Benefits of effective communication
Effective communication means giving people the right information in the right way. This, together with feedback, supports every other aspect of leading and managing well.
Effective communication can help with:
- motivating people to work to their full potential
- setting clear expectations
- delegating successfully
- demonstrating trust and respect
- building stronger relationships with your employees.
Effective communication is good for your bottom line too.
What to communicate
Your story
Share your business’ story: how it started and why. Knowing how they are part of the big picture helps employees feel motivated and involved.
Your goals and priorities
Let people know your business’ goals so they can see if they align with their own – both personal and professional. Be clear what you’d like your people to focus their attention on and why.
Your market
Make this market information easy to understand for your employees and others:
- who your customers are
- what you know about them
- how you’re different from your competitors
- what you do better
- what you can learn from them.
If employees understand this information, they can share it with suppliers and clients. It may also encourage them to suggest ideas that give you competitive advantage.
Your expectations
Share your expectations, which could be related to:
- a specific project
- how you want employees to dress, behave, or approach tasks.
Your achievements
Sharing what’s going well:
- gives employees confidence in you as a leader
- makes people proud to work for you
- inspires your employees to work hard
- helps employees see what they can learn from you and vice versa.
Show how individual triumphs contribute to your wider goals.
They could be:
- goal related – for example: "We’ve just reached 15% market share, we’re on track."
- operational – for example: "We just purchased this new piece of equipment, it should be running by Monday."
- personal – for example: "This month is our tenth birthday and we’re only getting stronger."
How to communicate
Employees are more likely to respond positively to what you’re saying if you have their trust and respect.
Use these tips to communicate well.
Keep it short and sharp
People usually remember three to five points of a conversation. When writing or speaking, open and close with the things you most want people to remember.
Avoid jargon
Avoid technical terms when you’re speaking with new members of staff. Only use business jargon when you’re sure everyone knows what you’re talking about.
Give people a chance to ask questions
And take the time to answer them. This will avoid confusion and save time in the long run.
Follow up meetings with an email
When you have a face-to-face meeting with your employees, send them an email afterwards summarising what you’ve talked about.
Listen
Communication works both ways. Limit distractions and give people your full attention. Listen to check people have understood and for reactions to what you’re saying.
Think about your audience
Consider who you’re talking to and adapt how you communicate to suit their personality, knowledge and skill level.
Talk face to face
People might misinterpret information or get offended via email because there’s no context, tone or non-verbal cues.
Talk to employees face to face when:
- giving complicated instructions
- explaining how to do something for the first time
- delivering bad news
- something is urgent.
Watch your body language
Think about how you carry yourself, for example if you:
- stop what you’re doing when someone talks to you
- look people in the eye
- use a polite tone of voice.
Be approachable
Make sure employees know it’s ok to come and talk to you. If you don’t want to be interrupted, set aside an hour a day when people can discuss things with you and ask questions.
What's in it for me?
Employees will be more motivated to work for you if they know what’s in it for them and how it benefits them.
Employees’ motivations for doing a task may be:
- thinking they may get a promotion or pay rise
- being interested in learning more about a new area
- knowing the work matches their values.
When customers feel you’re meeting their needs, they’re loyal and willing to pay more. When employees feel you’re meeting their needs, they care about your business and work harder.
To understand your customers and employees, find out what’s important to them and communicate in a way that reflects that to them.
Giving feedback
Giving motivating feedback is a key communication skill.
- don’t wait until a performance review to give feedback – do it as close to the event as possible.
- give negative feedback in private, and communicate from your perspective – for example: “I’ve noticed you’ve missed a few deadlines recently,” instead of “ You’re always missing deadlines.”
- start with positives before saying the negatives.
Situation, behaviour, impact
Use this approach to give feedback:
- identify the situation – for example: "In last week’s team meeting..."
- describe the behaviour – for example: "...I noticed you interrupted Francis a few times..."
- explain its impact – for example: "...She seemed offended and I’m worried she'll think you don’t value her opinions if you keep doing it."
Inviting feedback
Knowing it’s ok to speak their minds helps employees trust you, feel valued, and feel your workplace is a fair place to be.
You can ask for feedback:
- formally – for example, in an employee engagement survey, or by having a whiteboard or box for suggestions and ideas
- informally.
Follow these tips when you receive feedback.
Take a moment
Take a mental pause before you react to feedback, especially to criticism. This helps you avoid being defensive.
Listen before you respond
Let the person who’s speaking finish and don’t interrupt. It shows you respect them. Be patient. Some people feel nervous giving feedback and it might be hard for them to find their words.
Say thank you
Make sure employees know it’s ok to be open about how they’re feeling. Thank them for sharing their opinions. They’ll feel valued and be more likely to give you feedback again in the future.
Ask questions
Don’t finish the conversation before you’ve understood what the person wants to say. Repeat back their feedback in different words to make sure you’ve understood their point.
Follow up
Show your employee you’ve taken their feedback seriously. Arrange a follow up meeting or casually check in to see if what was bothering them has improved.
You don’t always have to accept feedback as being true, but it’s important to take it on board. Report back how you’ve acted on their comments or explain your reasons if you haven’t.
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