Prior to 2020, many businesses operated fully in-person and got by with traditional communication media such as face-to-face, print, email, and simply walking into a co-workers office to talk. The proverbial “water cooler” conversations were an important part of an organization’s culture and where a lot of information was shared. When the pandemic began, so much of that changed and we were forced to quickly respond and create a new system to communicate and stay connected.
So, where does that leave you today? If your business is like many, you are now somewhere in the middle and potentially in need of a revitalization to your communication strategy. As such, let’s cover a few workplace communication best practices in 2022.
Welcome Employee Feedback: Listen and React
If you are unsure whether your communication practices could stand to be improved, consider relying on advice from the people who know for sure: your employees. Everyone has their own learning styles and ways they prefer to be communicated with, and employees who feel that their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best. As such, it’s up to employers to create a communication model that encourages feedback from teammates to ensure everyone’s needs are being met.
Today, mental health is at the forefront of issues that employees are facing. Be sure that you are frequently communicating the programs and tools you have in place to help employees and dependents work through the challenges they are facing.
Choose the Right Platforms for Your People
Today, so many of us are working remotely which has required us to take a close look at how we are communicating with employees. It is not a surprise that today 3 out of 4 employees view collaboration as a “very important” component to business success. See the Queens University of Charlotte diagram. In 2022, that means selecting purpose-built platforms suited for the daily needs of your team. Good communication platforms should simplify the points of access for your employees but also be able to personalize to their individual needs when possible.
Be Transparent and Ditch “Jargon-y” Speech
Unfortunately, it is human nature to fill any gap in communication with negative information. That is why it is critical for employers to communicate more (not less) and leverage multiple communication channels. Today more than ever, employees need a communication style that is personal – not full of jargon.
A trend with ever-increasing popularity in virtually every industry is the belief that we should collectively focus on using less jargon in our speech. This excerpt from Harvard Business Review says it best:
Whether it’s synergistically leveraging strategic competitive advantages or disintermediating retail channels with bleeding-edge technologies, workplace jargon is a staple of the modern organization. Yet few things are more universally annoying.
To build stronger connections with your team, consider starting with the top when it comes to eliminating jargon from your speech. Sincere, transparent and conversational communication helps to build trust in relationships and create a culture of honesty. Conversely, speaking with jargon could just as easily become part of your company culture and silently create disconnects among your team.
Revitalize Your Business Communication with TriBridge Partners
To discover how our experts can assist your organization or business, please call our office today at 240-422-8799, email Jessica Storck at Jessica.storck@tribridgepartners.com, or find us on LinkedIn.
