20 things to consider for effective team communication
Tina Collins - Coaching professionals to success
Helping business leaders and executives become effective, confident, and resilient so they get the most out of their career, business, and life! Business Coach&Executive Coach
Effective communication is vital for the success of any business.
There are a number of factors to bear in mind:
1.?????? Roles
Ensure that everyone understands their role and responsibilities? and how their efforts contribute to the success of the business as a whole.
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2.?????? Communicate your business goals
Surprisingly, very few businesses communicate the ‘grand plan’ down the line. Frequently if people on the ‘shop floor’ are asked questions about the direction of the company they may well not be aware of where the business is heading.
If they don’t know or understand where the business wants to go, how can they effectively contribute?
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3.?????? Set the tone
As a leader you set the tone for communication within the organisation.
How do you think your team would describe your communication skills?
I am frequently asked by coachees as to how to ‘manage’ their line manager!
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4.?????? Open communication
Your team spend a great proportion of their time and effort in their roles so keep them informed of your future plans, progress made, big wins and challenges, as they are invested in the success of the business too.
People thrive on feeling included.
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5.?????? Listening skills
Active listening is vital for effective communication.? As a leader avoid falling into ‘telling’ mode. Instead listen actively to your team members. Hear their feedback, challenges and progress made and ask them for suggestions.
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6.?????? Problem solving
Encourage team discussion and team resolution.? This way you get potential solutions you may not have thought of and more ‘buy in’ from the team as a while.
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7.?????? Solutions
If asked for a solution to a problem, always ask:
“What have you tried so far?”
What are your thoughts?”
Don’t jump in and ‘fix’.? Allow tyour team to demonstrate their knowledge and develop their problem solving skills.
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8.?????? Empathy
Empathy allows you to put yourself in other people's shoes and to understand your team members perspectives, challenges and emotions.
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9.?????? Patience
Patience is essential. Make sure you give team members the time and space to express themselves.? Do NOT talk over them or cut them short because you are in a hurry.?
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10.? Transparency
Be fully transparent with the direction of travel and any challenges on the horizon.? Allow your team to ‘lean in’ and play their part.
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11.? Honest
Provide regular company updates as this will help to align employees with your thinking. Always be honest, otherwise what does this say about your company culture?
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12.? Invite suggestions from everyone
Too often business owners say ‘their door is always open’ but is it really?
This can be particularly true in family businesses, where the family always end up making the decisions.? This can prevent employees from making suggestions if they feel the decision may have already been made.
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13.? Conflict resolution
Too often managers and leaders ignore the mumblings and signs of dispute and secretly hope it will all go away or resolve itself.
Nip issues in the bud before they become issues which then become very time consuming to deal with and can cause deep rifts.
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14.? Win/Win
Always seek to find a win/win solution to problems otherwise no one is truly happy, and issues will just arise again down the line.
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15.? Celebrate and reward wins
This makes everyone happy!
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16.? No judgement or reprisal
If you really do welcome suggestions from your team then take a moment and reflect if you, and the senior leadership team, really do welcome suggestions without judgement, and in the case if any type of whistle-blowing without fear of reprisal?
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17.? Non-verbal communication
What does your body language transmit to others?
What are you picking up from the body language of your team?
Remember the elements of personal communication:
7%??????? spoken word
38%???? voice, tone
55%???? body language
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18.? What isn’t being said
As a coach I listen to what is being said, and what is not being said.? Allow space in conversations for people to express themselves.
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19.? Inspirational communication
As a leader your words matter. Inspirational communication motivates and aligns the team towards a common vision. Try using or displaying quotes from renowned leaders or authors to emphasise your key messages which will resonate with your team.
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20.? Flex your communication style
As a manager and leader, we need to change our approaches to meet the needs of our teams members, this is also true of communication.? Try adapting your style to suit the recipient.
Mirror their choice of language eg ‘think’, ‘feel’ and see how much more effective it can be.
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These are just some of the aspects which you can reflect upon to improve and develop your communication skills.
If you would like to explore this subject further:
1.?????? Book a coaching session to work on your style
2.?????? Book a workshop for yourself or your team members