If You Want to Improve Your Team, Focus on Communication
Healthy communication is part of running a successful business. If there are communication issues at your organization, either between management and employees or between workers themselves, taking steps to improve how information is shared and received will improve morale and productivity.
To learn about how to improve your team and be introduced to high quality candidates, connect with the staffing professionals at Quality Placement Authority.
Schedule Meetings and Listen Closely
As soon as you suspect there are communication issues within your workforce, it’s time to connect and actively listen to your team. For instance, if your team regularly meets once a month to talk through projects, you don’t need to reschedule or change those dates, but you could add a weekly check-in meeting as well. Maybe a short meeting each Wednesday morning, to simply share what each person is working on and if anyone could use some support.
At these weekly check-ins, actively listen to what is being said, meaning you are carefully listening to the words that are being shared and taking note of body language and vocal cues that could indicate something else is being implied. If you need clarity on what an employee or co-worker is saying, rephrase what you have heard back to them and ask them if you are understanding them correctly.
Share Positive and Constructive Feedback
When a team has communication issues, there can be strained relationships. But in these situations, managers should share positive feedback rather than leaning on being critical. So, instead of focusing on bad behavior, give extra praise to the good. And if there is a way to improve an employee’s performance, give them clear, constructive feedback so they know specifically what needs to change.
Another way to improve communication on your team is to prioritize staff recruitment. Then, you will know what each person’s role is and what your staffing plan is for the future. This could reduce the likelihood of you inadvertently asking one or two employees to take on the workload of three or four positions. Next, once a new project is landed, you know exactly who has the bandwidth to work on the project and if more support is needed. Many managers report less stress when they know what positions they are hoping to add when their budget permits.
When your team is communicating effectively, you will know when people are overworked or feel the tasks they have been assigned are outside of their comfort zone. If this is true for your team, you can begin to explore training programs so staff can use new skills or bring in more workers, if needed. If you need short-term support or are ready to connect with full-time hires, there are employment experts who can introduce you with pre-screened talent.
Are you ready to build out your team with effective communicators? Quality Placement Authority is a full-service staffing and recruiting firm with nationwide service capabilities. Let our experts help you find the best candidate for your business. Connect with Quality Placement Authority today.