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As managers, one of the most crucial (and often overlooked) elements of running a successful team is the ability to facilitate communication. How many times have you come across an issue with your employees that would have been easier to resolve if you had been informed about it earlier? There are a few different ways to maintain an open line of communication within your team. With these tricks, you should be able to squash issues before they grow, build morale, and create an environment where your employees feel safe to come to you when needed.
First and foremost, you need to have consistent and timely opportunities for employees to share with you. By setting frequent meeting times, you create a space for issues to be addressed and ideas to be shared. These meetings don’t need to be long or overly formal—just make sure they’re consistent enough that your employees feel like they’re regularly being heard. It’s important not to overschedule your meetings as it can lower morale if your team feels like they’re being pulled away from their tasks for insignificant purposes. “Well, this could have been an email” is NOT a phrase you want to hear from your employees.
One of the most essential opportunities to create a feeling of safety and security with an employee (especially when they are new to your team) is when they make a mistake. When they come to you with an error, it’s your job to make sure their experience reaching out to you is as smooth as possible. If you get frustrated or upset, this employee will not feel safe coming to you again when they inevitably make another error in the future. By handling their first mistake with empathy and kindness, you will create an open line of communication that will make everything run smoother.
Another way to create a positive connection and a sense of comfort between yourself and your employee is with incentives. It’s not enough just to correct the behavior you want changed—make sure to praise your employees when they do a good job. Beyond praise, you can offer financial incentives to your team for meeting their goals. If you have a smaller team, try to get to know each employee and offer them something they will actually use and enjoy. You could offer a gift certificate for a new restaurant to the “foodie” on your team, or a spa credit for your wellness-loving team member. These more personal choices can help your employees feel appreciated and seen.
What methods do you use to create an open line of communication between yourself and your employees?
Communication, incentives, and motivation are just a few of the topics covered in our Evidence-Based Management and Leadership workshop. Learn all about the discrete steps you can take to inspire performance and dedication from your staff!