If you are in any type of leadership position you really need to ask yourself, do you inspire trust and loyalty in the way you communicate? One of the first areas that I look at with a management team who is experiencing trouble with motivation and disengaged employees is how they are communicating with their employees.
Trust inspires motivation and loyalty. It means that employees are willing to go the extra mile and put their best work forward. If a leader is not communicating trust that an employee can feel, it can mean high employee turnover, poor attendance, and lack of attention to client needs as well as negative office gossip which can kill moral.
Getting Their Trust!
Getting and keeping an employee’s trust takes time but time is also what can kill trust when they repeatedly disappoint. The following is not a quick fix, yet it can make or break a department and an organization. Here are three ways to unsure your employees feel that you've got their back and will want them to have yours!
1. Keep your word
You must mean what you say. Don't be quick to respond before you have all the information. Going back on your word time and time again erodes trust. If new information is presented which serves to change your mind, respect your employees by bringing them together and explaining why you've changed your mind. When leaders flip flop on a course of direction consistently employees don't take any course of action seriously.
2. Respond in a timely manner
Nothing tells a coworker/employee how important you think they are then by how quickly you respond to their request for information. You may have 500 emails sitting in your inbox but frankly employees don't care. What they do care about is getting the response that will enable them to do their job effectively. Giving a timely response let's them know they matter and so do their efforts. You'll find it difficult if not impossible to motivate a team that doesn't feel they are important enough for a timely response.
3. Communicate in a professional manner
Whether you are writing an email or speaking face-to-face be sure you are communicating professionally. Don't send out an email that is written in anger or without proper proofing. Don't raise your voice out of anger or frustration. It shows a lack of control on your part and leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the person you directed it to. Even though the matter may seem forgotten months later, it could cost you an employee down the road and leaving you wondering what happened.
As leaders in our companies we have to understand how our words, tone, nonverbal expressions and interactions are coming across to those we communicate. Be aware of how you communicate and how your communication can affect others. Don't let poor attention to poor communication ruin your leadership ability.
Best,
Nicole
Trust inspires motivation and loyalty. It means that employees are willing to go the extra mile and put their best work forward. If a leader is not communicating trust that an employee can feel, it can mean high employee turnover, poor attendance, and lack of attention to client needs as well as negative office gossip which can kill moral.
Getting Their Trust!
Getting and keeping an employee’s trust takes time but time is also what can kill trust when they repeatedly disappoint. The following is not a quick fix, yet it can make or break a department and an organization. Here are three ways to unsure your employees feel that you've got their back and will want them to have yours!
1. Keep your word
You must mean what you say. Don't be quick to respond before you have all the information. Going back on your word time and time again erodes trust. If new information is presented which serves to change your mind, respect your employees by bringing them together and explaining why you've changed your mind. When leaders flip flop on a course of direction consistently employees don't take any course of action seriously.
2. Respond in a timely manner
Nothing tells a coworker/employee how important you think they are then by how quickly you respond to their request for information. You may have 500 emails sitting in your inbox but frankly employees don't care. What they do care about is getting the response that will enable them to do their job effectively. Giving a timely response let's them know they matter and so do their efforts. You'll find it difficult if not impossible to motivate a team that doesn't feel they are important enough for a timely response.
3. Communicate in a professional manner
Whether you are writing an email or speaking face-to-face be sure you are communicating professionally. Don't send out an email that is written in anger or without proper proofing. Don't raise your voice out of anger or frustration. It shows a lack of control on your part and leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the person you directed it to. Even though the matter may seem forgotten months later, it could cost you an employee down the road and leaving you wondering what happened.
As leaders in our companies we have to understand how our words, tone, nonverbal expressions and interactions are coming across to those we communicate. Be aware of how you communicate and how your communication can affect others. Don't let poor attention to poor communication ruin your leadership ability.
Best,
Nicole
