Bret Siler's Keys To Keeping Clear Communication

Clearing up chaotic communication in your business is never easy. Whether you are starting over with a new team or trying to clear up cloudy communication between an existing team, there are four basic areas you need to be clear on: 

The vision and values of the team. Every team needs to have a mission statement that the entire team wants to achieve. There needs to be smaller goals set for each team member as to how they are going to help the team achieve the mission they have set. The leader needs to have a blueprint of the teams mission and goals and it needs to be communicated daily as well as updated and changed when any one person has reached their goal or the goal as a team has been met.
The chain of command. Each team needs to have a chain of command to know who is responsible for what exactly in the business. If other team members have questions they might not know exactly who to ask unless there is a proper chain of command in order. When you receive new projects as a leader you need to delegate who is in charge of what task so if any questions or problems arise your team will know exactly who is handling that part of the project.
Organizational charts. Organizational charts play a key role in clear communication. It will help your team members know exactly where they fit on the current project and help them to know where they need to go in the business for help, resources, permissions, clearances, complaints, and grievances. It will help explain the task at hand when you have new team members come aboard and will help lessen the confusion as to who does what. Charts need to be simple and flexible.
Job descriptions/ position descriptions. There are a million ways to write a job description from very detailed to simple. I have found the simpler you keep it the less confusion and questions one might have about exactly what they should be doing. Job descriptions need to include but are not limited to three basic aspects. (1) Primary responsibilities in the business, (2) key activities and tasks performed to fulfill those responsibilities, (3) reporting structure. With clear job descriptions there is no confusion between the leader and the team member as to what that person is suppose to be doing.