Managers Can Help Improve Employee Success

It goes without saying that employees need information, training and support to perform their jobs. Yet even the best organizations struggle with ensuring communication is consistent and timely and that employees are made aware of important information. Unfortunately, when communication is lacking for whatever reason, employees become frustrated and their performance is negatively impacted.

So what can management do differently to ensure they share the right information at the right time with employees?

Management can dedicate time exclusively to decide how and when key information will be communicated with employees.

While many decisions are made in meetings where several topics are discussed, this is not always the best way to ensure communication is planned for and deliberate. Perspective taking often is an oversight and its value left untapped.

Brief meetings at the beginning of each week dedicated to communication can help ensure managers consistently cover key points with their teams, in a coordinated manner. Managers can discuss the key points as well as consider potential employee concerns or reactions.

Messages should be revised for clarity, intent and impact.

Communicating the benefit of new initiatives, processes or product lines with employees can help garner support and eliminate concerns.

Line managers can also put processes in place to ensure their communications support those of upper management. Depending upon the organization, managers should have regularly scheduled individual and group meetings with employees. They should also ensure employees remain connected to systems where they can share information with one another. Information repositories can help new employees understand organizational history as well as provide an often much needed reference for the organization.

Communication should occur in multiple channels as well as verbally and in written form.

Focusing on clear, regular communication with employees can help improve employee success. Building time in on the front end of the week can help managers, employees and organizational performance. Quick ‘huddles’ or other group meetings that focus exclusively on the messages that will be sent that week, can become an important tool in a manager’s toolkit.