Communication is the key to success in any relationship, including workplace relationships. There must be open and effective communication between you and your employees.
Poor communication can kill your workplace. You might not be able to provide superior products or services to customers. Tasks might not be efficiently completed. And, you might see a decrease in employee engagement.
As a business owner and manager, it is your job to make sure all lines of communication are open. Employees should feel comfortable talking together. And, you and your employees should be able to speak openly.
Tips for improving communication in the workplace
Improving communication at work doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Use these seven tips to learn how to improve communication in the workplace.
1. Be an example
As the head of the company, you can lead by example. You can show your employees what you expect them to do.
Regularly communicate with your employees. Tell them what’s going on in your business. Or, have a simple, friendly conversation. Also, ask employees for their feedback. This opens up two-way communication, instead of just top-down communication.
When employees see that you’re willing to talk, they might be more open and willing to talk, too.
2. Create regular conversations
Set regular times when your employees can talk to you. You might have an open-door policy or hold office hours. Either way, let your employees know that you are available.
Your employees might not be willing to speak up on their own. They might think they’re bothering you. By setting specific times to talk, your employees might be more willing to speak up about their concerns and suggestions.
3. Provide the right tools
To increase communication, your team needs the right tools to communicate effectively. The communication tools you need will depend on your team. If all of your team is located in a small building, you will need fewer tools. But if your employees are spread out or work remotely, you will need more tools.
Your team can use communication tools such as email, phone, online chat, and video conferencing. Set up company networks so employees don’t have to use personal accounts. For example, you might set up company email addresses.
4. Set boundaries
It’s important to draw lines for when it’s appropriate for employees to communicate and when it’s not. You and other employees should not contact other staff members after hours or when they aren’t scheduled to work. Encourage your team to use their own judgment to solve problems. Or, ask your team to evaluate how important an issue is. They might be able to wait until the other person returns to work.
You can be an example by not contacting employees when they aren’t working. Respect that they have lives outside of work. Unless employees are “on call,” don’t bother them.
5. Have common goals
Many employees strive to be the best—the best salesperson, the best producer, the best customer representative, etc. The goal is to be better than everyone else. Your employees are seeking promotions, raises, and other rewards. Your employees’ personal goals cause competition and reduce communication to self-serving purposes.
When you have common business goals, employees have something to rally around. Your workers must focus on what is best for your business. As a result, they are forced to use teamwork and communication to complete the goals.
6. Allow personal conversations
Don’t discourage “water cooler” conversations between your employees. These conversations might seem like a waste of time and a hotbed for gossip and rumors. While this might have some truth, water cooler conversations encourage relationships between employees.
Employees will get to know each other on a personal level. This will hopefully build camaraderie in the workplace. As employees open lines of communication, future communication will become easier.
7. Cut out jargon
Certain positions tend to have specific terminology that isn’t used or understood by others. This is jargon. Encourage your employees to avoid jargon especially when using interdepartmental communication.
Employees should use common terminology. They can teach their co-workers technical terms that are important to know. Or, employees can throw out technical terms entirely. Instead, they can find new words that everyone understands.
Read more: BIG Benefits of Small Talk In The Workplace