5 Steps to Foster 2-way Communication in Your Organization

Internal communication is more than getting a message from the leaders to the rest of the company. It's a chance for the leaders to listen to their employees and receive valuable feedback which can help shape the organization. Two-way communication increases employee morale, which leads to higher levels of employee engagement, increased productivity and reduced employee turnover. That's why you can't afford to not facilitate two-way communication in your organization.

Follow these 5 steps for fostering two-way communication in your organization:

1. Solicit Feedback

The first step in creating two-way communication is to solicit feedback. This can look like holding space in team meetings for employees to share their thoughts and concerns, employee surveys with specific questions, a 360 management review process, one-on-one meetings with managers and employees, informal conversations asking for feedback and town hall-style company meetings to name a few.?

2. Actively Listen

After asking for feedback, the next step in creating a culture of two-way communication is to actively listen. If the conversation is in person, hold good eye contact, nod your head, and exhibit appropriate facial expressions and body language, such as leaning in to show that you are engaged. Train your mind to be fully present. Take notes if necessary.

3. Acknowledge & Empathize

The next step is to acknowledge the feedback, ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand the point, empathize with the person, and validate their perspective. Don't shut down the conversation with defensive statements or body language. Say things such as, "Just to clarify..." or "What I hear you saying is..." and then repeat their main points back to them. If your conversation is digital rather than in person, it is crucial to let the employee know you received their feedback. You can close the loop with a quick email or have an in-person conversation to ask follow-up questions.

4. Take Action

Once you have listened to and acknowledged the feedback, then you can begin to take action by developing new strategies, programs, and processes to improve your workplace. Not every employee suggestion will be immediately actionable. There might be a wait on some, or some might be too far-fetched to act on. Whatever the case may be, at the very least, close the loop. Touch base with the employee (in-person or digitally) and explain why you're waiting or why you can't act on their suggestion. Even if no action is taken, this step will help show that you listened and understood their point of view and will display thoughtfulness so that trust isn't damaged by a lack of a response.

5. Build Trust

Trust doesn't just appear out of thin air -- it is built over time. As you solicit feedback from your employees, listen, empathize and take action, they will begin to trust you more and be more vocal with their concerns and desires. Also worth noting, if your employees give you feedback and perceive that you aren't truly listening, empathizing or taking action, trust could be damaged. They may not be willing to open up again in the future. Trust is vital to creating a culture of two-way communication, and each time you go through these steps, a little more trust will be built.

At Tentpole Strategies, we're experts in internal communications and can help you strategically create a culture of two-way communication within your organization. DM us to learn how we can help you stay on the cutting edge of workplace communication.

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