When trying to improve efficiency at work, many people often overlook the easiest thing to fix: communication.  This is especially important when a team of employees works on the same project; if one member finishes a task and doesn’t tell the rest of the team, time is wasted when others start the same task.  Efficient communication can come in many ways, including face to face, over the phone, through email or instant message.  It’s important to keep it short and concise, as too much communication over a small issue can also be a waste of time.

One of the easiest ways to keep coworkers ‘in the loop’ is by using the CC or BCC feature in most email systems.  It takes virtually no time to enter an additional email address, and in many cases you can add a whole team of email addresses with one click.  This way, every person involved sees all communication and knows what’s going on for the entire duration of the project.

Good communication also helps your reputation as a business.  Without efficient communication, five people may tell one client a different story about the same issue, making your firm look like unreliable liars.  It is very important also to have as little points of contact with a particular client for this exact reason.

Keep the communication short but sweet, but make sure anyone involved knows what is going on at all times.