Open communication is essential everywhere and that includes the workplace. That’s why it’s so important to encourage openness. Here are a few tips to help you make it happen.
Have you ever heard phrases like: “Everyone here can share their opinion, we have open communication”? The truth is, that’s often not the case. People stay silent, whisper in the kitchen, or nod along to the boss even when they think something completely different.
What does open internal communication actually look like?
It doesn’t just mean being able to talk. People need to want to talk, share ideas, opinions and discuss issues without fear of negative consequences. But they also need someone to really listen and be interested in what they have to say. The goal is to create a work environment and a company culture that does all of this, and open communication is not just an empty concept.
When the management doesn’t speak, the employees are also silent
Support corporate communication in all directions. As always, management must lead by example and model good practice. It is not possible to implement something in the company without the participation and support of management. Functional communication must go in all directions, i.e. top down (from management to employees), bottom up (from employees to management), but also across the organisational structure between employees and between employees and their managers. Management should keep employees regularly informed about performance, news, challenges and problems. This can take the form of regular meetings or even a nice online version such as the Verso internal communications package.
Invest in courses and training on effective communication
Regular thematic trainings will certainly advance corporate communication. Employees will learn basic communication principles, learn to listen actively, resolve conflicts, use non-verbal communication, open questions and give feedback in communication. Regular communication training for managers and leaders should be a matter of course. Training should be practical, interactive and focused on real situations that happen in the company.
Take advantage of online communication tools
Online HR tools are a big trend that employees enjoy and love to use. They can be a great tool in promoting open internal communication and motivating employees. The Verso suite of corporate tools offers several online tools. Whether it is chats between employees, where employees can be in direct contact with each other, or the aforementioned News, in which management presents company news and important information.
In the Ask the Employer feature, on the other hand, employees can ask management anything, and a great feature is the Praise feature, where a supervisor can praise a subordinate, or even employees can praise each other. Online Polls are also handy, these in turn gauge the opinions of employees or the current mood of the team.
Quick 3 tips to boost communication
- Encourage informal gatherings of employees, such as company breakfasts or “pizza days”.
- Spread a “no blame” culture where employees can openly say what’s not working. Plus, without fear of punishment.
- Try introducing short one-to-one meetings between employee and manager. They don’t have to take a lot of time, just maybe 20 minutes of open communication a month. Anyone can come in with questions, suggestions or problems.
Investing in transparent communication will pay you back many times over in the form of happier employees, better teamwork and ultimately higher company performance. It’s worth working for.
