An organization with leaders who make their employees feel that their voice is important in the operations of the business produces productive employees who feel good of themselves. These employees feel that the management values their ideas and thoughts and as such, try their best to be more active in the company's concerns. These employees know where the business is headed and in what direction it will take so they feel secured and stable as they know what to expect from their employer.
Organizations having problems with communications try various ways on how to improve employee communication in the workplace. They know that making their employees well-informed of the things that are important to them is essential to their performance. Lack of information about the company and its direction will cause confusion and a tendency for the employees to seek information elsewhere or find another employer.
Here are some techniques that organizations need to know to enhance communication in their employees.
To improve internal communications within the organizations, it is important to have a project management or a social collaboration platform so that employees have access to one platform to communicate with each other wherever they are. They can share files and productivity apps that allow more communication when needed.
There will be instances that managers and leaders in organizations need to talk to their employees. When they call, give them a chance to express themselves. Email and text messages can help work things out in a few situations. However, when the party to be clarified of something, there may be a need to talk about the issues or concerns. Sometimes it is crucial that the managers reach out to their employees as a way to show them that they are finding ways on how to improve employee communication.
Younger generation, e.g., the Millennials and the Gen Y appreciate regular feedback to improve their performance. They also want to know what is going on at all times through weekly status reports for the priority jobs and updates of the projects they are working on and some comments from their managers.
When there are only a few opportunities to conduct meetings, an online forum can get employees to share information and respond to the comments and questions that are posted. When these social platforms and online forums are properly integrated, they can be useful to break the silos within departments and increase communication across various departments.
Conducting meetings are essential on how to improve employee communication. However, when meetings can only be done online, a video conference through programs like Skype, is effective in collaborating with the employees. This is an effective way to solicit information during meeting. It is also less expensive.
When sending emails, companies need to take full advantage and leverage the subject line. With the various emails that employees receive every single day, it is a must that they understand the importance of the email by highlighting the important point in the subject line. If there is a need for them to act on something, use action-oriented words such as URGENT or NEED HELP. Once the employees see it, they can prioritize their workload.
One technique on how to improve employee communication is providing updates on a regular basis. Consistency is essential to effective communication. Employees know when to expect news and other helpful communications. A schedule to disseminate information such as weekly or every 10th and 20th of the month can create a consistent flow of updates. A company newsletter is an example of this.
There are various ways to solicit suggestions and ideas from your employees. Create polls and let them vote as well as provide opportunities for them to comment and make suggestions on present concerns. The company may set up a corporate blog. It may also want an annual survey conducted to gather information that will be helpful in fostering effective communications in the organization.
Charismatic leaders whose presence alone can liven up a group of people play a vital role in improving employee communication in the workplace. However, not everybody is gifted with this personality but every leader can try to make noble efforts to talk to their employees through meetings and at times, even outside of the workplace. Employees appreciate leaders who take their time to listen to them talk and talk to them about matters that are outside of work. Share about yourself and make them think that you are also like them in some ways and you understand their situation.
Lastly, there is a need for management to be transparent in matters relating to the changes in policies or procedures. Take time to explain the concept behind the modifications so that they understand and prevent any resentment and distrust when things are not clear to them.
These tips on how to improve employee communication can come in handy and can be applied anytime and anywhere.
