Grapevine communication is part of every group, community, or organization, regardless of size, significantly impacting the personal/employee experience and the business culture. Grapevine media is a major blocker in creating an environment of trust, empathy, and performance within an organization.
The rising remote work culture and cloud tech adoption have changed this communication. Hence, businesses need to understand the capabilities of grapevine media to control and manage it expeditiously.
Before we delve further, let us understand what grapevine media is
Grapevine media communication is unstructured and informal communication that arises from social interaction and is as varied as people. This communication does not follow official channels such as emails, intranets, or any other formal communication mode.
Now the question arises how can cloud communication help in dealing with grapevine media
According to the American Management Association, around 70% of all organizational communication emanates through grapevine. No matter how hard employers try to prevent this mode of communication, it has become an inevitable part of every enterprise.
Ways to deal with grapevine communication
Eliminating grapevine communication is not possible. However, it can be controlled and contained. One of the best ways is to have dedicated employee communication channels at the workplace that supports employee productivity. This is where cloud computing can play a major role in formalizing those informal conversations.
With remote working being the new normal, cloud computing technologies will continue to gain momentum, presenting enterprises with new work communication solutions. For many, switching to cloud has helped and changed how employees interact with peers and managers.
How can businesses create an effective communication channel using cloud?
With teams working in different time zones and locations, employers need to minimize informal modes of communication. Enterprises are using cloud computing solutions as an answer to this problem. If implemented correctly, cloud solutions enhance productivity and collaboration and minimize the usage of grapevine communication channels.
Let’s see how:
Cloud computing provides advanced technical solutions that will help eliminate any miscommunications that may arise and provide a single unified platform for official communication, curbing gossip.
Cloud computing allows:
1. Enhanced team collaboration: A central repository that can be accessed from anywhere and anytime paves the way for open communication, reduces the blame game, and promotes a collaborative work culture. It also helps meet deadlines efficiently. Teams worldwide can overcome geographical barriers, collaborate efficiently, and work towards organizational goals more efficiently.
2. Better communication: When various departments are involved, having a single official communication channel allows businesses to thrive and achieve faster resolutions when you hit a standstill during any work or product launch. It clarifies which departments are thriving vs. which are troublesome and does away with them.
3. Allows businesses to scale efficiently: Most businesses may be facing a cash crunch or unsure about the upcoming demands. Cloud gives freedom to scale up or down per business requirements, saving costs and helping businesses achieve continuity.
4. Fuels innovation: When working collaboratively, cloud allows real-time communication. Given the current pandemic situation, this helps brainstorm so much better than under normal circumstances. Brainstorming also paves the way for new work styles and fuels innovation.
Few cloud solutions are available for businesses at immediate disposal: There are several productivity, collaboration, and communication tools emerging every day. However, a few of the popular ones are –
1. Google Drive
2. Dropbox
3. Slack
4. Google Sheet
5. Zoom
The road ahead: There is no returning from the new normal, aka remote work culture. As business technologies grow, cloud computing technologies will continue to gain momentum presenting enterprises with new work communication solutions.
It is important to promote open communication channels using cloud tools to reduce grapevine media in the current situation. Tracking data, creating two-way communication, and addressing the issue are a few other ways to reduce the effect of grapevine media.
