Research has consistently shown that this climate of close communication in organizations has these six distinct characteristics:
1. EMPLOYEES ARE NOT VALUED
The employees here are not a repository of information. They are not much listened to and feel that they are making significant contributions in their workplaces. How you listen to them will largely determine whether they feel valued or not. Nothing is more demoralizing than asking employees for suggestions and then ignoring them, without clearly explaining why. When you ignore your ideas, you are sending the message that your opinions don’t count. When employees don’t believe their opinion counts, they feel distant and insignificant. Ultimately, this affects the attitude of the employees, which, in turn, affects customer service. On the other hand, when you acknowledge an employee’s suggestion, whether or not you implement it, you build trust in the company and reinforce to employees that their efforts can improve the organization. In essence, employees are happier and more motivated when they feel they are appreciated and treated with respect.
2. THERE IS NOT A HIGH LEVEL OF TRUST
Trust forms the foundation for open communication, employee retention, and employee motivation. Confidence is empowering. People who trust the people they work with are confident, open and honest, willing to take risks, less resistant to change, and inclined to act trustworthy. Conversely, people who mistrust the people they work with tend to be less productive because they feel lonely and unsupported. Trust in an organization promotes cooperation, compromise, and the free flow of ideas. It can help an organization survive and gain competitive advantage. A key factor in maintaining a high level of trust is always telling the truth.
3. CONFLICTS ARE NOT RESOLVED POSITIVELY
Conflict in itself is not good or bad, it is simply unavoidable. Make it work for you by using it to invite a normal give-and-take dialogue with employees. When faced with conflict, keep an open mind and listen. Consider the employees’ feelings about the situation and find areas within your position that you can both agree on. If possible, strive to win/win. If you don’t have conflict, you don’t have innovation or creativity.
4. CREATIVE DESCENT IS NOT WELCOME
Surveys have consistently shown that most employees are afraid to question or disagree with their superiors. However, in an organization where leaders are committed to fostering a climate of open communication, dissent is not only welcomed but rewarded. Employees are encouraged to think, question and make independent judgements, and to take responsibility for changing the way business is done. One way to encourage employees to think is to start an employee suggestion program. This allows employees to come up with ideas on how to improve the company, and in turn, they are rewarded for it. Being able to express unique ideas allows the employee to feel like they contributed to the company in a positive way.
5. EMPLOYEES ARE NOT WELL INFORMED
While gossip can be a credible source of communication, to avoid misunderstandings and communication problems, it’s best to use formal means (meetings, memos, email, etc.) to keep employees informed about what’s going on within the organization . If these tools are not put into practice, then you are putting your company at risk due to lack of knowledge, interaction, support and formal communication.
6. EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION IS NOT REQUESTED
In any serious world-class quality endeavor, a key requirement is that all employees (regardless of race, gender, religion, culture, language, sexual orientation, age, etc.) at all levels, be fully involved their capabilities. Employee input is key to an organization’s success. Don’t limit open communication to just staff meetings. Create a questionnaire or complaint form where employees can express their concerns in a guaranteed confidential manner and then discuss it openly during a meeting. This method will help provide information about your company that you may or may not know and will also establish a sense of involvement, improve working relationships and employee safety.
