Communication is at the root of how well all human interactions get on.
I’m not an HR expert. But I know that communication within an organization directly impacts employee satisfaction and engagement. Instead of employers wringing their hands over “quiet quitting,” I suggest they look at how their organizations’ internal communication can be improved to create a culture where people feel valued and motivated to do their best work.
As promised in my previous article, here are five quick tips. This is not a comprehensive list but a good place to start.
Make expectations clear. For instance, if it’s not clear as early as the job description that you expect staff to be available 24/7, when you criticize them for not answering an email on their day off, and this becomes a pattern, they’re going to be confused as heck. They’ll feel like the deal they signed up for is shifting under their feet.
Hint: You might find it difficult to find and keep quality people with this expectation. It’s healthy to have boundaries and life outside of work.
Clear, agreed-upon expectations are also essential when working on a group project. Effective project management requires being explicit about who is doing what and by when. Team members will be more engaged, and you’ll get more of your desired results if you not only tell them what needs to be done but ask them what is realistic and what it would take for them to deliver their part.
Hint: Put the agreed-upon expectations in writing and include them in the meeting summary notes sent to all participants. Over-communicate – don’t assume.
Show appreciation. Everyone needs to be recognized for good work. Never let a job well done go unthanked. Effective leaders cultivate a culture of generosity and gratitude. Public as well as private recognition is valuable.
Hint: Handwritten notes are golden if you are in person or can drop one in the mail. Keep a stack on hand and use them liberally. All the other means of messaging are fine, too.
Listen more than you speak. Communication requires both sending and receiving messages. Listening matters as much if not more than what we say. Listen to understand, not frame your response. If you need to speak something corrective, don’t until you have asked open-ended questions to probe the what and how underneath the issue. Try to avoid why questions; people can easily respond in a defensive way when asked why they did something. Managers who don’t listen communicate to employees that the employees don’t really matter. Even if you’re the boss, approach those you lead as if you have something to learn – because you do.
Hint: If you have an employee who asks you why questions, don’t assume they are being critical and respond defensively yourself. Instead, assume the questions come from a place of wanting to understand and answer accordingly. Then look for another opportunity to coach that person on communication skills by explaining other ways to phrase the question, such as “I’m curious to know more about the origins of . . . “ or “Could you tell me more about. . ?”
Meet often one-on-one. I met with someone the other day who told me his relationship with his boss was the best when they were setting quarterly goals together, meeting regularly to review progress, then setting new ones. Annual performance reviews are just too far apart and pressurized. Set aside more frequent times to recognize good work, identify where improvement might be needed, and hear the perspectives of the employee. Make it a safe place for the employee to share challenges as well as ideas that might benefit your business – in other words, two-way feedback. More frequent review meetings can and should be shorter. Even a quick 30-second exchange after someone gives a presentation, for instance, can affirm that they prepared and presented well as well as provide a small suggestion for improvement next time if needed.
Hint: On the other end of the spectrum of frequency, beware of micromanaging, which screams distrust and will motivate the employee to start scrolling through Indeed.com.
Beware of assumptions. You may have noticed that I’ve cautioned against assumptions several times already in this article. Assumptions are dangerous. They lurk under the surface, lying in wait to trip up and tank relationships and whatever you are working on with others. Because of assumptions, people will think they have a common understanding when they don’t. Instead, ask explicit questions to understand, don’t take offense when someone asks you explicit questions, and double-check that you are on the same page. Extra time spent here saves fixing confusion and broken teams later, which are huge drains of time and energy.
Hint: I recommend only two assumptions: First, assume that you can learn something from the other person’s perspective and expertise, no matter how different they are from you. Second, assume good intentions and motivations of the other person, until they have given clear evidence to the contrary.
Which one of these would you like to see improved in your organization? What difference do you think it would make in the employee experience? Let me know if I can help in any way.
"Communication requires both sending and receiving messages. Listening matters as much if not more than what we say." This is such a good piece of advice.