We live in an age where society is increasingly preoccupied with the notion of happiness in the workplace. Why? Because happiness is linked to productivity: the more valued the employee feels, the more he or she will be inclined to contribute to his or her organization.
At a time when the government is experiencing cuts to budget, and therefore staff, employees are taking on a greater workload. As such, managers should make it a priority to ensure their employees are satisfied in the workplace.
Kathleen Skidmore-Williams, chief of the U.S. Army Audit Agency’s editorial branch, writes in her piece, “Communication provides foundation for being a ‘best place to work’,” that the most reliable way to ensure one’s employees are satisfied is to encourage communication in the workplace. Communication can stave off feelings of confusion, frustration, and lack of direction in workers.
Although Skidmore-Williams’ article is U.S.-based, its wisdom can also be applied to organizations in Canada. So what can managers do to better communicate with their employees? Here are some ideas:
• Foster a sense of trust between employees and supervisors. This means giving employees more of a voice in decision-making processes. After all, everyone wants to feel like they’re important – and the fastest way to create a disgruntled employee is to infer that his or her opinions and ideas do not matter.
• Offer praise where praise is due. This not only makes employees feel like their work is valued and appreciated, but also lets them know they’re headed in the right direction.
• Make sure your employees know what is expected of them. More than that, make sure they have goals. They will feel motivated if they have something to work toward, and satisfied when they’ve achieved their goals.
• Listen to your employees when they come to you with concerns. If possible, do something to address them.
Have you used any of these strategies with any success? What are some of your own communication strategies in the office? Tell us in the comments!
