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Ways to Improve Communication Between a Manager and an Employee

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article | Ways to Improve Communication Between a Manager and an Employee

Communication between employees and managers in the workplace is of paramount importance to any successful business. To ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding expectations, direction, and objectives, there has to be a clear and open communication. This post looks at four effective ways your company can open up clear communication and start working as a team.

Weekly Meetings

Organizing weekly meetings for the whole team is a way to create an environment in which members feel able to communicate with one another. These weekly meetings help to break down barriers in communication between employees and managers. Each member of the team is given a chance to talk freely and openly about:

  • Projects they are currently working on
  • The challenges they are facing while working on the projects
  • Questions they have regarding those particular projects

One of the ways to help team members communicate freely in these meetings is by keeping them informed. The managers should ensure that the conversation goes on and everyone is given adequate time to speak without judgment.

Regular One-On-Ones

Communicating in a group may be challenging to some individuals, so you should come up with more avenues of communication for employees. One-on-one meetings can be used for direct communication between employees and managers. This is also another way to ask about each other’s preferred style of communication.

These one-on-ones may be in the form of an informal chat regarding projects and ideas, or may be structured and formal. No matter the situation, take that opportunity to collaborate and connect with your employee.

Keeping Employees in the Loop

A good manager always keeps employees apprised of matters in the company. Many employees often feel that they are not involved in decisions that are made by the management team. Informing employees about the company’s plans improves communication, and also builds trust among all team members.


Use Tools That Improve Communication

There are many tools that are meant to enhance communication in the workplace. For example, one of these tools may include a random anonymous chat app. Using the right tools can improve how a manager and an employee can communicate in an organization.

Open Door Policy

An additional way for managers to improve communication between them and employees is by having an open door policy. This means that the employee can approach the manager in the office with comments, complaints, concerns, and questions at any time.

This type of management approach will let employees know that the manager is always available to listen to their concerns and act accordingly. This style of management will have a positive impact on employee morale and performance. When employees are heard, they feel valued and that is the essence of good communication.

Lead By Example

As a manager, your credibility depends on how well you deliver on your promises. It also depends on your capability to communicate with others positively and if you acknowledge the success of member staff and their ideas. Employees will have confidence in you if they know that you speak the truth and follow through on your word.

Endnote

Communication is a crucial step a company can take to create a collaborative and more cohesive work environment. You can start by implementing the above steps to break down barriers in the workplace and start to communicate openly.

Gain Their Respect: Be The Best Boss For Your Employees

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Being the head of a company and running a business comes with plenty of challenges; you’ll have to navigate your role as the boss day by day and ensure that you deal with things as quickly and efficiently as possible. The greatest assets you have as the leader of your company, are your employees; they are all essential cogs in your machine and need to be happy and motivated to do their job properly. As their boss; your staff will look to you for guidance, advice, and the opportunity to progress and develop alongside the business, so you need to be ensuring that you’re doing all you can to fulfill their needs.

If your team respect you; they’ll listen to you, keep a significant level of communication open with you, and you should be able to run a successful company with their help and dedication. The following are some things to consider to help you be the best boss your employees could ask for, so your business goes from strength to strength with a fully functioning team at the wheel.

StrategyDriven Talent Management Article
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Communication And Feedback

Every employee appreciates the opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas, and worries with senior members of the team. Therefore, you need to ensure that you’re giving your staff ample and regular chances to speak and communicate. Set up brief morning meetings each day, with a longer meeting on a weekly basis. A staff meeting will encourage everyone to share their thoughts and bounce new ideas off one another. It’s also a chance to check on the mood of your company and make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding what needs to done or changed.

Make sure you’re there for one-to-one catch-ups with your employees; you’ll get a thorough understanding of how they’re feeling and you can pass on any feedback or criticism in a professional manner and private setting. You may come across challenging members of staff; you can check out the 10 ways of dealing with insubordination in the workplace and tackle any issues as soon as they arise. The rest of your employees will appreciate the action you’ve taken, and any problematic team members will gain respect for you and should improve.

Reward And Respect

There’s no better incentive to meet and exceed expectations than reward. Figure out what drives your team; get to know them i order to offer a reward that they’ll work hard to achieve. You can also let your team know how much you appreciate them with regular social events, like drinks and a meal, outside of the office environment. Relationships are often strengthened outside of the work setting, and you’ll understand what makes your staff tick a bit better. Take a look at 101 ways to reward employees without giving them cash and get some inspiration to gain their respect.

Try to remember what you wanted from a boss or a leader in the past; be a better version of what you expected, and you’ll have a loyal workforce behind you, ensuring your business progresses and grows.

Project Management Best Practice 10 – Communication Plans

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Projects represent change and change requires communication. In order for communication to be successful, it must be received, understood, and acted upon. Achieving these factors can require a substantially different approach when communicating with different groups and individuals. Consequently, effective communication is frequently difficult and time consuming. Thus, a clearly defined communications plan is needed to maximize the probability of each communication’s success while minimizing the overall effort expended.

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