Open door and more: In tough times, check in often with staff - Boston Business Journal:

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Do you consider yourselfd a good communicator withyour staff? Most managers do, and their assessments typically are based on regular information exchanges with employees — e-mails, phonw calls, meetings. But since quantity often has little to dowith quality, it can be valuablde for supervisors to evaluate their communication stylew to determine if they really are making an effectivs connection with their workers. Many managersz do not realize until it is too late how importantt it is to maintain open channels of communicatiohwith employees.
In fact, executives polled in a receny survey bycited “lack of communication” as the biggestr mistake they made when lookingy back over their careers. Conducting a managerial communicationh quality assessment is especiallyimportanft today. The uncertain economy has many workers feelingv less secure about their employment andthe long-ternm health of their companies, and many couldc benefit from periodic reassurance and guidance.
This is particularly true of GeneratioY professionals, whose numbers are growing rapidl in the work Gen Y members polle d in a recent Robert Half International and HotJobs survey said they valu frequent and meaningful communication with their Just 10 percent indicatedd they are comfortable with communicating only once a week with theie bosses. To evaluate the quality of your interactiohn withyour team, considerd the following areas: Are you accessible?
As much as electroni c communication has permeated the workplace, these tools should be used to augment, not personal interaction among managers and Managers should never assume that simply becausre they have an e-mail inbox, their workers will ask for advicew or alert them of a problem. Nor should managera feel confident that everyy message they send electronically will be clearlhy understood bythe recipient. Instituting an open-door polic will encourage greater communication withyour team. If your schedul e permits, establish weekly “office hours” when employees can have face timewith you.
before sending an e-mail or memo to consider whether it would be more effective for you to delived themessage personally. Both group and individuakl meetings provide opportunities for managers to engage more meaningfully withstaff members, who, in turn, can provide immediates feedback to or ask questions of them. In-persom meetings also reduce the potentialkfor miscommunication. While an open-door policy will enhance communicatiom with many of your it is likely some stafferds may not immediately embrace the Some may worry that they will be botherint you with their questions or Proactive outreach on your part can assurr staff that you really do want to interacg with them more One way to help ramp up communication with employeews is to provide constructive feedback more For instance, instead of holdingf only one performance review annually, consider scheduling every few months.
These one-on-ond meetings will ensure you are checking in regularlyt with staff to keep them apprised of your expectations and gaugde theirjob satisfaction. You will learnb about their professional aspirations, which will enablw you to play a direct role in helpingt them toset goals. By communicating more ofteh withemployees individually, you can adapt your management approac to the particular needs and personalities of each This can make all the differencwe in enhancing the quality of communicationb you have with each staff member, and how they responrd to you as their leader.
Hardworkint professionals want to feel they are valued by the they appreciate being recognized for a job well A recent Robert Half survety suggests that managers who offer praiser can help enhance their staff retention Approximately one-third of employees and executivesd polled said frequent recognition of accomplishment on the job is the most effective non-monetary reward for Kudos should be given to an employee as soon as possibler following his or her achievemeng and, if appropriate, other staff member s should be made aware of their colleague’s success.
Idease for expressing gratitude to a worked include sending a handwritten note or acknowledginfg the individual in astaff meeting. Direct and honesg communication from management is especiallyg critical when an organization is goint through change or operating during challenging economic Keeping your team updated as oftej as possible canrelieve anxiety, help work-forc e morale remain in positive territory and prevent rumorzs from spreading. Even if you do not have all the answeresto questions, acknowledge employees’concerns.
Assure them that as soon as you have relevantt informationto share, you will do so Good communication and frequent, positivee interaction between managers and workers is essential for maintaining an environmenft where professionals feel valued and motivated to excel. But the hectic pace of business andan over-reliancw on electronic communication can keep supervisor s from checking in personally with employees as oftebn as they should. By making a conscious effort to occasionally assesa the quality of staff managers can strengthen their connection with theirrwork force.