name after the information has been reviewed. Once completed the list is handed back to the Manager. It is hands on and no one is forgotten.
Justine L.
Answer Group/Radio Page, Salisbury, MD

Logbooks
I have used an employee notebook that is by their time cards. If anyone in management has an observation or new information or concern, they write it there. Every employee is to check the notebook everyday before they start their shift. This worked well when there were multiple buildings on site. This way no one missed getting the new info.
Judy K
Bud’s, Interlochen, MI

Leveraging Technology
Skype. This free program is pretty good for multi-party conference calls of up to 10 people. Whenever we need to have conference calls, we use this. The sound quality is usually superior to any landline or cell phone as long as you have a reliable internet connection. We routinely use Skype to chat with the folks at our printing plant in Korea. It’s great.
Peter S.
Asgard Press, virtually everywhere

Other Ideas
Assuming people are in the same building – give kudos to an “off the top of the head” idea that someone comes up with and runs down the hall to tell someone about. These ideas tend to generate more excitement than an e-mail or white board because it’s new to the person (light bulb!) and the person wants to share it with someone. Maybe call it “light bulb” communication and from one person’s exciting idea may come an impromptu staff meeting, further discussion via e-mail, etc.
Brenda R.
Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI

I also want to say that we’re very pleased with how many of you let us know you like the email format. It not only saves paper and postage, but it also allows us to include those people who are overseas and didn’t get the snail mail version.

Keep those cards and letters coming!