Employees are thirsting for effective communication
I have a spot in my dining room that plants love. There is plenty of morning sunlight, and the temperature is always pleasant since the thermostat is in that room. Some of my plants are over 20 years old, and they are healthy and thriving...at least most of the time.
Last week was a bit crazy due to the Easter holiday and other events. I kept ignoring the “water plants” reminder on my phone and just breezed past the dining room and the wilting leaves. By the weekend, I had time to breathe, and my plants finally received the refreshment they so desperately needed. Within a few hours, they looked healthy once again.
In many organizations, employees are desperately looking for the refreshment that comes from timely and meaningful communication. Unfortunately, many leaders breeze past those “wilting” individuals and focus on the tasks they perceive to be more important or urgent. In this context, “wilting” can occur in a variety of ways.
In The Effects of Poor Communication in Business, the author summarizes several consequences of poor communication:
Stress in the workplace
Unmet needs and expectations
Arguments and other relational breakdowns
Low morale and high turnover
Physical and mental health issues
Dissatisfied clients
I am guessing every employee has experienced poor communication, as well as at least one of these consequences. I know I have! Unfortunately, I have also been responsible for poor communication and have caused stress for my colleagues – among other issues. As a leader, I found that being an effective communicator required my ongoing attention. I could not focus on it every two weeks or set a reminder on my phone, as I did with my plants.
In 2018, the Economist Intelligence Unit published Communication Barriers in the Modern Workplace. The key highlights of the study (p. 2) are as follows:
Poor communication is having a tremendous impact on the workplace.
The most frequently cited cause of communication barriers is fundamentally human: different communication styles.
The use of instant messaging and social media at work reflects a gap between how generations use certain communication tools.
There is a discrepancy between the communication tools that people find most effective and the ones they regularly use.
An employee’s place in the pecking order affects the fallout they face from poor communication. (“Middle managers tend to be affected the most by communication barriers.”)
The study also lists several consequences of poor work communication, including added stress, delay or failure to complete a project, and low morale. Understanding the factors that contribute to poor communication, as well as the possible negative outcomes, is helpful for leaders at any level.
To further complicate the issue, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how most organizations communicate. Initially, there was a need to communicate timely information related to remote work guidelines or return to office plans. Overall, employees wanted more communication and transparent communication.
The pandemic ushered in new communication expectations, and employees are considering those expectations permanent. According to HRDive.com,
We’ve officially departed away from more traditional communication styles, like communicating on a “need to know” basis or with a top-down hierarchy, and we’ve moved into candid communication with your employees. Companies that get on board with this trend will be rewarded with attracting and retaining top talent. Companies that lag into adopting transparency will lose top talent to other companies that do.
Fostering a culture of open and effective communication takes time. The current state of any organization needs to be assessed in order to determine a plan. There are many strategies from which to choose, but understanding the current culture is essential. Consider contacting ABL Wise Consulting to start the conversation...and don’t forget to water your plants.
Sources:
The Effects of Poor Communication in Business by Anne Kinsey
The Economist Intelligence Unit report: Communication Barriers in the Modern Workplace
HR Dive: More transparence, more communication required in a post-Covid-19 workforce
