Has management lost direction? Have managers forgotten their manners? In my experience, "please" and "thank you" cost nothing to say yet have a very meaningful impact, even serving as a free employee recognition program! Perhaps these simple words are a missing ingredient in your workplace recipe. Consider taking steps toward effective communication with employees and you'll see the power words can have on promoting a positive work environment.
Effective communication entails several aspects, most of which are common sense but bear repeating: be clear, concise, and always positive. Clarity may require the most attention. Repeat, in your own words, what others say to you verbally to ensure accurate understanding; in turn, confirm others understand your end of the conversation, whether that conversation be verbal or not. Being concise not only avoids the chances of your message being conveyed inaccurately, since your word choice is of upmost importance, but it also shows you are respectful of others’ time. Finally, even in the most difficult of conversations can carry a positive tone. Be sure to stay truthful and consistent in your communication, but note that office communication needs to be constructive, affirmative, and upbeat. "Communicate with transparency, authenticity, and clarity. Whether you have a scheduled morning meeting each day, make office rounds in the afternoon, or take your team to lunch, make it a priority to make time to talk to each and every member of your team on a regular basis. You may be busy, but, the truth of the matter is that you really can't afford not to,” Gordon recommends in “Leadership Inspires Motivation,” an article by Susan M. Heathfield.
In the workplace, whether it be a factory’s main floor or a consulting firm’s executive suite, conversations happen! Location, context, and participants may affect the nature of conversation, but affirmation within the communication remains essential. Your investment of carefully placed employee recognition will pay off more than you’d think! Bob Nelson wisely summarizes this point: “The best motivators today are manager-initiated…You have to take the initiative to acknowledge people, to thank them, to encourage them. You have to take the initiative to turn every chance that you communicate…as an opportunity to recognize, to support, to encourage.” Michael Lewis goes into further detail in his article “10 Tips to Develop Effective Workplace Communication Skills” with the following points:
- Consider the situation before taking any action
- Gather and confirm information before making a decision
- Focus on problems, not personalities
- Manage individuals, not groups
- Meet subordinates face-to-face
- Assign tasks directly and clearly
- Never personalize criticism
- Understand the situation
- Be understanding
- Learn from mistakes
The benefits of effective communication, when listed, would take pages! Most of the benefits are intangible, but translate to very real results in the workplace. Employee engagement will improve, creativity and innovation will increase, and productivity will show that your simple form of employee recognition has an incredible ROI. It is important to note the consequences of poor communication also have real results: mistrust between employees and management, skepticism, fear, negativity, perceived unfairness, high turn-over of employees, and more!
Creating a culture of recognition may seem daunting, especially if the current state is less than inspiring. However, with effective communication, management can get the ball rolling in the right direction and serve as visible role models to the rest. Awards Network can also help by developing and running custom a employee recognition program. An account management team at Awards Network works with management or the human resource department to pinpoint an employee recognition program that best suits your organization’s needs – and then takes care of the rest! Feel free to visit the new Awards Network website at www.awardsnetwork.com to browse the programs available and to request more information.
As an account manager at Awards Network, I’ve seen the amazing results an employee recognition program can have on the culture of a company, but I’m also cognizant of the power of a simple “thank you”. My favorite feature of point-bank programs incorporates the best of both concepts: a “thank you” eCard with points associated (allowing the recipient to select the gift of their choice or save to accumulate more points for a higher level gift). Again, to quote Bob Nelson, “People may take a job for more money, but they often leave it for more recognition.” A simple way to improve your employee recognition practices is to sprinkle in a few genuine “thank you’s” during the work day – it goes a long way!
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