WHAT’S AT STAKE

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SAFETY TALK

Proper communication is crucial for a job to run safely and efficiently. When communication is insufficient or missing totally there can be many negative consequences for employees and the company as a whole.

WHAT’ S THE DANGER

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Communication in the workplace is one of the signs of a high-performance culture. Exchanging information and ideas within an organization is called workplace communication. However, effective communication occurs when a message is sent and received accurately.

The following is a breakdown where effective communication is not achieved.

• Managing people without strong communication skills is impossible. Yet, 91% of employees say that their leaders lack communication skills.
• Feedback is crucial for driving employee engagement, productivity and retention.
• IBM found that today, 72% of employees don’t have a full understanding of their company’s business strategy.
• Intranets and emails that still make some of the main workplace communication channels are outdated and have low employee adoption rates.
• Only 52% of employees say that they always or almost always speak their minds when having work-related conversations with their leaders.
• Employees mostly leave their companies because of poor relationships with their managers.
• Only 12% of employees who have quit their jobs did so to negotiate higher salaries somewhere else while 75% quit their job because of the bad relationship with their direct supervisor.
• The overload of various communication channels such as email, intranet, document sharing and private messaging tools often makes employees confused and overwhelmed.
• In order to improve workplace communication, managers need to improve the way they deliver information to their employees.
• Extensive search for relevant information causes significant losses in employees’ productivity and motivation.
• Promising something and not executing on the word is the main reason why employees lose trust in their managers.
• 41% of internal communication practitioners have no way of tracking user activity or making sure that content uploaded to their internal communication platforms is read by employees.
• Gallup has found that 70% of the variance in employee engagement is caused by a person’s manager.
• 20% of remote employees say that they lack a sense of belonging and sometimes feel lonely.
• When employees hesitate to talk to their managers, low engagement and conflicts may happen.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Employers who invest time and energy into delivering clear lines of communication will rapidly build trust among employees, leading to increases in productivity, output and morale in general.

Here are five key reasons you should be paying attention:

Team building – Building effective teams is really all about how those team members communicate and collaborate together.

Gives everyone a voice – Employee satisfaction can rely a lot on them having a voice and being listened to, whether it be in regards to an idea they have had or about a complaint they need to make.

Innovation – Where employees are enabled to openly communicate ideas without fear of ridicule or retribution they are far more likely to bring their idea to the table.

Growth – Communication can be viewed both internally and externally. By being joined up internally and having strong lines of communication you are ensuring that the message you are delivering externally is consistent.

Strong management –The delegation of tasks, conflict management, motivation and relationship building (all key responsibilities of any manager) are all much easier when you are a strong communicator.

KEY AREAS WHERE ORGANISATIONS CAN IMPROVE AND ENHANCE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THEIR TEAMS.

Define goals and expectations – Managers need to deliver clear, achievable goals to both teams and individuals, outlining exactly what is required on any given project, and ensuring that all staff are aware of the objectives of the project, the department and the organisation as a whole.

Clearly deliver your message – Ensure your message is clear and accessible to your intended audience. To do this it is essential that you speak plainly and politely.

Choose your medium carefully – While face-to-face communication is by far the best way to build trust with employees, it is not always an option.

Keep everyone involved – Ensure that lines of communication are kept open at all times. Actively seek and encourage progress reports and project updates.

Listen and show empathy – Communication is a two-way process and no company or individual will survive long if it doesn’t listen and encourage dialogue with the other party.

FINAL WORD

Recognize all the different tools used in the workplace to communicate a safety message. Appreciate the time and resources dedicated to develop and use these tools every day. Embrace the message they are conveying to keep you working safe and efficient.