Communicating Well on Your Team
A lot of job dissatisfaction stems from poor communicating amongst employees as well as with superiors. At the most basic level, an employee wants clarity of expectation from a boss so she knows what to deliver. Lack of employee engagement and frequent turnover can often be pinned on ineffective communication.
The good news is that you don’t have to be an extrovert to promote healthy communication on your team but individuals do need to have the desire to improve the way they interact at work to make things better. This should start with a leader who is honest, able to show respect for employees, and able to work on building trust with colleagues.
I read a great article at Inc.com magazine that offered tips on how to engender good communication and the ability to convey messages effectively. By taking these strategies into consideration you can avoid the filter many put up when they don’t feel as if they are being heard or validated at work. The goal is to empower everybody with a voice in the conversation for a healthy work culture.
Create the Culture
Strive to be transparent and straightforward about the challenges of you business, including the financials. This fosters trust and understanding. Schedule formal and informal communication such as staff meetings or brief check-ins with staff members one-on-one. The brief team huddle can also be a great way to get a state-of-the-business update in an open area and should not last more than 15 minutes. The more extensive lunch and learn gathering is a great approach to strategy building and new idea generation.
Make Sure Your Message is Heard
Evaluate your own abilities by playing to your strengths and mitigating weaknesses. Sharpen your message since people retain only 3-5 points from any interaction. Keep it short and sharp. Recognize good work – if your message is always negative it won’t be heard. Prepare for all meetings, no matter how small, and tailor your message to your audience. Understand unspoken signals and recognize body language cues as it can make or break how your message is absorbed. Follow-up in writing to reinforce key points that are discussed in-person.
Listen to Your Employees
Communication is a two way street – give everybody a chance to speak. Create a formal feedback mechanism like a suggestion box and take input seriously. Reward feedback so employees feel risk-free in sharing constructive criticism or creative solutions that might seem out of the box.
Face-to Face
While email is efficient, in-person communication is always preferred. Get up out of your chair and seek out your colleagues to have a face-to-face discussion. It’s good for your health and great for your inter office communication building.
