Expand Trust in your Organization
Good managers, supervisors, and leaders take specific actions to create a climate that is conducive to open and honest communication. In this open communication climate, people feel free to give their input and ideas, information is shared freely, conflicts are openly discussed and worked through, and people are more willing to express innovative ideas and to take risks.
The basis of the open communication climate is trust. The leader establishes an environment of trust within and among all the people in the group. To begin to build or expand trust in your organization and to foster an open communication climate, try some of the following tips.
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Filed under: Communication, Leadership, Leading Change, Peter's Blog on February 16th, 2010 No Comments »
Invest in Employee Engagement: it will prove worth your while
The buzz word most associated with employee satisfaction these days is “engagement.” As recently as two years ago we were writing about the impending talent drain, as boomers would be leaving the workplace in masses for retirement. We stressed the importance of creating a workplace where employees would feel motivated, enthused and most importantly, “engaged.”
That was two years ago. Today the whole business landscape has changed. As of December 2009, California’s unemployment rate is 12.1%. Massive layoffs have had a profound impact on not only the way we do business, but on the employees who are left shell-shocked after layoffs, wondering if and when the axe may fall on them. We’re not hearing the word “engaged” much these days as it relates to employees. In fact, some leaders have been so bold as to say, “I really don’t care what employees think and how they feel. They have a job and should be grateful to have survived the last round of cuts.”
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Filed under: Communication, Leadership, Leading Change, Managing Layoffs, Peter's Blog, Vision on February 3rd, 2010 No Comments »
Senior management plays a significant role in the overall communication that flows down to employees. Despite their efforts, communication continues to be an issue within many organizations. According to our Employee Satisfaction Surveys, only 54.9% of employees feel that communication flows effectively from upper management to employees. This is unfortunate because when management does not consistently communicate openly with employees, especially in this economic climate, the result is an unproductive work environment filled with speculative rumors and a loss of trust in management.
When the CEO or president regularly communicates with all employees, whether through e-mail, video, or a town hall meeting, most employees appreciate the communication. The challenge for senior managers is that they will never be fully effective at getting the communication down to the front lines unless they are supported by managers and supervisors who place a high value on making sure employees are “in the loop.”
The following ten tips will help increase your effectiveness when communicating with employees. These tips are simple, however, they can make a world of difference in an organization. Our experience tells us that when managers use these techniques, employees notice not only better communication with their boss, but greater morale in their department.
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Filed under: Communication, Leadership, Peter's Blog on December 18th, 2009 No Comments »
