Modern technology has significantly changed approaches to management and communication in company teams. With globalization and the accelerating pace of innovation, effective communication has become critical to organizational success. This became especially acute during the COVID-19 pandemic when companies were faced with the need to transition to a remote work format rapidly. This article discusses the challenges of communication in teams, the advanced technologies implemented to address them, and the future of communication in the corporate world.
Communication Problems in the Team
Team communication has always been an important aspect of successful work. Lack of effective communication can lead to miscommunication, conflict and reduced productivity. Key challenges include information and technical barriers, as well as cultural differences. Let's take a closer look at them.
Information barriers
Information barriers are among the most common and serious problems in team communication. Team members may often have different ideas about project goals and how to achieve them.
This happens for a number of reasons:
- Different interpretations of objectives. Managers may communicate project objectives in general terms without providing detailed explanations. As a result, employees interpret these goals in their own way, which leads to accomplishing tasks in different ways that are not always effective.
- Lack of detailed instructions. Sometimes, tasks are set without specific instructions on how to accomplish them. For example, if a manager says, "Improve the quality of customer service," without specifying how it should be done, employees may understand and implement this task in different ways.
- Lack of feedback. Without regular feedback, employees may not realize if they are doing their job correctly and moving in the right direction. This leads to an accumulation of errors and a decrease in overall efficiency.
As an example, imagine a development team working on a new software product. The project manager defines the goal as "creating a user-friendly interface for users." Developers may interpret this in different ways: one will focus on improving visual design, another on optimizing the speed of the application, and another on adding new features. Without clear guidelines and agreed standards, each piece of work may be incompatible with the others, leading to misunderstandings and the need to redo significant amounts of work.
Cultural differences
Problems can arise in international teams due to differences in cultural norms and expectations. For example, what is acceptable in one culture may not be acceptable in another, which can lead to conflicts and lower levels of trust. Let's look at the main aspects of cultural differences.
- Differences in communication styles. Different communication styles are acceptable in different cultures. For example, some Asian cultures tend to avoid direct criticism and prefer shortcuts to express dissatisfaction, while Western cultures value directness and candor. This can lead to misunderstandings if one party expects open criticism and the other party finds it unacceptable.
- Differences in the perception of time. Cultural perceptions of time can also vary. In cultures that value punctuality and accuracy (e.g., Germany and Japan), being late for a meeting may be seen as disrespectful. In other cultures, such as Latin America, a more flexible attitude towards time is considered the norm.
- Hierarchy and power. In cultures with high power distance (e.g., Asia and the Middle East), employees may expect that decisions are made solely by management and do not take initiative. In cultures with low power distance (e.g., the United States and Scandinavia), active participation of all employees in the decision-making process is encouraged.
These problems are especially pronounced in communication in international projects. Imagine an international team working on a major project. American and German employees are used to discussing issues directly and quickly, while Japanese and Chinese colleagues prefer a more diplomatic and indirect approach. As a result, German and American employees may perceive their Japanese and Chinese colleagues as indecisive or insincere, while they may perceive them as overly aggressive or disrespectful.
Differences in approach to the work process are also important. For example, in Indian culture, where there is a high level of respect for seniority and seniority, junior employees may not express their opinions openly so as not to contradict their elders. In contrast, freedom of expression is actively encouraged in Western cultures such as the US or UK, regardless of position or age.
Technological barriers
The use of outdated communication tools, such as older versions of software or hardware, can make it difficult to communicate effectively. For example, older computers may not support modern videoconferencing applications, limiting the ability to collaborate. In a remote work environment, compatibility issues may exist between different systems and platforms. For example, one part of the team may use Microsoft Teams, while another prefers Slack. This can lead to fragmented communication and loss of important information. In some regions, access to high-speed internet and modern equipment may be limited, especially for remote employees. This can create additional challenges in task coordination and collaboration.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies switched to telecommuting and began using videoconferencing for meetings. However, employees using outdated computers or slow Internet connections faced problems with poor connection quality, making it difficult to participate fully in discussions.
Also, problems can arise when a team is working on the development of a software product if different departments use incompatible project management systems. For example, developers may use Jira, while the marketing team prefers Asana. This leads to duplication of information and makes it difficult to coordinate activities.
As Peter Drucker noted, "More problems in business are due to misunderstanding than anything else"[1].
Challenges encountered during the COVID-19 period
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a serious challenge for companies, forcing them to adapt to new working conditions. The need to organize employees to work from home challenged companies to quickly revamp work processes and provide employees with all the necessary resources to work outside the office. This included both technical support and organizational changes. In addition, the complexities of controlling and motivating employees from a distance became even more pronounced. Managers face the challenges of controlling employees' productivity, motivation, and morale while working remotely. In addition, companies had to provide stable Internet access, data protection, and technical support, which became a serious challenge in the face of the rapid transition to remote mode.
According to a McKinsey study, "Companies that have implemented hybrid work models have seen an increase in productivity and employee satisfaction"[2].
Advanced technologies in communication and team management
To overcome the above problems, various advanced technologies have been developed and implemented. Let us consider them in more detail.
Virtual workspaces
Virtual workspaces such as Microsoft Teams and Slack have become integral to modern workflows. These platforms provide centralized project management and communication, which is especially important in remote work environments. Key features of these platforms include:
- Messaging. The ability to quickly and conveniently exchange text messages in both private and group chats. This allows employees to promptly solve questions and receive answers without resorting to lengthy email correspondence.
- Collaboration with documents. Integration with cloud services (such as OneDrive, Google Drive) allows employees to simultaneously work on documents, edit them in real time and save all changes automatically.
- Project Management. Tools for creating tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress. This helps teams stay organized and keep track of all project milestones.
