Having excellent relationships between management and employees is vital for a business to work properly. Good communication is an essential part of that and helps to avoid a variety of problems. However, improving communication between management and employees isn’t always easy. If you’re not careful, there can be an “us versus them” attitude, where no one feels as if everyone works as a team. Everyone needs to be able to communicate openly with each other for safety, production quality and productivity. If you’re unsure how to go about making communication in your business better, you should explore the points below and how they might help you.
The Importance of Regular Meetings
If communication is to work between different levels of your company, you have to ensure that senior and junior staff meet with each other regularly. It’s important to schedule times when they will communicate with each other to ensure that it will happen. A meeting doesn’t have to be a long event that lasts a couple of hours each week. It could be a daily meeting where everyone gathers for ten or 20 minutes in the morning. It gives everyone a chance to check in, give progress updates and raise any concerns they might have.
Open Doors
Encouraging managers to have an open door policy can help to make it easier for everyone to communicate. Without it, employees may feel unsure about when they can approach managers to talk to them. They might be put off by having to schedule an appointment to speak to a manager about an issue. Open door policies can help to speed up productivity too. It can mean someone can get an answer right away when they need one. They also help to show employees that their thoughts are valued and that there is someone to listen to them whenever they need it.
Document Communication
When communication has been opened up, it’s also worth considering how to document it. Having documentation of conversations that have taken place helps to improve communication too. It prevents misunderstandings and serves as evidence if there are disagreements about who said what later. Depending on the type of communication, documentation might be created in different ways. In a formal meeting, someone might take minutes. In a more casual conversation, you can still write down what has been agreed or perhaps add a task to your scheduling application.
Emergency Contact Procedures
Sometimes good contact is more essential than ever. If your business ever experiences an emergency, it’s vital that communication lines remain open. An emergency alert system allows people to raise the alarm to the relevant people. Make sure your corporate EAS allows your employees to engage during an emergency. They should be able to stay up to date and report on their own situation or observances. During an emergency is the time when you most need excellent communication so that you can reassure everyone and maintain knowledge of what is happening.
Improved communication between your management and employees can make a huge difference to your company. Create a strategy to make i
