I have heard it a bazillion times since first becoming a supervisor… “Communication sucks around this place” or “well if someone would have told me, we wouldn’t have this problem.” It seems to me that miscommunication is used as the excuse for the majority of problems that occur in the workplace. I find it rather fascinating that employees and managers alike throw the term ‘miscommunication’ around in such a casual manner. Considering how detrimental miscommunication can be, leaders need to start making clear and concise communication their top priority.
Beyond the quality and productivity issues that miscommunication creates, it is the sheer havoc it wreaks on your team that is so detrimental. Employees do not want to redo their work because you failed to articulate a process change. They do not want to look foolish in front of a customer because they were not aware of a new program that rolled out weeks ago. Worse yet, employees should not have to deal with a leader’s anger or frustration when things don’t go as planned, all because of miscommunication. Poor communication can create significant negative monetary and reputational consequences for your organization. Whether your company ends up taking a loss over a mishap in an operational process, or a customer is negatively impacted due to a missed deadline or misunderstood agreement, the consequences can be staggering.
The other factor involved with miscommunication is the toll it takes on the morale in your department. As we covered in an earlier blog, human beings are creatures of comfort. And in order to feel comfortable in the work environment, employees must feel as if we have some sense of understanding and control over their surroundings. Therefore, unless information is confidential, keeping your employees in the dark is a colossal mistake. My goal with regard to communication has always been to OVER COMMMUNICATE! I would rather have my employees roll their eyes at me and say “we know…you have told us three times” than have to explain to my employees and my boss that there was a ‘miscommunication’.
One of my favorite sayings is “in the absence of communication, people just make crap up!” Profound, I know, but it’s true. Poor communication just serves to fuel the rumor mill. Any leader who has had the unfortunate experience of coming into a new work environment that is strongly influenced by the rumor mill knows how difficult it can be to get control of the reins. Employees get comfortable living in the drama created by the gossip mongers and are not always very trusting of their leader. Open, honest and proactive communication must become a key focus for all leaders at every level of an organization.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Over the course of this week we will review the various types of communication that are commonly used in the workplace. Each has an appropriate time, place and recommended audience but is often misused. We will look at the benefits of and pitfalls of each type of communication.
FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION
Spending frequent face-to-face time with your employees is the most effective form of communication to be used with a team of front line employees. It is the most personal of all interactions and has the potential to send the strongest message that you are invested in your team and are interested in what your employees have to say. The beauty of face-to-face communication is that you not only have the benefit of listening to the employees’ verbal cues, but you have an opportunity to watch their body language and facial expressions as well. This usually says a whole lot more than the words coming out of their mouths. Face-to-face communication is especially effective when you ask open ended questions regarding how the employee feels about changes that are happening, or when you ask them to share information with you about a problem that has occurred. You will often be surprised at how strong of a message non-verbal cues can give.
I have worked with many leaders over the years who actually avoided any significant face-to-face contact with their employees because they didn’t want to deal with the potential issues or drama that may have been uncovered in the conversation. They found it easier to just leave a voicemail, or send an email to an employee who sat a mere 50 feet away from them. If avoiding interactions with your employees is part of your ‘style’, then you are in the wrong line of work. The more frequent and in-depth your interactions are with your employees, the more you will uncover. In the beginning, this will undoubtedly create more work as you may find more issues brewing that you were not initially aware of. But over time, you will begin to stay ahead of the issues. You will be able to deal with the real issues from their inception, and squash any rumors as they occur. Once this happens, you will begin to feel more in control and will have the ability to start creating the environment you are striving for.
There are countless reasons to communicate with your employees in a face-to-face manner. Below are several situations where you want to ensure you have that personal level of communication
• Recognizing a Job Well Done- I have seen supervisors/managers send emails to employees to thank or congratulate them on a job well done. Although this might be necessary if you want to CC your boss and others to make them aware of the employee’s accomplishment, the email cannot be a replacement for a personal visit. The best scenario is to personally thank the employee for their accomplishment, and send a follow-up email to the boss. You can then CC the employee if you would like. Don’t minimize your employee’s accomplishment by using email for such an important event.
