Effective communication, be it at home or at work, is often assumed to be a skill that we all have. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Effective communication takes effort and patience and it is a skill that is especially crucial in a working environment that involves countless interactions per day. But how exactly can you become a master of communication? The experts at Syntax IT Support London provide you with a few helpful tips.
Keep your employees up to date
It is important that employers not only communicate effectively but also make sure that staff members trust you to supply them with information they need to do their job properly on a day-to-day basis. If you do not already, why not send a company wide email every week to rally the troops. Providing your employees with updates, thoughts on the previous few weeks and what you expect from the future can provide a positive and upbeat start to the week where everyone feels valued and up to date on the work they must complete for the week.
Of course communication is a two way street, and opening out a discussion — even if it is just by email — offers staff members the opportunity to collect their own thoughts and respond thoughtfully with their own response. It can be beneficial to set yourself a response period, you may be busy but so are your employees, try and respond to staff emails within a 24 period to keep on top of your correspondence and make sure your staff feel heard.
Don’t be afraid of the negatives
Believe it or not, the key to creating a more positive working environment is to encourage your employees to share their thoughts and opinions — especially when they are negative. In order to iron out kinks in the business you first must understand what they are, and while management may be aware of some issues they are less likely to understand the problems that run company wide. Encourage an open discussion where employees can come forward with their problems big and small. With these in mind you can work towards a more positive working culture and a more productive business model.
An open door policy
Again, it is incredibly important for your employees to know that you as their employee are available to hear their concerns, rather than remaining a faceless persona they witness in monthly newsletters and over email. An open door possibly can be incredibly affective in creating a healthy working environment for everybody involved. Of course this can be hard to maintain if you are continuously travelling or often wrapped up in meetings. If this is not a feasible option, carving out a 2-6 hour period where staff can freely visit you at the same time each week can be a more viable solution.
Use tech
As IT Support specialists in London, we would promote the benefits of tech. But it is true to say that a balance between face to face meetings and technologies is important to the running of a mdern office. Employees need to feel valued and present whilst still creating an effective working environment. Providing intranet systems, internal methods of communication such as Skype for Business and Office 365 means offices can communicate online able to message each other quickly, working together to edit and save documents that everyone can access.
Social hours
It is important to remember, not everyone communicates in the same manner, and learning your employers’ strengths, weaknesses and individual traits can offer in sight into the most effective way to communicate with them. If your company does not already take part in team building exercises it may be something you should consider. Relationship building between you and your employees is something that may seem like wasted time in the short term but it provides plenty of long-term benefits, helping your team become stronger and more collaborative.
Want to upgrade your current software for a more up to date communicative framework? You may want to speak to an IT professional that can help you make these changes.
Richard Wright is a blogger with a passion for technology who has been writing about the latest in the world of gadgets and gizmos. They are an avid reader of Science-Fiction novels and love to spend time with their wife and kids.
