4 Ways to Improve Cross-Departmental Communication

4 Ways to Improve Cross-Departmental Communication 4 Ways to Improve Cross-Departmental Communication kollektiv. Departments. Divisions. Silos.Wait, what?If youre not familiar with thejargon, silois a term used in business to refer to a group of individuals within a company. Having silos within your company isnt an issue, butproblems do arise when the silos become disconnected from one another, creating a silo mentality. To quote BusinessDictionary, this is a mindset present in some companies when certain departments or sectors do not wish to share information with others in the same company. This mentality can lead to lack of alignment, frustration among employees, duplicate work, and poor customer experiences, to name just a few of the consequences.Whenteams are separated from one another, a weird competitive atmosphere develops, promoting power struggles, job protection, and politics. Communication becomes slow and disjointed throughout the organization. Everyone may be marching in the same general direction, but the plans are different for each team and no one is discussing what the outcomes should be. The company functions awkwardlyinstead of nimbly, which ultimately prevents growth.Keep your internal silos healthy and thriving with these four best practices for better cross-departmental communication1.Clarity Starts at the TopCompany executives and leadersmust get on the same page and meet regularly about strategic goals and company priorities. They must communicate these plans often throughout the entire organization.Working alone or within departments creates differing plans for the same goals due to differing opinions among teams, but when the leadership team communicates clearly, everyoneknows exactlywhat the 3-5 year plan, annual plan, and quarterly priorities are. This allows the entire team to march the same path in the same direction. When teams are working together to accomplish whole-company initiatives - rather thanoperating compartmentally to achievedepartmental goals - the needle really begins to move.2. Create a Shared Culture, Purpose, and ValuesMuch has been written about the millennial desire to do work that makes an impact, but all generations in the workforce really ?want that same thing?. Identifying and strengthening your company purpose gives employees a clear, shared vision, which creates an environment of trust and fosters increased sharing of information and knowledge.Dont let visions of trust falls and awkward team-building exercises hinder you from taking the leap. Team huddles, notes ofkudos, and quarterly outings are stress-free ways to build a culture of shared purpose and collaboration.3. Streamline Project WorkflowMany operating procedures are set up to move from department to department, dumping the work into the nextsilo on the checklist. This method of operation may seem to work on paper, but in reality, it is clunky and creates internal inefficiencies the lead to poor customer experiences.Inst ead, create teams that are agile and collaborative. What if a designer sat in on your development projects and your developers collaborated with designers? What if your accounts payable person was involved inyour sales team onboarding, so that salespeople would be working with a familiar face when collecting invoices? Your business will benefit from the diversity of thought, and your employees will thank you for distributing the workload mora thoroughly.4. Measure What MattersTheres a myth that adding bean bags and ping-pong tables to the office will make employees happier and more productive. However, productive employees are happy - not the other way around.Its important to note that productive isnt the same as busy. Employees are fulfilled when they know what outcomes they are working toward and when team progress is transparent. Your teams should feel like theyve had a successful day when they are reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) and contributing to moving company priorities toward completion.- Many CEOs and executive teams are afraid to break down silos becausethey worry they willlose control. However, when you connect your departments through a shared vision and culture, communication, efficient workflows, and KPIs, you actually ?gain? control through transparency, alignment, and accountability.Jennifer Faught is an entrepreneur coach at Petra Coach.

