A manager’s one-on-one communication with his employees will create a happier work environment and will result in increased production of the company.
Many corporations don’t realize how important it is to integrate programs or processes that will make their employees happy. It’s been proven that workers feel happier when there is one-on-one communication with their managers. If a company focuses on improving the way the 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 which disregards this human equation will not achieve as much as it could achieve.”
One-on-one communication is built on trust, respect, and consideration that workers experience from their managers daily. These qualities result in employees feeling good about the environment where they work. The better the manager communicates the more satisfied employees are with all aspects of their work life.
Most companies have a form of one-way mass media, such as company intranets, emails, and broadcast voicemails to communicate major company changes. However, if you have information that will directly impact your employees, you should communicate it sooner rather than later. If you wait too long, your employees may feel blind-sighted.
Encouraging transparency in your organization will give your employees the idea that your organization isn’t holding back any information from them. Keep the lines of communication open at all times. Try to maintain an open-door policy and welcome employee feedback. Communicate with your employees exactly what you expect from them and give honest comments, positive and negative, on their performance and providing the best customer experience for your clients. 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 happier work environment for your employees. Keep in mind these five suggestions on how you can improve your manager-employee communication.
- Give Clear Direction. Explain to your employees the purpose of their projects. In addition, explain how their contribution fits into the mission and strategy of your company. Make sure to give clear direction on how you want the project performed, but don’t micromanage.
- Provide Inclusion. Share long-term plans for the company with your employees. This will get them excited about the direction the company is headed and make them feel included in its growth and progress. Remember, employees, want to feel that they’re a 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 descriptions. Your employees may even have suggestions on the best ways for you (their manager) to communicate with them. The best way to have a great working relationship is to listen.
- Trust. This is very important. Make sure your employees know that you can be trusted. If they share personal information with you, keep it confidential. Many times an employee may experience a personal problem unrelated to work, and he may confide in his manager for counsel. If you are a good manager, your employee will consider you as someone who will give solid advice. Most employees feel trust is one of the most important qualities in 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 gentle tones, using tactful language rather than being loud and scolding. The goal is for the employee to receive correction and to improve. Using an incorrect tone can cause the employee to immediately reject instruction and leave the meeting feeling resentful. Remember this truism: It’s easier to attract flies with honey than with vinegar.