17 - Designing Communication Systems That Don’t Suck
How to build better communication systems across teams, roles and tools
Most small and medium-sized businesses never set out to build bad communication systems. They just grow organically. A few emails here, a shared folder there, maybe a team chat app that no one uses the same way twice. Add in a few spreadsheets, a dozen meetings and a whiteboard that hasn’t been updated in weeks and before long, no one knows where the latest version of anything lives.
Sound familiar?
Poor communication systems don’t just waste time. They cause real friction. People double-handle tasks, miss key updates, repeat work, or work off old information. The business slows down, stress levels rise and trust quietly erodes.
This article will help you design communication systems that actually support your people, rather than frustrate them.
What Is a Communication System?
A communication system is the set of tools, channels, habits and expectations your team uses to share information. It includes -
Email, messaging apps and shared files
Meetings and huddles
Calendars, to-do lists, dashboards
Verbal handovers and written instructions
What gets documented and what doesn’t
The system isn’t just the tech. It’s how people use it. A great tool with bad habits still creates chaos.
Why SME Communication Systems Often Get Messy
No agreed way to use tools
Everyone has their own method, language and urgency level.Too many channels, not enough clarity
Email, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, text - messages get scattered.Over-reliance on memory
Instructions are shared verbally and never written down.Growth outpaces structure
What worked for three people doesn’t work for ten.No system owner
Communication becomes everyone’s job and no one’s job.
Start Here - Map What’s Actually Happening
Before you fix anything, understand the current state.
Ask your team -
What’s working well in our current comms setup?
What frustrates you or slows you down?
Where do important updates get lost?
Which tools do we actually use and how?
This gives you a baseline. You’ll likely find small changes that make a big impact.
Principles for a Better System
1. Choose the Right Channel for the Message
Set expectations across the team about what belongs where. For example -
Urgent, time-sensitive – Phone call or flagged instant message
Non-urgent, needs action – Email with clear subject and deadline
Quick update or FYI – Shared team chat
Collaborative planning – Shared doc or task board
Sensitive or complex – In-person or video meeting
This helps people stop checking five places for the same thing - or missing something critical because it was buried in a chat thread.
2. Make Information Easy to Find
Use clear, consistent file names
Set up a shared folder structure with agreed rules
Use version control if documents change often
Keep key documents in one central location - not scattered across inboxes or people’s desktops
If someone needs to ask, “Where do I find that?” more than once, the system isn’t working.
3. Document What Matters
Not everything needs to be formal, but some things do. Agree on what gets written down, such as -
Meeting notes and decisions
Project plans and timelines
Client instructions
Agreed priorities and deadlines
Documentation creates shared memory. It helps when someone’s away. It avoids “I thought you said…” moments.
4. Minimise Noise
Too many updates lead to people ignoring them all. Instead -
Use weekly summaries instead of daily emails
Group non-urgent messages together
Set “quiet zones” in the day for focus time
Avoid the reply-all spiral unless everyone truly needs to see it
Respect people’s attention. It’s a limited resource.
5. Make Meetings Worth Attending
Meetings aren’t bad. Bad meetings are bad.
A good communication system includes -
Clear agenda in advance
Right people in the room - no more, no fewer
Defined roles - who’s leading, who’s taking notes, who’s following up
A wrap-up summary of actions and decisions
Then share the notes. That’s your system doing its job.
6. Set Norms and Stick to Them
It’s not enough to install a tool. You need shared habits.
Examples -
“We check the project board before every client call.”
“We use Teams for quick chats, not email.”
“We update the whiteboard before going home.”
“If you’re unsure, over-communicate.”
Consistency is what turns tools into systems.
A Real Example - One Shared Board Changed Everything
At a family-owned plumbing company in Otago, scheduling was a nightmare. Jobs were booked in notebooks, on a wall planner and in texts. Staff kept turning up late, bringing the wrong gear, or missing the job entirely.
They switched to a shared calendar and whiteboard system that was updated daily. One person owned it. Everyone checked it.
Within a month, missed jobs dropped to zero. Stress dropped too. They didn’t change who they were - just how they shared the right info at the right time.
What Not to Do
Don’t implement five tools at once. Start small and build.
Don’t assume people know how to use the tools. Train them.
Don’t let one person hoard all the knowledge. Share the load.
Don’t keep old systems running “just in case”. If it doesn’t serve you, let it go.
Final Thought
A good communication system is like good plumbing. You don’t notice it when it works, but when it leaks, everything slows down.
Design your systems to make life easier, not harder. Build in clarity, reduce noise and set habits that serve your team - not just your tech stack.
Next up, we bring it all together in one final message - clarity is not just a skill. It’s a leadership choice.
If you’d like a confidential, free of charge, free of obligation conversation about your business, here’s how to get me.
📞 Phone +64 275 665 682
✉️ Email john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
🌐 Contact Form www.regenerationhq.co.nz/contact
If you’d like to read more RegenerationHQ thinking on SME business and other things, go here – www.regenerationhq.co.nz/articlesoverview
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Supporting NZ SME Owners to Exit Well, Lead Better and Build Business Value.