By Jess Low
In the Recruitment industry that I work in, I find that from time to time bosses and supervisors are always complaining about their employees’ incompetence. This issue is prevalent in international companies as well as in small and medium-sized enterprises.
But have you ever thought that this so-called “incompetence issue” was caused by poor communication skills in the company? When there is a problem with communication, it leads to a mismatch of work expectations. How can work go on smoothly?
What is communication?
Communication is the most important foundation in every work that we do. Its purpose is to effectively and accurately convey information, in order to establish a consensus in work expectations. It is achieved through exchanging opinions between employees and employers, understanding information comprehensively, and drawing unified results.
Effective communication enables efficient work to help employees achieve employers’ work expectations. Today, I would like to share with you 3 effective skills that help managers and/or employees improve their communication skills.
The first way to improve communication skills is by promoting a ‘Feedback Culture’ in the company, giving employees the space to communicate freely and build a sense of belonging.
According to numerous websites and researches, most employees do value constructive criticism for their job done.
Most of the time, however, colleagues and even managers are reluctant to provide positive constructive criticism, causing these employees to mind their own business without any sense of participation in the company.
Over time, the company atmosphere would turn extremely boring and rigid with zero cohesion, and everyone will gradually turn silent.
Companies should promote the ‘Feedback Culture’, starting from the top. When employees provide good suggestions, they should be appreciated and encouraged.
A good manager should learn to be a good listener instead of just giving orders. In today’s working environment, there are fewer and fewer tasks that can be completed with only one person’s opinion.
In addition to promoting a ‘Feedback Culture’, another crucial skill to improve managers’ communication skills is to listen carefully to employees’ ideas and suggestions.
My team is currently close to 20 people. But no matter busy I am, I would spend 3 to 5 hours a week with my team and have individual conversations with them to understand their work progress and the difficulties they face, etc.
My main objective is to understand what resources they need to better address the challenges they face in their work. It is also a good opportunity to listen to what they have to say about the company. I think employees do appreciate sincere communication with their boss.
A truly excellent boss will not act cocky, but respects other people’s ideas and accept other people’s opinions. To achieve success at work, it is necessary to rely on the team’s support, rather than relying on one person’s opinions. If you want to go far, go together.
In addition, the old Autocratic Management method can no longer effectively manage talents in the new era. Therefore, if managers want to communicate effectively with employees, they should learn to listen to employees’ ideas and suggestions more.
The third way to improve communication skills is by improving the subordinates’ ability to ask more and better questions to their managers.
When employees are capable of asking good questions, they get better at understanding the employer’s ideas, resulting in smoother work operations. Employees are encouraged to ask questions based on the well-known 5Ws – Why, What, Who, Where, and When.
For example, when your manager asks you to prepare a report, try asking questions according to the 5W principle. Upon receiving the information, sort and repeat it back to your manager immediately.
Doing so can not only align what you hear versus your manager’s thoughts, but more importantly, it helps with achieving the same expectations and greatly reduces communication errors.
Managers should try to put their egos down. Instead, be good listeners and guide employees to realise their potential so that the company can maximise its performance.
In short, besides promoting a Feedback Culture, managers must learn to listen carefully to employees’ ideas and suggestions to reduce friction at work and improve efficiency.
In addition, employees should always ask good questions promptly to achieve the expected outcomes that are consistent with their managers’ expectations. This way, managers can then communicate effectively with their employees and get along more pleasantly at work.
Jess Low is CEO and founder of Job Majestic and JEV Management
