When evaluating the causes of business complexity, we often find poor communication at the heart of the problem.  How people communicate needs to evolve as the business grows – transitioning from the informal to a core business process.

Communication processes are effective when they support how people work – providing them feedback and information in a practical way.  Communication also supports innovation by enabling people to combine ideas that lead to new techniques and products.

Methods for communicating depend on the context of the task. For example, a brief stand-up review may be more appropriate than a formal meeting.  We need to design communication methods that are deliberate, planned, and regular.  The design needs to include how information can be captured and shared in real-time as a basis for review.  This may be achieved using technologies such as mobile apps, ‘talk to text’, real-time BI dashboards, SMS, videos, and photos that support person-to-person discussions.

Communication is a fundamental component to any business improvement.  Making small but deliberate changes to how people interact and communicate will significantly reduce complexity and improve performance.