Regardless of the industry you’re in, it’s important to communicate effectively in the workplace. Proper communication ensures that projects run smoothly and company objectives are met. When you’re sending the right messages to your team, your employees will feel appreciated and everyone in the workplace is likely to be more productive.
Here are some practical tips to improve workplace communication.
Observe Body Language
When it comes to communication in the workplace, you have to look out for body language along with verbal cues. In many cases, body language is more revealing than spoken or written communication. Your employees’ body language can convey feelings of confusion, unhappiness, stress, excitement, confidence, or nervousness. Your team members may use body language to communicate unconsciously, so pay attention to these cues so you can meet the needs of your team members. Pay attention to facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice during meetings and one-on-one conversations. Follow up on interactions with your employees with an email or phone call to express concern or reassurance when necessary to let your team members know you value them.
Communicate Clearing During Training
It’s essential to communicate openly during every training process. This will prepare the team for any changes you’re making to your company and what you expect from employees going forward. Make sure everyone knows how to use communication resources and software like check-ins, in-person meetings, and virtual meetings. It’s especially important to communicate with new employees so they can get a feel for the company culture and feel comfortable asking questions. When your team feels empowered by sharing their ideas and concerns, you can improve your business while making everyone feel valued and avoid miscommunication.
Use Communication Software
Communication software programs can boost productivity and make the workday more organized, regardless of the size of your business. You can use the software daily or when you’re working on large-scale projects. You can also use communication software for employee benefits and to explain health insurance, wellness checks, and compensation. Talent management software is also useful to improve the way team members engage with each other and perform in terms of daily and long-term tasks.
Check-In With Your Team
You should schedule regular check-ins with all your employees. Create a space for your team members to express their concerns and offer pointers and encouragement in a way that motivates your team members. Be careful not to criticize or make derogatory comments, since this can discourage your team members from expressing themselves again. Your company culture will dictate the communication style that works best for your employees, but you still need to observe the personality traits of each of your team members so you can send the right message with each meeting.
A study from Globoforce states that “89% of HR leaders agree that ongoing peer feedback and check-ins are key for successful outcomes.” You can check in with your team by sending surveys for them to fill out, taking them to lunch for an informal chat, or scheduling a one-on-one meeting in the office.
Communicate In Writing After Speaking
After being in a meeting for an hour, it’s easy to forget everything that was said. It’s also very likely that some team members will still have questions, but may not want to prolong the meeting. Our brains can only take in so much information at a time, and that’s why it’s best to follow up with your team with a written account of what happened during the meeting. Learning Solutions research asserts that within one hour, people forget about half of the information they’ve heard. After 24 hours, we tend to forget 70% of the details we heard. By the time a week has passed, we forget 90% of this information.
Send your team a short summary so that your employees can recall important points about the meeting. If you’re leading the meeting, make sure you make a few notes before and after the meeting so you won’t forget the points you want to include in the summary.
These tips can make daily tasks at the office much easier and raise workplace morale. When your team knows they can talk to you about workplace concerns and ideas, your employees are likely to enjoy coming to work each day and making your business a better place to work.