• Catching an Employee Doing the Right Thing- If you happen to witness an employee doing an outstanding job with a customer, a new process, etc. it is your duty as a leader to approach them in a timely manner and share your feedback. That is one of the most impactful ways to reinforce positive workplace behaviors.
• Do Over’s- There are times when an interaction with an employee does not go the way you intended or does not end on a positive note. In these situations, you should loop back around and have a subsequent conversation with the employee. If there was anything in the conversation that you need to apologize for, make sure you do so. Demonstrating this level of commitment to creating positive relationships with your team members will definitely be rewarded in the end.
• The Roll-Out of a New Process- Many supervisors have found themselves in the boss’s office trying to explain their way out of a process, procedural or service failure. This is extremely common after the roll-out of a new process, procedure or program. Inevitably, ‘miscommunication’ is identified as the culprit. Unfortunately, the real reason for the failure is most often that the leader did not take the necessary time to effectively communicate all of the pertinent information regarding the change. If at all possible, face-to-face communication is preferable when it comes to rolling-out a new process, procedure or program. The leader has a better opportunity to ensure the message is being clearly articulated and can monitor the facial expressions and body language of team members to ensure a solid level of understanding.
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION
One key risk associated in face-to-face communication is how effectively you handle yourself during the interaction. Communicaiton with your team members should be as unique and varied as the number of employees that report to you. So keep in mind who you are speaking to and modify your delivery to ensure you have the intended impact.
The following are other critical elements related to effective face-to-face communication:
• Keep it Professional- Remember You are Representing Your Company- All too often supervisors/managers get too friendly or casual in their interactions with their employees. Cussing or using inappropriate references or jokes is inappropriate in the workplace. You are working to maintain a respectful relationship with your team members, so don’t minimize your role by trying to talk to your employees like they are your drinking buddies. You also need to ensure that you are not sharing any confidential information. This can only put end up putting you in a compromising situation down the line.
• Broadway, Here You Come- Remember, when talking to your employees you might as well consider yourself to be on stage. Being aware of your body language and facial expressions is absolutely critical to ensuring an effective interaction. Employees can drop a bombshell on you at any moment, so maintaining a calm and unemotional composure is important to preserving your credibility. You must remember that you never know if what you’re being told is completely accurate. Even the most reliable employee is going to tell their story from their own personal vantage point, so reacting emotionally in any way is not appropriate. Do not act shocked or disappointed at what you are being told. Do not roll your eyes or give off any other signals through your body language that indicate how you are feeling about the information. Show the employee you are interested in what they have to say, and take notes on what you are told. Finally, make sure to refrain from judgment until you have had a chance to thoroughly investigate the situation or allegation. Charging head first into an allegation has left many a leader looking foolish, so look before you leap.
• Keep All Speculations to Yourself- Don’t share your speculations with your employees. Even if you tell the employee that you are just speculating about upcoming changes, many will take the information as factual and assume you know more than you can officially say. The next thing you know is the rumor mill is once again in high gear. If you are wrong about your speculation, you run the chance of diminishing your credibility.
• No Hypothetical’s Please- I once had a boss once that was famous for having ‘off the record” conversations with his employees. He would discuss potential job changes or promotions he was contemplating, and would share with the employee where he felt they may fit in the scheme of things. My boss would say he was just checking for the employee’s interest level in future advancement opportunities. The employee would leave the conversation hearing that their promotion was in the works. They had already begun speculating on their huge impending increase and were considering how to spend their giant new windfall. In the meantime, my boss was on to his next greatest idea and was setting the next employee up for colossal disappointment. I was the unfortunate one who was left trying to smooth things over with the trail of hurt and disappointed employees. Lesson learned…NEVER have hypothetical career discussions with an employee unless you are ready to make an offer and put your money (literally) where your mouth is.
SUMMARY
The amount of time you spend in face-to-face communication with each of your employees will be directly reflected in the quality, productivity and customer service produced by your entire team. The more time you spend soliciting the team’s feedback, the more proactive you can be about addressing the team’s issues and concerns. The more clear and concise the information and feedback your team receives from you, the more cohesive of an environment you will create. The more cohesive the environment, the greater the trust level your employees will have in you. Sounds like a win all the way around!
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