Good communication within the workplace leads to success of both the individuals and the business as a whole. We all know that if we encourage communication within the business we can create positive relationships, people can work together as a team in order to reach goals and much more. However, a lack of communication within the workplace can lead to disengagement of employees

43% of highly engaged employees receive weekly feedback. Employees appreciate and are more likely to be engaged in the workplace if regular feedback becomes a normality rather than an odd occurrence. Whether this is feedback on their performance as an individual and recognising achievements, or asking for employees feedback on the running of the business as a whole and what could be improved. This shows to employees that feedback is not just a one-way-street or a dead end.

 

In this world where technology is evolving everyday, sometimes we can get carried away with email and phone communication that we forget face to face communication. Crazy right? According to recent studies, we are 34 times more likely to succeed face to face than over email. Especially in an office environment, things can easily be miscommunicated over email or phone, so making the simple effort to seek a person out for a quick chat over a coffee can make the environment much more relaxed at times. Face to face communication has a great amount of value in terms of sincerity and authenticity. This means sometimes getting off track and talking about non-critical business issues – and that’s ok. It’s during those moments that relationships are built and strengthened, where some of the most creative ideas can be sparked and where the strongest connections are made. This leads to an increase in employee engagement as they create relationships in the workplace, meaning they have someone to talk to when they need help or just want to have an off topic conversation.

Incorporate team building activities into the working week, this gives people a rest from work during stressful/busy periods and encourages teamwork and communication. If you provide the right kind of level tasks, in theory, your employees should be forced to engage with the task/activity and carry this headspace into their own work. This helps increase productivity and encourages creativity.

 

There are a number of benefits to connecting with employees, and a big one is increasing their engagement. Forming relationships and developing connections with the people they work with, especially their leader, makes them more motivated at work. It is key to create a two-way trust between you and your employees, this means breaking down the barrier of hierarchy to create a comfortable and relaxed working environment (so workers don’t feel uptight around the manager).

 

Being informal is the new formal. Catch up with your employees on a friendly level, ask what they are watching on the TV, what they did on the weekend or ANYTHING other than work. This shows you are all on the same level at the end of the day. Just relax.

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