Many corporations don’t realize how important it is to integrate programs or processes that make their employees happy. It has been proven that workers feel happier when there is one-on-one communication with their bosses. If a company focuses on improving the way managers communicate with their employees, production will increase. As Gerald R. Griffin once said: “People work for people, not for companies. A worker’s regard for his supervisor will affect his opinion of his employer. Production is related to attitude, so much so that an organization that If you don’t take this human equation into account, you won’t achieve as much as you could.”
One-on-one communication is built on the trust, respect, and consideration that workers experience from their managers on a daily basis. These qualities make employees feel good about the environment in which they work. The better the manager communicates, the more satisfied the employees are with all aspects of their work lives.
Most companies have a form of one-way mass media, such as company intranets, emails, and broadcast voice messages to communicate important company changes. However, if you have information that will directly affect your employees, you should report it as soon as possible. If you wait too long, your employees may feel blindsided.
Encouraging transparency in your organization will give your employees the idea that your organization is not hiding any information from them. Keep the lines of communication open at all times. Try to maintain an open door policy and welcome feedback from employees. Communicate with your employees exactly what you expect from them and provide positive and negative honest feedback about their performance. Remember, your employees want to feel that their job performance directly affects the growth of the company.
The result of better and more frequent communication will result in a happy work environment for your employees. Consider these five tips on how you can improve your manager’s communication with employees.
- Give a clear direction
- provide inclusion
- Employee opinions matter
- Empower employees to make decisions
- Confidence
Give a clear direction. Explain to your employees the purpose of their projects. Also, explain how your contribution fits into your company’s mission and strategy. Be sure to give clear direction on how you want the project to be carried out, but don’t micromanage it.
Provide inclusion. Share long-term plans for the company with your employees. This will make them excited about the direction the company is taking and feel included in its growth and progress. Remember, employees want to feel like they are part of something bigger.
Empower employees to make decisions. Giving your employees the ability to make critical decisions increases their feelings of self-worth and job satisfaction. Let them know that their job performance impacts the performance of the company.
Employee opinions matter. Employees feel valued when their ideas are considered. Listen to your employees when they offer suggestions on process improvements, marketing ideas, and when they want to add responsibilities to their job description. Your employees may even have suggestions on the best ways for you (your manager) to communicate with them. The best way to have a great working relationship is to listen.
Confidence. This is very important. Make sure your employees know they can trust you. If they share personal information with you, keep it confidential. Many times an employee may be experiencing a personal problem not related to work, they can rely on their manager for advice. If you are a good manager, your employee will see you as someone who will give them good advice. Most employees feel that trust is one of the most important qualities of their manager.
The last thing I want to say about communicating with your employees is to be kind when giving negative feedback. When someone has made a mistake, speak in a soft tone, using discreet language, without yelling or scolding. The goal is for the employee to receive correction and improve. Using the wrong tone can cause the employee to immediately reject instructions and leave the meeting feeling resentful. Remember, this truism, it is easier to attract flies with honey than with vinegar.
