How to Communicate with your Employees

By: Rawley Filbin, Former COO of Filbin Painting and Co-founder of USEFUZE- a free mobile app designed for small businesses to grow and manage their business or side-hustle. To learn more about USEFUZE, check out https://zgn7w.app.link/TFXiKSsI7qb

When you’re in a position of leadership, it’s easy to get caught up in your own projects and lose sight of what your employees are doing. This can lead to misunderstandings and even an uncomfortable workplace environment – but there is no need for this! 

What are the best ways to communicate with your employees?

When it comes to communicating with your employees, there are a variety of ways to go about it. One way is to have formal and informal communication methods in place. Another is to use a mix of both formal and informal communication methods. Here are some tips for each: 

Formal Communication Methods

One way to communicate with your employees is through formal channels, such as email or written reports. Use specific, clear language when sending reports or emails, and be sure to include all the relevant information. Be specific when giving instructions, and make sure that deadlines are adhered to. If an employee needs clarification on an instruction, they should ask you directly.

Informal Communication Methods

Informal communication methods include cues and feedback. Cues can be things like the tone of your voice or the way you look at someone when you speak to them. Feedback can be verbal (like compliments) or nonverbal (like body language). Use both types of feedback to give your employees feedback on their performance. Be sure to provide feedback consistently and be aware of the different ways that your employees take feedback. For example, some employees may respond better to compliments while others may respond better to criticism.

How do you know if it’s a good time to have a meeting with them?

It’s always a good time to have a meeting with your employees, but you need to be sure that the timing is right for both you and them. Here are four tips to help you make the decision: 

1. Assess the current work situation. When is the busiest time of day and what are the most important tasks being completed? Is there a specific issue that needs to be addressed? 
2. Determine if a face-to-face meeting is necessary. Can you cover the same topics via e-mail or phone? If not, why? 
3. Consider the employee’s availability. Do they have enough time in their schedule for a meeting? Is there travel scheduled for that time period? Are they available to meet at a specific location? 
4. Be prepared for potential obstacles. Do you know what will be asked of them during the meeting? Will they need materials or backing up information?

How can you make the most of that meeting?

When you have an important meeting coming up, it’s important to make the most of it. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your meeting:

1. Break the meeting into small segments. This will help you focus on each individual’s concerns and help you avoid overwhelming the participants.
2. Have everyone complete a survey beforehand. This will help you get a sense of their opinions and preferences.
3. Make sure to allocate time for questions and discussion afterward. This will allow everyone to share their thoughts and feedback.

Do things need more planning?

When starting a new company, it is always important to plan everything out. This includes communicating with your employees. There are a few ways to do this, and it all depends on the style of your company. 

One way to communicate with employees is through memos. Memos can be sent out to all employees, or just certain groups of employees. They are great for when you want to remind everyone about something, or just have a general conversation. 

Another way to communicate with employees is through email. Emails can be sent out as notifications, or as part of a larger message. Emails are great for when you want to direct someone’s attention to something or keep everyone up to date on what’s happening. 

Both memos and emails can be formatted in many different ways, so there’s definitely a way to fit your communication style into it. Just make sure that you use the right format for the situation!

Conclusion

When communicating with your employees it is always important to be direct and upfront. If you are not telling them what you want, then they do not know what they should be doing. Always keep an open flow of communication and make sure that they feel comfortable coming to you with issues so you can help sort out issues before they become bigger problems.

There are tons of services out there to help you grow your business and manage your day-to-day operations. You need to make sure you pick the one that works for you and your needs. USEFUZE is a free service that is perfect for small businesses and does not overwhelm you with needless features. With USEFUZE you create your own profile, complete with pictures of your work and ratings from past customers that you can share with anyone as a digital business card. You can also create and instantly send professional and branded estimates and invoices to your customers and manage your pending and ongoing projects, all in one free app. To learn more, check out https://zgn7w.app.link/TFXiKSsI7qb