Recognizing and Engaging Employees For Dummies. Nelson Bob

factors on employees’ choice of their current employers. The top-ranked item on the list was “open communication.”

       Good information, bad information, or no information?

      Employees want and need to know what’s going on within the organization, even if the information isn’t always positive. There’s nothing wrong with being honest with employees when the firm is struggling; doing so can lead to increased teamwork and dedication, especially if the bad news is also an opportunity to brainstorm and communicate with employees about ideas and plans for turning things around. Bringing employees into the loop can instill a greater sense of involvement and responsibility, which ultimately leads to increased feelings of value and trust among employees.

      

I remember working with a defense contractor that was very guarded about sharing information with its employees. Everything was on a need-to-know basis. I asked for the rationale behind this practice and discovered that managers believed that if they told their employees something and it changed or turned out to be wrong, they, the managers, would look bad. I suggested that they give their employees that context and see if they still wanted to hear the latest information, even if it may change. Of course, they (the employees) all did.

      Simply telling employees what’s going on in the organization and providing them with the information they need to most effectively do their jobs is motivating. In addition, every time you communicate, you have a chance to recognize employees. Exchanging praise and recognition in newsletters, posting an “applause” bulletin board on the company’s intranet, and commenting in meetings are just a few possibilities for formalizing communication about employee recognition.

       Employing direct, two-way communication

      Feedback sessions, departmental meetings, or companywide gatherings should ideally serve two purposes: to provide information and to gather feedback. To maximize employee engagement, keeping employees abreast of and asking their opinions about management’s goals and ensuing plans is imperative. Something as simple as a companywide meeting during which you present the state of the organization to all employees can make a world of difference in easing employee tensions and fears.

      

When discussing major issues like organizational changes, always host a dialogue rather than a lecture, and encourage questions. And if any key updates are going to be shared publicly outside of the organization (for example, in a press release), make sure you tell your internal employees first and invite feedback. Your employees have to feel as though they have the freedom to express their fears and concerns and the chance to receive honest and informative responses.

       Exploring communication techniques

      Methods for communicating with employees vary depending upon the situation. Group settings require different interaction than one-on-one communication. Following are some suggestions for how to best communicate with individuals and groups.

       Individuals

      Here are some techniques for effectively communicating with an individual employee:

      ✔ Engage in periodic one-on-one meetings with each employee.

      ✔ Offer personal support and reassurances, especially for your most valued employees.

      ✔ Provide open-door accessibility to management.

      ✔ Invite employees to write anonymous letters to top management about their concerns.

       Groups

      Here are some communication techniques you can try to keep information flowing in groups:

      ✔ Conduct town hall meetings.

      ✔ Host CEO-led breakfasts and/or brown bag lunches.

      ✔ Maintain a 24-hour “news desk” on the company intranet.

      ✔ Provide periodic state-of-the-union updates on the business.

      ✔ Be open and honest in explaining the situation and challenges going forward.

      ✔ Take questions in advance of a meeting or allow them to be written on index cards, anonymously.

      ✔ Record meetings and distribute the proceedings to those who are unable to attend.

      ✔ Set up a blog site for your CEO, especially if you have satellite offices and/or your employees travel regularly. Doing so enables even distant employees to receive immediate feedback around key issues and updates.

       Communicating bad news and dealing with rumors

      One of the most common errors many organizations and managers make is not sharing adequate information with employees. In some instances, top management doesn’t share information because they’re uncertain themselves about something. In other instances, managers feel that sharing information with employees may undermine their own power and job status. So management tries to “protect” employees from fears regarding the potential of job loss or frustration related to the ability of senior management to effectively handle a pending crisis.

      Employees aren’t looking for a sugar-coated delivery of information. The best way to explain the state of an organization is in a clear, concise, and honest manner. If sales are declining at a rapid or steady pace, every member of the staff has to know. Sharing this information inspires in all employees the collective ownership of the organization’s performance. From frontline staff to mid- and upper-level management, everyone shares a portion of the responsibility for an organization’s revenue, performance, and future.

      

By including each employee in an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the fiscal landscape of an organization and the approach or plan to resolve the crisis, you send the underlying message that every single person is a critical part of the whole. That, in turn, creates a greater sense of accountability. Feeling as though they’re part of the solution rather than being left in the dark gives employees the confidence they need to buckle down and do their part to pull the organization through a time of crisis.

      

Open lines of communication across the company can end one of the most detrimental viruses spread throughout an organization: rumors. It’s human nature to believe negative statements of supposed fact rather than positive ones. Because most rumors breed negativity, it’s crucial to stop them at the source, even openly asking employees about rumors they have heard. Merely talking to employees can ease uncertainty and let them know that you’re there to provide information, not keep it from them.

Involving Employees and Encouraging Initiative

      When you arm employees with more frequent and relevant information, they’re more likely to act on that information in ways that can best help the organization. Honest and open communication shows that you as a manager have both trust and respect for your employees. You can build on that foundation by explicitly requesting and encouraging your employees to get involved in helping the company. This alone can lead to profound results, from improved daily operations to a better bottom line.

      According to a survey I conducted of employees in a variety of industries, 92 percent of employees want their managers to ask for their opinions and ideas at work, and more than 89 percent want their managers to involve them in decisions that are made at work. This section explores ways for you to become a more engaged manager with engaged employees who share their ideas and opinions and have some input in decision-making.

       Guiding employee focus

      Today’s managers are discovering that they have to create an environment that encourages employees to contribute their best ideas and work, to help seek out new opportunities, such as new sources of revenue, and to overcome obstacles facing the company, such as cutting costs, wherever possible. Workers are discovering that, if they expect to survive the constant waves of change sweeping across the global business marketplace as well as hold onto their current jobs, they have to