- Integration with other applications. Ability to integrate with multiple third-party applications such as Trello, Asana, GitHub, and others, allowing you to unify all workflows on one platform.
The benefits of adopting new approaches are clear. They include increased productivity, improved collaboration, and flexibility and accessibility. A centralized place for all communications and documents helps reduce time spent searching for information and speeds up decision-making. Real-time collaboration and instant messaging capabilities facilitate better communication between team members. Employees can work from anywhere in the world with access to all the tools and data they need via the Internet.
Let's look at a few examples of how virtual workspaces are used:
Accenture uses Microsoft Teams to coordinate the work of its global teams. The platform allows employees to easily communicate, share files, and manage projects, which significantly increases their efficiency and productivity.
Airbnb actively uses Slack for internal communication and employee coordination. Slack is integrated with many other tools used by the company, allowing it to centralize all work processes on one platform.
Videoconferencing
Video conferencing has become the standard for meetings and conventions, especially in remote work environments. Tools such as Zoom and Google Meet provide high-quality connectivity and enable meetings with large numbers of participants. Among the major functional benefits of these platforms is that they provide high-quality video and sound, making participants feel like they are in a real meeting. The meeting recording is also available, saving important discussions and decisions for later revision and analysis. In addition, the ability to create separate virtual rooms for group discussions is provided, which is especially useful for training and seminars. Finally, the screen-sharing feature allows participants to share their screens for presentations, project demonstrations, and document collaboration.
The advantages of using videoconferencing are obvious. Videoconferencing allows you to hold meetings involving employees from different regions without the need to travel, which significantly reduces costs for the company physically. Visual contact helps improve understanding and interaction between participants, compared to traditional phone calls or emails. The ability to hold meetings at any time and from any location allows you to respond quickly to changes and resolve issues promptly.
Task and project management
Task and project management systems, such as Asana and Trello, have become indispensable tools for modern companies looking to improve coordination and control of tasks. These platforms offer a wide range of features that facilitate effective project management:
- Creating and managing tasks. Ability to create tasks with detailed descriptions, set deadlines, and assign responsible persons. This helps to assign responsibilities and prioritize tasks clearly.
- Progress Tracking. Platforms provide visual tools such as Kanban boards and Gantt charts to track the status of tasks and projects. This allows managers to monitor progress and make timely adjustments easily.
- Notifications and reminders. Systems automatically send notifications and reminders of upcoming deadlines and tasks, helping you avoid missed deadlines and delays.
- Reports and analytics. The ability to generate task reports and analyze team performance. This helps managers evaluate results and identify areas for improvement.
The advantages of using such systems are obvious. Task management systems provide full transparency of processes, allowing all team members to see the current status of the project and the progress of tasks. This contributes to a better understanding of the big picture and improved coordination. Clearly assigning tasks and tracking their progress helps to reduce time on organizational issues and focus on getting the job done. Integration with other communication tools (such as Slack or Microsoft Teams) allows you to discuss tasks and projects directly in the system, which facilitates more effective collaboration.
Collaboration tools
Cloud services such as Google Drive and Dropbox make sharing and editing documents much easier. These tools provide the ability to work on files simultaneously, which is especially important in remote work environments. Key features of these services include the ability for multiple users to edit documents simultaneously. All changes are saved in real-time, eliminating the version conflict problem. These services also provide convenient tools for sharing files and folders with colleagues and external partners. Users can customize access levels, which ensures information security. Secure and safe storage in the cloud allows access to files from any device at any time. In addition, it has the ability to track all changes to a document and restore previous versions if necessary.
Real-time collaborative document editing allows teams to work more cohesively and efficiently, eliminating the need to email files and wait for responses. Access to files from anywhere in the world and on any device makes it easy for remote teams and employees in different time zones to work together. Robust data protection mechanisms, including encryption and access control, keep information secure and confidential.
Examples of advanced technology applications
Companies worldwide have started actively applying advanced technologies to improve communication and team management. For example, IBM implemented a platform for video conferencing and virtual workspaces, which increased employee performance by 25% [3].
For this reason, Google introduced a hybrid work model combining remote and office work, which increased employee satisfaction and reduced office rental costs[4].
Unresolved issues and the future of communication
Despite significant progress, there are still issues that need to be addressed:
- Cybersecurity. Protecting data using cloud technologies is becoming increasingly important. The increasing number of cyberattacks and data breaches requires companies to strengthen data protection and implement advanced cybersecurity tools.
- Technical support. Providing employees with stable access to the necessary resources is especially important for companies with a global geography, where employees may work from different time zones and encounter various technical problems.
- Social isolation. Remote work can lead to feelings of isolation and decreased motivation, which requires companies to develop support and interaction programs.
In the future, team communication will evolve toward even greater integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. These technologies can provide a more personalized approach to management and communication, as well as improve overall performance.
Advanced technologies play a key role in addressing communication and team management challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the implementation process, showing the need to adapt to new working conditions. Companies that have successfully implemented these technologies have been able not only to maintain but also improve their performance. At the same time, there are still unresolved issues that need attention. The future of communication is seen in the even deeper integration of technologies that provide flexibility, security, and efficiency of interaction.
List of Sources
- Drucker, Peter F. Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. Harper & Row, 1974.
- "Reimagining the Office and Work Life After COVID-19." McKinsey & Company, July 2020. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/reimagining-the-office- and-work-life-after-covid-19.
- "IBM's Approach to Remote Work and Virtual Collaboration." IBM, 2021. https://www.ibm.com/remote-work.
- "Google's Hybrid Work Model: Innovations and Challenges." Google, 2022. https://www.google.com/hybrid-work-model.
