Communication is key to company success. If you’re not communicating with your team regularly, then they won’t be clear about your goals and expectations. At the same time, they won’t know what areas in their performance you’re happy with and what needs improvement. This can lead to a lack of engagement and even higher levels of turnover, as a result.
A few more reasons why communicating with your people is so important to include:
- It keeps your employees in the loop about important company matters, so there are no rumors or gossip that can be damaging to morale.
- It helps you to avoid confusion and misunderstandings, so you can ensure your employees know what you expect from them and can spot problems before they escalate.
- It helps your employees to stay on track and deliver better work, which keeps them satisfied on the job and reaching their potential.
- It keeps your team motivated and engaged, so you can reach goals together in an atmosphere built on trust and loyalty.
Clearly, communicating with your employees is important to your business. If, however, you’re struggling in this area, how can you make a change? Some ways to open the lines of communication include:
How Often Do You Really Communicate With Your Employees?
Being open about financials and overall company health.
Let your people know about what’s going on with the company. Schedule quarterly meetings to go over goals, achievements, projections, and challenges. This will not only help your employees feel more secure with a clear understanding of where the company stands, but also encourage your team to assess their own contributions and help to solve company challenges.
Asking for feedback and ideas.
Don’t try to solve every problem on your own. Instead, ask for feedback and input from your team about how to solve issues and make the company more successful, whether through anonymous surveys or brown bag lunches. If they’re the ones dealing with customers day in and out, for instance, they’ll have insights you might not be aware of. You can leverage these to produce a more productive team and profitable company.
Listening more and responding in a timely way.
Communicating is more than just about you talking. It’s critical that you also listen and respond to your employees. Ask questions about your own performance and whether they have the support they need from you. Also, if they send you an email or ask a question you don’t have an answer to, be responsive and get back to them within 24 hours. Keep in mind, communicating is a two-way street and you want your employees to feel heard and understood.
Do you need help building your team?
If part of your struggle is due to a lack of manpower, Future Force can help. As one of the area’s top temporary hiring agencies, we can connect you with skilled and dependable professionals on a temporary basis, as well as part-time, contract, or full-time. Whatever your hiring and staffing needs, we have them covered, so you can focus on other business priorities. Contact us today to learn more.
