We all know the new year is a time for setting intentions and making resolutions. For the most part, they are personal and focus on something we should start or stop doing such as exercising more or reducing time spent on social media. These are all good, but what if we think about resolutions that not only impact ourselves but also the workplace? Hybrid and remote work are here for the foreseeable future so it’s cr,ucial to not only understand the importance of effective communication but also why creating a culture of collaboration is necessary for team members to thrive. How can we start off 2024 on the right foot by making things better and ensuring we communicate effectively and increase collaboration – especially across different work modalities?

Here are three easy-to-implement resolutions you can apply to your day-to-day to make sure you are communicating effectively in 2024:

Build an understanding of why effective workplace communication is important.

I am a firm believer that communication affects every part of our day-to-day lives and while it is inherently part of almost everything we do, communication is often not effective. On the surface we all know this, but I want you to really think about what you do as an individual within your organization to make a collaborative and communicative environment a focus? Are you picking up the phone instead of sending an email because you know your colleague receives information better this way? What about turning off MS Teams or Slack notifications when in a meeting, so your focus is 100 percent on who you are speaking to. From my experience consulting with organizations, most leaders want to create a positive and healthy culture of effective communication, but this isn’t always the case. Take the importance of communication into your own hands and develop a personal plan to make communication a priority within your day-to-day role. This is key to cultivating relationships, solving problems, and getting things done in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

Be transparent and verbalize your intent.

One of the most essential aspects of working within a hybrid/remote environment is being transparent and verbalizing intent. Having open and honest conversations is of the outmost importance when we think about communication and collaboration because it requires ample clarification and buy-in from all parties involved. Transparency of intent and perspective amongst colleagues becomes even more significant when working in mixed modalities because it is easy to fall victim to miscommunication when so much of our day-to-day involves communicating virtually. Intent is critical because it is the underlying force behind every communication and is always the first thing people hear. If using positive intent, it sets the stage for productive communication; however, if using a negative intent, words become meaningless. Think about a time when you were involved in a hostile conversation. If someone’s intent is negative and this is the first thing we hear, we are immediately set back on our heels. As much as it can be difficult at times, always try to start conversations with a positive, affirming intent.

Know your communication style and the styles of others.

Everyone has their own communication style, and we receive and understand information differently, so it is important to not only understand our own style but also the communication styles of others. By paying attention to how we communicate and learning how to modify our styles depending on who it is we are speaking to, we can communicate more effectively especially when working across different work modalities. Understanding communication styles is also necessary in order to increase collaboration. When we allow for different styles, voices and opinions, collaborating is effortless and real impact is made.

As you set intentions for the new year, remember: effective workplace communication positively impacts business operations, enhances team performance, and leads to a better workplace culture – ultimately improving employee engagement, morale, and efficiency. Raise a glass and cheers to setting your communication resolutions and putting them into action for 2024.

Amelia Reigstad, PhD is a speaker, facilitator and author with a passion and love for knowledge. With over two decades of industry experience, she enjoys sharing her expertise across a variety of industries and has designed training programs, facilitated workshops, and led team members to success. As a Twin Cities Business Notable Women Entrepreneur 2022 and founder of The Women Empowerment Series, she inspires and encourages women to use their voice to initiate change through authentic communication.