 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
  |
How To Communicate With Your EmployeesCommunication is the exchanging of ideas and information. Clear communication is an essential element in any business environment to manage business activities. For the success of any business communication between the employer and the employees is a must. Communicating effectively with your employees will help to improve the work relationships and make the employees more harmonious and hospitable. Below are some simple tips which help you to know how to communicate with your employees. Be a good listener The first step in effective communication is to be a good listener. You must pay attention to whatever your employee wants to talk. This encourages the employees to talk any problem or explain his/her ideas to you. If your employees feel that you are not a good listener they won't express their ideas or discuss their problem with you. It doesn't matter whether you agree with your employee or not, let him/her speak. If they don't communicate with you it will result in much trouble as the employee may keep it aside with him/her. So try to become a good listener. Arrange regular meetings with employees You have to arrange frequent one-on-one meeting with your employees. This is another important step which helps the employees feel you are putting enough time to know their problems and opinions. Sometimes if you are not able to conduct weekly meeting you can arrange it twice a month. If your employees are working at different places meet them by phone and show them you provide full attention for them. Provide enough time for them to speak about their ideas, problems, needs, or even about how to improve the business etc. This makes a felling that you are hearing their words and they will try to express their ideas. Give regular feedback Provide your employees with regular feedback of their work or performance. This ensures them that you are always checking their outcome and they will try to perform even better to make you satisfy and earn any hike. Also gave them a chance to speak about their work. Ask them if they need any help or whether they are satisfied. This ensures a better communication between you and the employees. Be efficient in speaking to groups You must be efficient in speaking not only to individuals but also to a group. This is important as you have to speak well in front of employees group. If you can't perform well you will lose credibility as an employer. Don't hide behind emails Emailing your employees is a good way of communication. But if the topic is an important one you have to discuss directly with your employee. If you are not able to meet your employee directly, you can al least call him and discuss the matter. This is because talking in person will help to show the emotions behind the subject. Hence try to talk important matters in person and not through mails. These are some of the best ideas to communicate with your employees. For any healthy organization effective communication is a much needed thing. Other articles by this author »
About Jakob Jelling
Jakob Jelling is the founder of Cashbazar.com. Please visit http://www.cashbazar.com/business.shtml and learn how to run a successful business. Related
And here is another random article you might be interested in... Who's Your Gatekeeper?Do you have someone, a receptionist or secretary perhaps, who is responsible for answering the phones or greeting your customers at the door? If so, it's important to understand that this person is absolutely critical to the success of your business. He/she is the person who speaks on behalf of your company when potential new customers call, when off-site partners and vendors need assistance, and when prior customers come back with repeat business. In essence, this person speaks for you. Have you thought about the personality and character of that individual? Are you certain that he/she is a person who enjoys people? If you have not spent much time thinking about this before, please read on. Marketing, advertising and word of mouth bring valuable people into our businesses. It all takes time, energy and sometimes a great deal of money. In your own business, I'm sure you're also doing your best to provide excellent customer service, working hard at cultivating and maintaining important business relationships, investing time and money to keep up with your industry's latest technology, and spending hard earned assets to market your brand. So why in the world would you hire, or worse, keep, a front desk person who can destroy everything in an instant with their gruff, impatient or even downright rude attitude? I have been to more than one business where I loved the professional but hated dealing with the front office. I have seen some receptionists act like they run the show, carrying on in ways I'm sure the owner is not aware of. Others were compelled to tell me about their really bad day or how communication breakdowns and lack of supplies was the norm around there. The worst were the ones who complained about their job and were unwilling to extend themselves to help me in any way. I've seen them everywhere, in gymnasiums, doctor's offices, and yes, even in communication businesses. Who wants to do business with people like that? Maybe your person is a very efficient, super detail-oriented kind who gets things done, keeps the papers filed and collects on past due invoices. Perhaps this person is bossy and orders the rest of your team around really well, so much so that maybe you've even promoted him/her to office manager. What are you thinking??? This person's most important role is dealing with people and developing relationships. No matter how great he/she is in other areas, if he/she isn't good with people, he/she doesn't belong there. If we are really fortunate a forthright customer will let us know when we have someone like this working for us, or should I say, "against?" Let's face it. People-persons are oftentimes not as gifted at doing paper work as the get-things-done person. So maybe hiring two people is the answer. Yes it does increase overhead and yes, it's a hassle hiring and training someone new, especially when it's important to keep business going as usual. But balance that against the price you pay for keeping someone on board who drives business away. In today's competitive world, it is hard enough to keep our existing customers let alone those who have not yet become loyal to our business. So what shall we do about it? The first thing to do is make a list of the attributes you would like this person to have well before the interview process. You can also opt to use a profile tool of some kind that will help you determine the true nature of your candidate. There are many available; there is the DISC, the Briggs-Meyers and a new one that I was just introduced to called the PI, which stands for Predictive Index. I have all three available to me and would be happy to refer you to the respective distributors. If the person is already a fixture, take the time to retrain him or her in customer service. Try placing a mirror at the front desk as a reminder to smile. Place other mirrors on the telephones that your sales staff and other personnel use to call on customers. Have your team come up with a checklist of actions to be taken every time a new person shows up at your front desk. Integrate instruction with play by designing fun games for your team that promote your agenda. If you do not have time or feel that this is your strength, consult a facilitator or coach to give you some direction and feedback. Continuous training and learning is paramount in today's business. Either send your team members to seminars or bring facilitators in to remind your staff of the priorities of your business. Sometimes a look at the "big picture" is helpful for all of us. And hearing these kinds of messages from an outsider can sometimes be more powerful than a redundant reminder from within. The main thing is to remember your goal. Is it to serve people, develop strong relationships with them and have them enjoy doing business with you or is it to punish the client who is five minutes late, speak condescendingly and get the papers filed at the expense of satisfying the customer? Remember, the public has lots of choices about who to give their business to. Don't you want it to be yours? ~ACTION Hire wisely, train well, and design fun ways to work as a team. If you don't have the time for this or are uncertain of your skill in this area...hire a coach. Remember : You are welcome to forward this e-letter as long as you send it in it's entirety. Copyright 2006 h Signals All Rights Reserved. Diann S. Cannon, ACC Other articles by this author »
About Diann Cannon
Diann Cannon works with individuals facing major life transitions, such as divorce, unemployment or career change. She helps them identify their strengths and confront limiting beliefs and behaviors. Ultimately, she helps people achieve success and balance in their business and personal lives. Find out more at www.signalscoach.com. Related
|
