Communication Coaching
I believe firmly that most issues that come up in the workplace generally stem from a lack of clear communication. Often business owners are caught up in trying to win work that they forget to communicate the details of what they are trying to achieve within their business. This can leave staff members feeling irrelevant and excluded from what the business goals are and how they are connected to them.
My opinion of an ideal leader is one that engages their staff and seeks their input on major operational issues. The ideal leader removes hierarchies that make less experienced staff feel their input is not worthwhile or significant. The ideal leader listens to staff when they have suggestions, makes sure they feel heard and appreciated for their input regardless of their ideas coming to fruition. The ideal leader hires the best people and lets them shine to their fullest without fear of them showing them up or out performing them.
We all need goals to aspire to and if you aren’t given any opportunity to add value to a business, motivation will most definitely drop over time. It is the business leader’s role to keep staff engaged and to encourage and inspire their people to improve their performance. How do we do this? Meet at least once a quarter to discuss both their wins and areas they need to improve or develop. Keep raising the bar to ensure they don’t take their foot off the pedal and get too comfortable in any one position for too long.
Business owners need to take the time to speak to their staff when the business is under-performing to gain their feedback on what could be the cause and how things could be improved. There can often be a broad range of opinions as each individual sees the world uniquely and some are better at seeing detail than others. Involving employees in solution strategies means that you have multiple brains creatively working to solve a problem versus one or two.
The additional benefit of involving staff in solution strategies is when it comes time to implement significant operational change, the staff will already be on board. They will see why the change is needed, how it will work to improve the business and understand how the change may impact their day to day operations. If your staff don’t understand why something is happening, a seemingly great idea can bring terrible outcomes for your business.
In summary, listen to your people, make them feel heard and valued. Ensure they leave each day thinking ‘My boss really gets me and understands my strengths and what motivates me.’ Meet with your staff one on one regularly and get to know them not just as an employee but as a human being.
