Strategies for Effective Communication with Employees

An attribute of a great leader is effective communication. Communication is about listening with our minds rather than just our ears. It’s also about coming up with the best words to send out the appropriate messages. Proper communication is crucial as an employer or else your employees work aimlessly and your business doesn’t reach its full potential. In order to obtain the skills for effective communication, here are some tips.

Maintain Open Lines of Communication

Engage your employees on a daily or weekly basis. Whether it’s scheduling a formal one-on-one meeting or casually visiting each employee at their desk, it’s crucial that you maintain a line of communication with every employee.

Build Comfortability

Many employers feel that ruling over their employees using intimidation or bullying tactics is effective for leadership. However, over time, this intimidation leads to lack of participation and eventually resignation of the employee. Give your employees a safe haven for them to bring ideas forward or express their thoughts. Consider an open-door policy. If employees have questions or concerns, they should feel comfortable visiting your office to discuss it with you.

Answer every Employee’s Email within 24 hours

Wouldn’t you want someone to respond to you within 24 hours? In order to have effective communication you have to be able to listen and respond to the requests of your employees. Whether it’s an employee inquiring about a project or someone requesting time off, it’s important that you address everyone within a certain amount of time. If you need more time to answer their request, take a visit to their desk or when you pass them in the hall tell them you received their email, but need more time to process. It’s important that your employees feel like they are being heard.

Respect is a Two-Way street

If you want to be respected, you first need to respect your employees. This means respecting what they have to say and being open-minded about their thoughts. Your employees are your best asset, so be respectful and open-minded to them.

Be the Example of Workplace Communication

Make sure you follow the above tips. But also, remember to set the example. When you approach employees, make sure you approach them in the same way you want them to approach you. Stress is a major threat to proper communication. It can send wrong signals or even push us to the edge of an emotional breakdown. Make sure that you maintain a calm and collect attitude when reaching out to employees, so they do the same for you.

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