One thing that causes stress within teams is ineffective communication. Not only does it make things stressful, it can also cause friction within the team. When teams lack communication skills, it can prevent them from asking for help, even when they are unsure of what they need to do.
The good news is that effective communication can be learnt and practically applied at work. It may be a slow process at first, but your team can master the art of communication.
Here are three ways to achieve this:
Create detailed instructions
Create a Work Flow and Standard Operating Procedure document that provides detailed instructions for each task. This will help everyone in your team to be on the same page. It will also provide guidance for new employees that are onboarded. Having this will allow team members to be aligned on what needs to be done and how.
Promote self-advocacy
As a leader, you have a responsibility to delegate. Delegation, however, is more complicated than just assigning tasks to people. If your team members do not feel comfortable communicating with you early after assigning a task, confusion may arise,.
One best practice is to ask team members who have been assigned tasks what they need to do to succeed in the project. Note their requests/worries down and provide the necessary tools to help them work better. Knowing that they can get help will create a collaborative environment and will also allow team members to communicate better.
Be flexible
To create an effective communication channel, work with a team member to find out which processes are not working. Ask for feedback from your employees: what are you doing right? What are you doing wrong? What can the organisation do better? What changes would they love to see? Flexibility gives room for employees to share ideas, especially when they know they will be heard. t also gives room for employees to voice out their concerns and opinions.
Flexibility in a workplace fosters effective communication, encourages professional growth and builds better team spirit.
Implement these tips and watch how communication within your team will be transformed.
