Your Guide to Better Project Communication, Part 1: Internal Communication

What separates successful companies—those that can grow and thrive in their marketplaces—from the ones that struggle to find traction with their target audiences? Project communication.

Every aspect of how you talk about your services, from sales correspondence to onboarding processes to assigning internal project roles, significantly impacts the project's success or failure.

As the saying goes, communication is key. But in today’s world, communication looks a lot different than it did even ten or fifteen years ago, let alone decades ago when accountants sat at rows of desks next to each other and commuted to work in formal clothing. Many firms have struggled to keep up with the pace of technology, causing bottlenecks in their communication practices.

We’re offering insights on communicating better on your bookkeeping firm projects with a two-part guide. This first part will focus on internal communication among team members responsible for project tasks.

Set expectations early and offer plenty of reminders

There’s no way to tell what kind of experience or perspectives your team brings to the firm’s projects and client work. Some people may have completely different ideas on how to complete a typical calculation or evaluation, especially in a remote world where we aren’t working shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues.

Ideally, you want to have a project guide or manual to use as a central point of truth for everyone on the team. As projects get more complex and get further along, remind everyone where they can go if they have any questions or run into any roadblocks with their work. Remember to devote some time to updating the project guide and asking your team where it needs to improve as time passes.

Adapt to different working and communication styles

Remote work has opened up the hiring pool dramatically for bookkeeping firms, giving you access to more talent worldwide. But a more diverse, open workforce also means you’re more likely to run into people who have different ways of communicating and collaborating on projects together.

Even if work is done completely in a remote setting, your firm must make it possible for people who learn and communicate differently to succeed on projects. Not only does opening up your hiring practices to a more diverse group of team members help you attain more productivity in the long term, but it also helps you stay compliant with the law. In the United States, it’s illegal to discriminate—even unintentionally—against those living with disabilities under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Several government agencies actively enforce these regulations and hear cases from those who file claims against employers. Addressing internal communication challenges well before they reach this level is advisable.

As you create internal project guidelines, remember to consider factors like:

• Learning styles
• Working hours
• Family demands
• Medical situations

Strike a good balance between meetings and project management tools

The tech industry has made billions of dollars selling all kinds of software to service businesses over the last few years. You can find a software tool to complete almost any task, from individual learning to document management to complex data-driven decision-making and everything in between.

Is all this software actually necessary? It depends on who you ask. We obviously believe in the power of technology to help businesses unlock their full potential.

On the other hand, firms can get bogged down with so many software tools that their day-to-day starts to look more like an IT help desk than a bookkeeping business. The same kind of situation can sometimes happen with team meetings—companies get so caught up in their desire to collaborate effectively that they overburden staff with so many meetings that getting real tasks done becomes harder.

To borrow some terms from the world of cooking, we believe that technology and meetings should be like a good seasoning or side dish. They aren’t the main course, but if you use them properly, they can take your entrees to the next level. However, overdoing it can quickly turn into a net negative for your firm’s communication efficiency.

Try to set meetings and incorporate technology throughout your firm in a way that supplements collaboration and efficiency instead of adding yet another item to their to-do lists.

Final thought: software can connect communication across departments

By incorporating the principles described here, your firm’s internal communication will become more efficient, and your team members will have an easier time getting their work done. One of the best ways to supplement a strong communication policy is with software that makes collaborating easier for your team.

Accounting practice management software can allow you to assign tasks to teammates, include email notifications for project deadlines, and work with others to share and edit files. The right platform will be a perfect complement to a strong set of internal communication practices that helps your firm run like a well-oiled bookkeeping machine.

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