Build Healthy Communication Habits on Your Team

Are you making sure your staff’s voices are heard? Are you open to their ideas even if they differ from your own? Do you allow your staff to give you feedback? If you can’t answer yes to those questions, it may be time to reevaluate your team’s communication.

Clear and honest communication is crucial to creating a positive work environment and limiting turnover. Here are a few ways to build this healthy habit within your team. 

Respect 

No matter what, make sure that your team knows you appreciate their creativity and willingness to contribute new ideas. Even if their idea isn’t incorporated into how the business operates, your employees want to know that they are heard and their thoughts are valued. 

When they have this confidence, they feel more encouraged and inspired at work. In fact, in one recent report, 58% of employees cited respect as their top work-related motivation, right in line with work/life balance and health benefits. 

If they don’t feel respected or appreciated, the opposite could hold true. Make sure that your staff knows you are willing to listen and talk through issues and concerns. If they can’t communicate openly, this could lead to built-up resentment and negative work culture. 

Transparency 

If you are transparent in your communication with staff, they are more likely to be transparent in their communication back. Regardless of the situation, whether you’re implementing a change, navigating a major obstacle, or just working an average day, you should be honest with your team. There are plenty of ways you can soften some bad news, but honesty is always the best policy. 

Being up-front with your team members helps build a culture of trust. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that when there is more trust in the workplace, employees are 23% more likely to offer up unique ideas and solutions. 

Goal-Setting

In a previous blog, we discussed how to set SMART goals. Do you want your staff to feel like you are on their side and support their career growth? Make this an open conversation and help them stay on track. Help them develop goals that will benefit their personal growth, as well as their professional role.

Research shows that when goals meet the needs of both the employee and the organization, employee performance increases by up to 22%. 

You are likely already tracking metrics (especially if you already use the XenonChex platform), so apply this to their goals as well. 

Safety

Are you prioritizing the safety of your staff in addition to your patients? Creating a culture of safety will protect your teams and encourage them to raise their voice if they see an issue that could cause harm. This is especially true in the post-pandemic workplace, where 73% of employees fear that returning to the office could compromise their personal health and safety. 

Establish a way to report incidents and errors and make sure that everyone on your staff is aware of this process. If an error occurs, be ready to respond and look for ways to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 

Morale  

Get employee feedback on ways to improve the work environment. Your staff is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best way to improve morale is to talk to your staff and find out what is important to them. 

Some ideas may include giving back to the community with a day of service, providing mental wellness days, incorporating team-building activities, or improving benefits to meet the needs of your staff. 

When you prioritize morale, it will show in workplace performance. Researchers have found that happy employees are up to 20% more productive!

You may understand that communication is key, but you also need to be prepared to listen! A great step you can take to create a transparent workplace is incorporating XenonChex. Our platform can provide you (and your staff) insight into inefficiencies so you can start having valuable, actionable conversations. 

Ready to take the next step? Schedule a demo to learn more!