4 of the Most Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

4 of the Most Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them4 of the Most Common Interview Questions and How to Answer ThemPrepping for a job bewerberbewerberinterview? Here are four common interview questions you should be ready to answer.A prospective employer calls and wants to meet with you. Congrats That means youve gotten your foot in the proverbial door. But once the excitement about the prospect of a new job starts to fade, you may find it replaced with a tinge of anxiety.Its no wonder. Job interviews can be incredibly stressful. What do you wear? What if you get caught in traffic and arrive late? But the question that looms over all the others in your mind is probably, What will the interviewer ask me?The stress of wondering what questions youll be asked during an interview is enough to make you reach for the antacids. But before you pop the cap to that bottle of chalky pastel tablets, read on. In order to help you ace your interview, weve listed four of the fruchtwein co mmon interview questions and the answers that hiring managers are looking for when they ask them.1. Why are you interested in working for our company?This query tops the list of most common interview questions. Interviewers ask this question to see not only what you feel youll gain from working at their organization, but to gauge whether or not youve done your homework. Make sure you read up on the company before you walk through the front door.2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?Hiring managers wield a double-edged sword when asking this question. They are really evaluating your capabilities. But they also want to see if youre aware of areas in which you could improve, and how youre planning to do so. The key to answering this question is to focus on professional qualities, and to use positive phrasing. For example, I could definitely grow my professional network. Ive recently taken steps to do so by updating my LinkedIn profile and organizing a monthly meeting where business contacts share their ideas and experiences.BROWSE OPEN JOBS TODAY3. Where do you see yourself in five years?Interviewers are evaluating your drive and dedication to your career. They want to discern whether you have solid career goals and aspirations, or if youre just drifting along until you stumble into a position.4. Can you give me an example of a time when you overcame a professional challenge?Not only is this one of the most common interview questions, its also one that interviewees like least. Prepare for this query by having an anecdote ready to go. Yes, hiring managers are looking for examples of your critical thinking and analytical skills. But theyre also focusing on your behavior in handling the challenge you describe. Did you initially panic? Or did you calmly assess the situation and proceed with the best possible solution?Take the time to prepare for these common interview questions. Doing so will show hiring managers that youre serious about the opportunity.This post has been updated to reflect more current information.Learn how Robert Half can help you get results in your job search.

What to Know About Navy Basic Training

What to Know About Navy Basic TrainingWhat to Know About Navy Basic TrainingThe Navy only has one location for enlisted basic training the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. All new recruits will spend boot camp here, but dont worry about doing drills in inclement weather unlike the other branches of the U.S. military, most of Navy boot camp is conducted indoors. This means there are indoor marching and drill, the confidence course is indoors and even weapons like shotguns and pistols are fired indoors. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it much of Navy life and duty is spent aboard a ship or in a submarine. The Recruit Training Command processes more than 50,000 recruits through Navy boot camp per year. But before you can take part in Navy basic training, you must pass an initial fitness assessment. Your recruiter administers this test. The initial standards are listed below. Navy Standards for Male Recruits Age 17-19Sit-ups 50Push-ups 421.5-mile zustrom 12 30 Age 20-24Sit-ups 46Push-ups 371.5-mile run 1330 Age 25-29Sit-ups 43Push-ups 341.5-mile run 1400 Age 30-34Sit-ups 40Push-ups 311.5-mile run 1430 Navy Standards for Female Recruits Age 17-19Sit-ups 50Push-ups 191.5-mile run 1500 Age 20-24Sit-ups 46Push-ups 161.5-mile run 1530 Age 25-29Sit-ups 43Push-ups 131.5-mile run 1608 Age 30-34Sit-ups 40Push-ups 111.5-mile run 1645 Passing the Navy Swim Test During the first week of basic training, you will also have to pass a Navy 3rd Class Swim Test. If you cant swim, dont worry. The Navy instructors will teach you how (at least well enough to pass this test). Obviously, this is going to be a crucial skill to have in a branch of the service where youre likely to see a fair amount of time at sea. In buchung to graduate from Navy basic training, you must score at least a Good (Low) score on the normal Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT). For men age 17 through 19, that means 62 sit-ups, 51 push-ups and running 1.5 miles in 11 minutes. For women in this age bracket, theyll need to do 62 sit-ups, 24 push-ups and1.5 miles in 13 minutes, 30 seconds. Requesting Leave After Basic Training The Navy does not usually grant leave (time off or vacation) immediately after basic training. When you graduate from Navy basic, youll proceed to your Navy A-School (job school). Your first leave will be when you graduate from A-School or around 10 days during the Christmas period, whichever happens first. If you enlisted under the GENDET or GTEP programs (no guaranteed job), your first leave will be at the discretion of your supervisor.