It’s been said time and time again how employees contribute much to the success of an organization. But employees would not be able to perform their tasks well if leadership fails to communicate to them, and make them understand what management’s expectations are.
Still, it can be quite a challenge for the corporate communications to department to communicate with employees given how busy they are during the workday. Workers are just too preoccupied with their tasks that they tend to overlook memos and correspondence from management. Here are some tips on how to communicate with employees more effectively:
1. Make communication a top priority in the organization
Simply put, making communication a consistent, top priority in the organization would make it a lot easier for management to communicate with the personnel. Management should take steps to institute a culture wherein constant communication is part of everyday life in the organization.
There are several ways how to communicate with employees. Organizing regular town hall meetings can enable employees to receive information and share ideas with senior leaders. Virtual executive summits where senior management can connect employees located in remote areas are another way for management to reach its personnel. Even actively seeking employee feedback through surveys and focus groups can be considered an effective means of communicating with the employees.
Meetings should not even be an hour long. Supervisors can schedule 15-minute meetings every morning just to keep everyone updated on what’s happening in the team.
2. Communicate through different platforms
In order to effectively communicate with the ranks, leaders should also tap different platforms. Holding a large group assembly can make information dissemination faster, but it may not be effective in inculcating values or motivating employees the way that one-on-one discussions can.
Moreover, management should not shun modern communication methods like social media and video conferencing. The point is that agency leaders must be willing to leverage a range of platforms so that they will know how to communicate with employees.
3. Tap desktop alert systems
Speaking of modern communication tools, desktop alert systems can provide management with a contemporary, responsive, and efficient method of reaching employees and sharing with them news and information. Desktop alert systems, too, can be used to promote a shared corporate vision.
Desktop alert systems are non-intrusive meaning these won’t interfere with the work assignments of personnel. Messages can be incorporated as screensavers and wallpapers, so that employees would actually see and read whatever the management would like to convey to them. These programs can also be configured to appear on the desktop computer screens of employees at scheduled time.
4. Implement employee suggestions
Soliciting employee feedback is a good step towards improving internal communication. But leaders should not stop at collecting employee feedback. Instead, they should implement workable suggestions to show the rest of the company that the management actually listens to employee opinions. When leaders implement suggestions from the staff, the employees will realize that their voice is valued.
5. Don’t forget face-to-face communication
It’s easy for companies to forget the importance of face-to-face communication what with the number of advanced communication tools at their disposal. Communicating with remote employees, for example, can be done through video conference. Then there’s email and instant messaging systems.
But companies should not overlook how to communicate with employees the old-school way--- through face-to-face communication. It can build the foundation for trust, camaraderie, and a lasting working relationship.
So instead of sending emails, supervisors and managers can call a short, 15 minute meeting. It can create the synergy that the team needs, fostering relationships within the organization as well.
