board meeting
An office meeting in a boardroom Reuters/ File

Your style of management might intimidate workers to communicate, which will ultimately affect your business in a negative way. Learn a few techniques on how you can improve your relationship with your employees and you will discover that they will be more inclined to speak with you when necessary.

Getting employee feedback will benefit your company in the long term. It helps to show concern and remove some of your habits that might intimidate them.

1. Listen

The Huffington Post reported that effective communication begins with listening. Listening is actually a skill that you need to learn. When employees feel that you do not know how to listen to their needs and requests, they will be intimidated from sharing anything of value to you. Start by creating an environment where your workers feel safe to express their opinions and creative ideas. Issues should be resolved without your employees fearing any repercussions for their statements or actions. Focus on each idea and avoid interrupting anyone while speaking.

2. Stay composed

There will be times when your employees might say things that will cause you stress or offend you in any manner. Many times, statements are misinterpreted and might garner a negative response. As a result, when you reprimand employees for sharing or speaking, they will be afraid to do the same in the future. The objective is to listen to their ideas with a clear mind and a lot of patience. Allow them to clarify or ask questions to avoid misunderstandings.

3. Use different platforms

An article on Washington Post said that effective communication will require you to use a variety of approaches to encourage your employees to speak up. Some employees prefer group meetings, while others like one-on-one discussions, emailing or memos. Try different approaches until you discover the best mode to use for every worker.

4. Follow up

After listening and communicating with employees, act on their ideas and suggestions. Employees will be more motivated to talk to you in the future if they see changes and improvements based on their statements.

Creating a conducive environment for effective communication will improve your business significantly and lead to happy employees. With a positive work environment, you get to up your productivity and foster camaraderie.

To contact the writer of this story, send an email to v.doctor@ibtimes.com.au