Building a business that not only survives, but thrives, requires smart planning, successful strategies, and an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement (CI). It also calls for a committed workforce that shares this vision of excellence.
A culture of continuous improvement is a culture of communication. Conversely, as illustrated in a recent study by The Economist, a lack of workplace communication directly threatens key business outcomes. In the study:
- More than half of respondents said poor communication increased work-related stress.
- Forty-four percent of the more than 400 employees, managers, and senior business leaders surveyed felt communication barriers led to the delay or failure of projects.
In addition, significant percentages of those surveyed attributed lower morale, missed performance goals, and failed sales to communication problems.
Two-way communication fosters growth and improvement.
When two-way communication between employers and employees is embedded into the culture of an organization, it sets the stage for innovation, collaboration, advancement, and mutual trust. Open communication – an atmosphere where people can openly express their thoughts and ideas without fear of dismissal or retribution – results in numerous benefits including:
- Increased engagement: When people feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns, they become more engaged in their work and invested in their teams and their company. Transparency breeds a sense of ownership, belonging, confidence, and empowerment.
- Stronger diversity, equity, and inclusion: When employees are encouraged to speak up, a domino effect occurs as others are also more likely to share diverse concepts and constructive feedback. Ideas from varying perspectives are more likely to yield breakthrough solutions, enhanced processes, and innovative strategies that drive business forward.
- Higher productivity: Research also has shown that people who feel heard at work are 4.6 times more likely to be empowered to perform at their best.
It’s all about the give and take.
Successful workplace communication – and by extension, continuous improvement – is based on the steady giving and receiving of information between employees, managers, and other company stakeholders. It requires active listening, whether a situation calls for formal communication like rules, procedures, and reports, informal interactions like everyday conversations, emails, and instant messages, or tacit communication such as body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues.
Key steps in building a culture of communication include:
- Provide regular updates. Managers and senior leaders should share as much information as possible with employees. People want and need to be in the know, and not surprised when key decisions are made. Publicize objectives and results, and help employees to understand how their role fits into the bigger picture when it comes to delivering desired results.
- Keep doors open. Team members should be invited and feel comfortable asking questions, sharing feedback, and even simply chatting with their managers on a day-to-day basis. This requires managers getting to know their direct reports on an individual basis and being accessible and welcoming.
To learn more about honing your effective communication and CI strategy, and building the workforce to make it happen, contact PrideStaff Modesto today.
