Communication is possibly the most important aspect of any company. Without it, you just can’t succeed.
Despite this, many companies neglect to improve their communication around their company. This can lead to issues and in extreme cases, the breakdown of the company as a whole
It doesn’t have to be this way, though. Here’s how you can improve communication in the workplace and get people expressing themselves and their ideas.
Make It Easy For Employees To Ask Questions
It’s important to remember that your employees won’t know everything, even if they’ve been with you for a long time. That means that you need to make it easy for them to ask questions when they need to. If they can do that, issues and mix-ups can be resolved quickly, improving productivity.
Firstly, to do this, you’ll need to foster a culture of understanding in the workplace. If someone has questions, don’t make them feel as if they’re bothering you with it. Give them the time and space they need to ask you. Encourage all of your staff to do this too, making sure that you lead by example.
Also look into ways of making questions easy to ask. Maybe you can set aside time every week for a meeting where employees can ask questions, or set up an email address just for dealing with them.
Look At How You’re Writing To Your Staff
These days, most of business communication is done via writing. That can be through emails, instant messaging, or a variety of other methods. Because of this, you should be looking at how you come across in writing.
When you’re writing, you’re missing vital parts of communication like tone of voice and body language. Because of this, it can be easy for people to take your message the wrong way.
As you write, be careful with what you’re saying. Top manager David Trenton from Revieweal says, “I review what I’ve written before I send it. It’s easy to say one thing, and for the reader to get a totally different message.”
If you’re not sure about your messages, you can contact professionals to help you. Top Canadian Writers, for example, can put you in touch with writing tutors who can look into how you come across in writing.
Establish Regular Contact With Employees
The best way to open lines of communication is to ensure that you’re checking in with your employees regularly. This can be done in several ways. For example, you can ensure that you’re coming by employees’ desks once a week to say hello and check in with them. You can also set up a weekly meeting (virtual or physical) and check in with them that way.
The most important part of this is that you keep an eye on what your staff is doing, and get to know them all personally. It’s especially important that you learn everyone’s names.
By doing this, you’re showing your staff that everyone in the company matters. If you know who they are, they’re more likely to come to you when they need to. Fostering this kind of communication is essential.
Improve Your Email Etiquette
As I mentioned earlier, a lot of your communication will be done via email. That’s why you need to look at how you’re writing emails and make improvements where needed.
First of all, are you proofreading your emails?
Everyone has hit ‘send’ on an email that they instantly think could have used some tweaking to make better. take some time after you’ve written an email, and only come back to it an hour or so later. That way, you give yourself some distance from it and you’ll be able to see where the edits need to be made.
As well as this, be careful with your tone in emails. It’s very easy for constructive criticism to look accusatory when the tone isn’t quite right. You can even ask other colleagues to look at an email for you if you want a second opinion. If you don’t want to ask anyone in the office, try using a writing guide such as State Of Writing.
Use The Right Tools
It’s a good idea to sit back and look at the tools you’re using to communicate within your office. Are they best, considering your needs?
Emails are most often used, but they can be cumbersome and easily missed. After all, people get hundreds of emails every day.
If you feel it isn’t working for you like it should, it’s worth trying an all in one system like Asana. These kinds of tools feature instant messaging and chat groups, collaborative working, and more. It’s much easier to use as everything’s in one place.
Maybe you’ll be better off using instant messaging, or actually ditching written communication and going back to using the phone. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works for your staff.
Be Positive And Optimistic
Think about your office atmosphere. What’s it like? Is it energetic and dynamic, or is it dull and slow? A lot of this can depend on you as a leader. Your demeanor will rub off on your employees, so take care how you talk to them.
Of course, you can’t be upbeat and happy all of the time, as doing so can actually make you look a little unreliable and not genuine. However, try to be positive about what’s happening at work.
If you put your trust in your employees, then they can achieve more than you’d think. Employee Fiona Langley from UK Services Reviews says “My manager tries to see the best in every situation. When things go wrong, she makes sure she still pulls the positives from it. It’s much easier to move on from a setback when she does that.”
As a manager or business owner, your job is to improve communication in your workplace, as it affects everything else. Put these tips to use and you’ll see just how much easier it becomes to communicate with your employees.
Rachel Summers is an experienced writer living and working in the UK. She works as a journalist specializing in education, including Australian Reviewer, as she has a passion for helping students get the most out of their years in school. Her writing focuses on tips for making school easier for people who are studying and tools that can help them get the assistance they need.