Communicating with Employees-Best practices

The way you communicate with employees is often the difference between a great workplace and one that struggles. Decreased efficiency, unhappy employees and high turnover rates will most certainly follow communication breakdowns. Here are some tips that can transform your workplace into a well-oiled machine:

1.       Be genuine

Don’t try to hide your differences or conflicts, instead address your employees with a genuine attitude. Although it can sometimes be difficult to disagree with your co-workers, they will end up appreciating you a lot more if you show them your true self.

2.       Listen

This is the often the most overlooked part of communication but it is possibly the most vital to the success of any relationship. Listen to learn the heart of your employees. You do not have to agree with everything they say but just listening will help you identify potential problems or receive great ideas that you may not have otherwise known about.

3.       Find common ground

Let’s face it, sometimes in the workplace we work with people with whom we don’t have a lot in common. In fact, you may not even like the people you work with. The bottom line is, there is always some common ground. By focusing on your common ground instead of your differences, you might be surprised by how your work relationships can change for the better!

4.       Be active

This is all about creating the opportunity for communication. You cannot count on employees to initiate conversation or even let you know when there are problems. Actively and consistently create opportunity for communication. Recurring team meetings and one-on-one meetings are a great way to provide this consistency.

5.       Appreciate diversity

Not all employees will see things eye to eye with you and that is ok. Sometimes the diversity of a team makes it unique and special. Allow your employees the chance to express their differences by showing them that you appreciate their right to a have a different point of view. Even if you may not agree with it.

Remember: Be proactive about communication. You may not know there is a problem until it is too late!

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