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Published on Nov 21
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The business world runs on solid communication, yet poor communication is a common problem for many businesses. The simple communication that served you well when you were a small business quickly becomes insufficient as your company grows and flourishes. How you communicate with your employees and how they communicate with you and each other is a key indicator of your business’ ability to succeed. Read on to learn more about some of the effective communication strategies you can adopt to help your business succeed.
Keeping everyone informed
Keeping all of your employees informed about what’s going on in other areas of your business can be a challenge. Even in small and mid-size companies, departments can solidify into silos with little communication between them. Take proactive steps to spread the word about strategies, upcoming events, and to celebrate your employees’ successes can go a long way to helping break down those barriers.
The employee newsletter is an old favorite for many companies. It’s an easy and reliable way to reach everyone in your company since most employees check their email many times throughout the day. You can easily use software to track engagement with your newsletter, including open rates, click-through rates, etc. Make it engaging and fun – highlight individual employees along with overall company successes, include useful resources, and provide information that your employees will use to do their jobs.
To make everyday communication easier across a larger workforce or one that is geographically divided, consider incorporating group chat and communication platforms into your regular communication strategy. Slack is a simple, easy to use program that allows for informal conversations based on topics, interests, or projects that also allows for easy sharing of documents and quick exchanges of information. Google Hangouts is a free and easily accessible program that allows for easy communication between departments that don’t necessarily need to share documents frequently. There are many options for communication platforms – some basic research can help you find the right one for your business and your team.
Listen and provide feedback
Listening is an essential part of communication. When an employee or coworker comes to you with an issue or to discuss a project, try to limit distractions and focus on what they’re saying. Give people your full attention to ensure that you understand the full extent of the conversation and the information being given. Employ active listening techniques, including asking follow-up questions and repeating information given to make sure that you understood it properly.
Together with listening, remember to give feedback. Especially for younger or new employees, feeling connected and motivated is essential. When an employee goes above and beyond or you receive a glowing review about them from a client, make sure to follow that up with a personal email, phone call, or face-to-face conversation to deliver your appreciation. If an employee isn’t meeting expectations or isn’t completing assignments correctly, a simple feedback session early on can help get them back on track and save you from having to go through the hiring and training process again. Give regular feedback on employees’ projects and progress. Ask for weekly status reports on projects and be sure to comment back to the employee.
Become a better communicator with Sheakley
Effective communication is critical to the success of all businesses. Knowing what strategies to employ to ensure that your team stays connected as you grow can be challenging. Sometimes you have to try multiple avenues and strategies before you hit on what works for you and your team. With more than 50,000 clients and more than 50 years’ experience, Sheakley’s HR experts can help you develop a communication strategy to keep your employees connected. Schedule your free consultation with a Sheakley HR Outsourcing or PEO professional today.
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