Best communication practices in the workplace

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“Employees do not quit their jobs, they quit their bosses.”

This famous saying holds great relevance in the present times. Well, the ever-increasing attrition rates across industries have led to bosses asking the question, “What is it about me that is making so many employees quit the company?”

If, as a manager, you are also having such thoughts, then it would help you to know that as per a recent report, only 50% of employees believe that their bosses are transparent and honest with them.

Transparency in communication at the workplace is one of the most important factors for employees. You would be surprised to know that if the employees feel that the leadership at the company is unable to ensure transparent communication at the workplace, almost 46% of them are likely to look for a new job.

Moreover, a study conducted by Harvard Business Review reveals that around 70% of the employees feel more engaged with their job when the senior management is openly communicating with them.

Ensuring transparent communication at the workplace

Workplace transparency is defined as the practice that creates a suitable environment for open communication between the managers and their teams. As a manager, you ought to understand that workplace transparency holds extreme importance for every organization as it fosters trust.

According to experts, the secret sauce behind all successful teams is mutual trust. When you and your team members trust each other completely, it creates a strong foundation for the organization to prosper.

Being a manager, you may struggle with ushering in transparency in communication at your organization but do not worry; it is simpler than you believe. So how can you ensure transparent communication at your workplace? Well, here are some actionable insights to help you with the process –

Build the trust

This might sound like a catch-22 problem to you, but it is simpler than you feel. If you want your employees to trust you as a leader, you have to trust them to make the right decisions.

When they know that you trust them and their abilities, believe that they will put their heart and soul into making things happen at the workplace. You can let them know that you trust them by following some simple practices such as,

• Stop micromanagement and rather focus on giving a brief at the commencement of a project. After that, let them handle the task as per their understanding because they do have the desired skillsets, and being a manager, your role is to offer support and guidance when they require it.
• Create a culture at the workplace that fosters continuous learning and upskilling. This can be achieved by conducting upskilling sessions or live sessions with industry experts. When your employees know that you care about them, they will reciprocate the same trust.
• Foster a culture where you and your team can share honest feedback without any fears. Organize informal events or sessions where all team members are free to share their opinion.

Protip

Use platforms like Wobo to understand what makes your people tick and their mood to have a focused candid conversation essential for a healthy workplace

Share every important news

While it is true that transparency ushers in trust between members of an organization, it holds the other way round as well, i.e., trust facilitates even greater transparency in communication.

Hence, to encourage transparency in communication at your organization, you must be transparent in communicating every important news with your team. This holds for positive as well as any challenging developments.

• By sharing news regarding positive changes and accomplishments at the organization, you encourage progressive steps. If you have acquired a new account and expect to surpass your last year’s revenue, share the news with your employees. This will motivate them further to work hard.
• When you share any news regarding any adverse situation facing the company, you gain the employees’ trust. But do exercise discretion in such situations to avoid opening Pandora’s box. Convey the news in a balanced manner and share any positives that can be taken from such a development.

Organize quick sync-ups regularly

Frequent internal meetings may reduce productivity if the time band and the agenda are not respected. The communication during the meetings should indeed flow two ways rather than being a monologue from the manager.

When you open communication with the team members, they feel like an integral part of the team. Hence, you must be particular about organizing company-wide meetings where all employees can openly share their feedback and honest opinions.

• Today, when work-from-home has become a norm, ensure quick sync-ups frequently and let every member speak for at least 5 minutes to share updates & opinions. These online meetings are an excellent way for all the team members to interact and motivate each other.
• Always fix an agenda for the meeting and stick to the same. This will help ensure that the main issues do not get sidelined and get the maximum benefits from the session.
• As a manager, you must act as a moderator for the entire session. Appoint any participant in charge of taking the notes and then circulate the meeting minutes with all the participants.

Eliminate layers of the title

While job titles like ‘Chief Media Enthusiast’ or ‘Head Task Master’ may sound interesting at first, in the long run, they end up creating more confusion for everyone. Especially in the case of new employees, such titles lead to a situation of chaos.

They are unable to understand “who is responsible for what and whom to approach when?” Well-defined roles help in offering clarity to the team members regarding the hierarchy and expectations.

• Eliminate unnecessarily ‘quirky’ job titles and instead focus on creating a clearly defined organizational structure where every team member has a defined role.
• Create an organizational chart with details and particulars of all team members and share them on the intranet. This way, anyone can contact anyone they want and improve mutual communication and transparency when they want.
• Conduct sessions regularly with new employees to acquaint them with guidelines, policies, and methodologies followed at the company. Help them connect with their peers through informal sessions.

Ensuring transparent communication at the workplace is not a one-time task. It is an ongoing process that requires your constant participation. You can start by taking these small steps towards creating a culture of transparent communication at your organization. This practice will lead you to a host of other benefits that will play an integral role in strengthening the presence of your enterprise in the industry.