Communicate Better with Employees and Boost Business

In surveys and exit interviews, employees often complain about poor communication. They say their managers exclude them from decision making or show no interest in their frustrations or creative ideas.

There is no overestimating the importance of good two-way communication; studies tie good communication to productivity, turnover rates, absenteeism, and the achievement of corporate goals. The following tips can help you better communicate with your employees and boost retention and productivity.

Share Your Goals

Be friendly and open with your employees. The onus is on you to let your staff know where you want the company to go and how they can help get it there. Be clear in communicating your goals for the company. If they feel included, your workers will go the extra mile for you.

Get Feedback

Meet with your workers one-on-one, in small groups, and as a whole. If you notice communication is better in one department, find out what that manager is doing and extend those best practices throughout the company.

Solicit Ideas

Is there something that is troublesome about the jobs employees have been assigned? If they struggle on without feeling like you know about it or care, they will lose their enthusiasm. Ask your employees to identify problems and suggest solutions.

Praise Good Work

In one international survey, employees said they only hear from the boss when they err. Make sure to take the time to praise a job well done, and keep remonstrance on a constructive note. It's not enough to let employees know you are dissatisfied with their work. Talk about how they might better improve their performance. Critique, don't criticize. Failing to acknowledge good performance or allowing faulty behavior to go uncorrected can allow a culture of blame to develop.

Use Two-Way Communication

Employ different methods of communication, but don't rely too much on newsletters, the company bulletin board, or e-mail, none of which allows for immediate two-way communication. It is too easy to misunderstand or fail to fully comprehend a written message.

Timing Is Critical

Avoid scheduling a meeting at a time that interferes with workers' deadlines or at the end of the day or week. But do give feedback frequently. Employees may contribute creative ideas and work well in teams, but they want plenty of feedback, and not just during an annual review.

Make Sure They Understand

Whether you're taking one employee to lunch each week or meeting with everyone on the factory floor at once, make sure there is plenty of give and take. This isn't just a "feel-good" exercise; it allows you to make sure your message has been understood. Use tools, such as graphs, maps, charts, and other visual aids, to help get your message across. Educate your workers about aspects of business and finance that help them understand performance data.

Be Open About Change

Making changes is always difficult. If you are innovating or forced to make cutbacks, tell your workers exactly what you plan to do and why, and be honest about both the challenges and the ultimate reward.

Follow Up

Listening to your team is a good first step, but you will sacrifice the benefits if they feel their input goes straight into a black hole. Check back with them later to see how things are going and ask if there is anything else you can do. Conduct assessments to understand how well your communication methods are working.