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Dear Colleagues,
Communication is key. If you ask employees to name an area that could be improved in their organization, they will always say there isn't enough communication. You can never communicate enough to employees.
But what kind of information do they need? How do you communicate that information in the best way? How do you improve communication to prevent gossip and small problems from transforming into morale-crushing nightmares?
In this edition of HR Smalltalk, we'll discuss the importance of effective communication.
For more information, feel free to contact us at 604.688.3879.
Warm regards,
Cissy Pau
Clear
HR Consulting Inc.
COMMUNICATING SUCCESS: SHUT DOWN THE GOSSIP FACTORY AND GET THE RIGHT INFORMATION TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE
The rumour spread like a virus: the production department was going to lay off half the workforce and replace them with a batch of shiny new robots built in New Jersey.
Of course it wasn't true. But by the time management found out what was happening, senior engineers were already submitting their resumes and cover letters to the competition. Some had already lined up interviews.
Effective communication to employees can help prevent rumours and misunderstandings from turning into business crises.
It's funny how communicating effectively at the workplace can get so challenging in an age of instant global communication. But when employees are polled about what they would like to see improved at work, the answer is almost invariably communication.
Are you noticing any of the following issues in your company?
- Increased gossip and rumours
- Unclear roles
- High employee sick rates and/or turnover
- Unhappy customers
Communication problems may be at the source of these issues.
Here are some great ways for employers to increase communication to their staff:
- Hold regular staff meetings - Regular all-employee meetings with a consistent agenda ensures that employees hear company information first-hand, without it being filtered through other staff first.
- Schedule one-on-one meetings with employees - While group staff meetings are great, employees should also have the opportunity to have regular discussions with their managers, one-on-one, at least once a month. This is an opportunity for the employee to discuss any concerns they have and for the manager to share feedback and offer support.
- Create an employee-only area on your company website or develop an intranet site - Use technology to your advantage. Creating a place where the company can post employee-relevant information, company goals, policies and procedures, etc. is a good way to ensure that information is readily available to employees when they need it.
- Develop an employee notice board - Use an old-school approach that can be very effective. Create a staff bulletin board in the lunchroom or common area where the company can post new information - company goals, announcements, upcoming events, project status, media coverage, etc. Make sure the board is maintained and updated regularly.
- Use email communication effectively - Email is a great way to communicate with employees, if done properly. Keep broadcast emails to all employees brief and relevant. Use email to share great news with all staff. Reserve negative feedback and emotional or potentially conflict-inducing communication for face-to-face or phone conversations - tone is very easily misinterpreted in email correspondence. And, be careful with the Reply All function - there's nothing worse than receiving a long chain of back and forth emails on an issue that's not relevant to you.
Keeping information flowing at a workplace helps to:
- Improve morale
- Increase employee retention
- Ensure employees are effective and productive
- Improve customer satisfaction.
Clear communication at work can be the difference between a struggling company and a thriving organization.
CLEAR HR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT & MEETINGS TRAINING
Do you have good procedures to ensure effective communication is in place at your company? Like many companies, your organization may already be hurting from communication hurdles.
Clear HR Consulting can consult with employers on how to improve employee communication at their companies. We teach managers how to have an effective meeting and how to prepare an effective agenda. We facilitate meetings to help employers and employees get used to procedures. As well, we do surveys and focus groups to find out how communication might be improved.
Clear HR Consulting can also provide management skills training on topics such as communication pitfalls and ways to avoid them.
A Clear HR consultation is a quick, cost-effective way to get a clear understanding of your existing communication issues and the steps required to correct the situation or avoid costly mistakes.
Find out what Clear HR Consulting can do for your business
For more information on Clear HR Consulting Inc., or if you have any questions, contact us at info@clearhrconsulting.com
or 604.688.3879.
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