If you’ve ever been on a team where people are efficient in their communication and quick to respond, then you know just how powerful of a weapon high-level responsiveness is in a business world where speed is everything. The question is, does your team embody these same traits?

Why Responsiveness Matters

A responsive team is a team that’s quick and efficient with communication. When you send an email to someone, they get back to you quickly. If you ask someone to take care of something, you don’t have to keep following up and staying on top of them – it gets done. 

A company’s success and its level of internal responsiveness are typically closely correlated. And when you consider the benefits of what it means to be responsive, it becomes clear why:

• It improves efficiency at every level of the business. 
• It enhances customer service and makes clients feel more valued.
• It fosters mutual respect among coworkers and peers.
• It improves growth potential by making your business more scalable.

4 Tips for Better Responsiveness

Now that you have some clarity on why responsiveness matters, let’s take a deeper dive into how you improve in this area. Here are a few of our favorite tips:

• Outline Expectations

Make sure your team has a clear idea of what you expect from them (in terms of responsiveness).

• How should they communicate?
• Which tools should they use?
• How quickly are they expected to respond? (During work hours? After work hours?)
• Who do they report to?
• Who reports to them?

Never assume that something is understood if it’s unsaid. You have to be very clear with yoru expectations at every step of the way. 

• User the Correct Modes of Communication

A two-hour delay might not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but if it becomes commonplace, it’s a problem. If it takes an employee two hours to respond to every email, and a certain exchange requires six back and forth emails, it can take two full workdays just to sign off on something. That’s problematic! By switching to a more efficient mode of communication – like SMS software for internal communications – you can get faster and more efficient collaboration on important topics. That’s critically important.

Make sure you’re using the correct modes of communication for every type of project. There’s a time and place for phone, SMS, email, or even a project management app. It’s up to you to zero in on when and where. 

• Reward the Proper Behaviors

Contrary to popular belief, money is not the best motivator for most people. While people tend to like the idea of monetary rewards, subjective motivation like recognition and positive reinforcement generally produce longer-lasting results. 

Want to continue cultivating a culture of responsiveness? Reward the proper behaviors by recognizing people who meet and exceed expectations. 

• Check in Frequently

You can’t create a culture of responsiveness without giving members of your team the opportunity to open up and share what’s happening in the work life, personal life, and everywhere in between. This requires regular check-ins on an individual basis. 

“Whether employees are onsite or working from home, it’s important to make feedback a part of the daily routine,” marketing expert Tricia Sciortino writes. “Celebrate wins with employees, and provide constructive criticism when they’ve missed the mark. Let them know what’s happening. Don’t save feedback for an annual or semi-annual review, but rather share thoughts on performance on an on-going basis.”

This latter point is especially important. While almost every business has some sort of annual report where they assess performance, this isn’t enough. Ongoing feedback must become part of the DNA of your organization. Otherwise it’s something people see as an end-of-year box that gets checked before the company New Year’s Eve party. It has to be part of what happens on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. 

Adding it All Up

You ultimately have to decide what’s most important for your business. And while your goals and desired outcomes will change over time, there are certain core elements of your organizational DNA that should not. Responsiveness is one of them.

By prioritizing high-level responsiveness in every aspect of your business, you can set your company up for long-term success. It’s simple to say, but much more difficult to do. 

Roll up your sleeves and get to work!