Communication is an important element of good management, and it’s one that’s often overlooked. Communication is not just about face-to-face communication. It can include all forms of written communication, including emails, memos, and reports, but it also encompasses the use of other channels such as video conferencing and group video chats.
The best managers consistently communicate well with each department and their direct reports. They can ensure that each department has a clear understanding of the goals and how they’re being accomplished.
In addition, they practice what they preach and make it a point to spend time communicating regularly with their employees. However, there is a huge disparity between the visions of managers and employees.
This is often because managers focus on the big picture so much that they forget about the individual, whereas employees struggle to get through the day. How can you facilitate communication between these two groups?
Listen to employees’ concerns
One of the first things you should do as a manager is encouraged to open dialogue with your staff members. Avoid having closed-door meetings unless necessary because they make your staff members feel like they are not welcome to discuss issues openly.
Instead, encourage open-door policies to feel comfortable coming to you and discussing any concerns about work or their positions within the company.
The more open you are with your staff members, the more likely they are to come to you instead of going over your head when something goes wrong at work.
Provide regular feedback
Feedback is one of the greatest tools for driving long-term growth in your business. It is a way to ensure that employees are performing up to par and provide them with the guidance they need to improve their performance. The question is, how do you provide effective feedback?
Communication between managers and employees often breaks down to make matters more complex because managers aren’t consistent with their feedback styles.
They may use different approaches at different times, confusing employees making it difficult to know what kind of feedback to expect.
One effective way to streamline your feedback process is by providing regular status updates. You can rely on emails or regular meetings for the same. You can also include employee achievement awards in your feedback meetings.
Try different mediums of communication
As a manager, you need to get your team on board with your vision and help them see how they can help bring it to life. This can be a challenge when dealing with various personalities and work styles.
To make this process easier, try using different mediums of communication. Try using a project management tool instead of just having meetings or sending out email blasts. You’ll find that tools like this are great for communicating with others in real-time without interrupting your day too much.
Plus, you can use this tool as a way to keep track of your employees’ progress on tasks you’ve assigned them so you can check in more efficiently should something go wrong or change.
Meetings
Meetings can be an excellent time to talk about issues and get feedback. If you need to make changes or set some new rules, this is a good time to do it. Instead of sending out an email that gets ignored or forgotten, you can discuss it in person and get instant feedback.
If you’re looking for new ideas, meetings can be a good forum for brainstorming. You might have some good ideas but not realize that they could work better if they were tweaked slightly or improved by adding new features.
Understand your staff and Employees
It is essential to have the ability to read your staff members and to understand their opinions and feelings. This will assist you in managing them more effectively.
This can be done by listening to what they are saying and observing how they are saying it. Are they speaking with confidence, or are they hesitant?
Are they using specific phrases such as “as I think you know,” “because,” etc.? Is their body language confident or submissive? Are there any other signs that could help you determine their mood?
Listen to your employees carefully, watch for nonverbal clues and then incorporate this information into your management style. The better you understand your staff, the better manager you will be.
Managers construct a self-motivated and inspired team and empower them to produce strong results.
HR professionals must provide their managers with the tools and mechanisms for communicating goals, performance feedback, expectations, initiatives, and more.
This knowledge will help HR professionals better understand how to tailor their employee communication programs to their managers and employees.
