At First Call Energy, one of our greatest assets are our employees. We believe that focusing on your employees will have positive benefits all through out your company and with your interactions with your clients.
One of our clients, Brand Energy Solutions, had this to day about us: “There is no company in the industry more competitive and invested in your projects than First Call, thank you.”
That is because our communication lines are always open, from top to the bottom of our company. We know the value of effective communication. Here are a few tips to improving your company’s communication:
1. Think before taking action
In the heat of the moment, you may want to act on instinct or emotion, but consider all your emotions, and try your best to proceed rationally and objectively. When you think clearly, you better communicate your ideas and everyone around you will take them more seriously if they come from a place of objectivity rather than emotion.
2. Know the whole story
Before you react, find out the whole story, whether it’s data, the other side, or an explanation of what is happening. Simply put, talk it out, and find out what there is to know.
3. Be diplomatic
When you respond to a conflict, whether it’s minor or large, approach it with an open, objective mind that doesn’t take sides nor involves personal attacks.
4. Give feedback!
Whether good or bad, feedback is always appreciated. No one wants to feel like they’re working in a vacuum. When you do give feedback, be as specific, clear, and detailed as you possibly can, while also offering solutions to any negative situations, or ways to capitalize on any successes.
5. Treat your employees
Research shows that one of the most motivating things you can do for your employees is to compensate them with material items. (Big surprise!) However, this doesn’t have to come in the form of salary or money (though it doesn’t hurt). Simply giving them some time off, stock options, bringing them Tim Hortons in the morning, or buying them a beer at night, can help boost morale, togetherness, company culture, and employee satisfaction.
6. Trust your staff
One of the surest ways to improve your communication is to simply have your employees trust you, or you trust them, so that they feel like they can confide in you when and if things go wrong (or right). You hired them for a reason, so trust them to do the job correctly, and they’ll trust you enough to tell you when they can’t.
7. Make employees feel like their opinions matter
In most jobs, the employees or your staff are the ones that are in the field doing the work. Most of the time they have great insight into how to improve your processes or work. Listen to them and make them feel like one of the owners by implementing their ideas.
8. Listen!
Don’t just hear your employees, but actually listen to what they’re saying. If they always feel like what they’re telling you is going in one ear and out the other, they’ll stop communicating their issues to you.
9. Make it fun
Work shouldn’t have to be all work. Many studies have shown that increasing the “fun” time spent at work actually improves the “work” time spent at work. Beyond that, having fun at work improves your employee culture and company loyalty, which brings everyone closer together, and improves communication between your team.
Have any tips for improving your company’s communication that we missed? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIN!