Effective Employee Communications

I always believe that keeping employee communications a priority helps keep organisation improve in its performances – an engaged workforce would mean more success.

Proper communications do help in eliminating misunderstanding and assumptions, and also help to encourage a healthy and peaceful work environment. An age-old aphorism goes - “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” It’s a profound learning process that we must pick up along the way. Efficient communication with the team and all will make work done effective and professional.

Here you go:

Setting the right tone

We tend to encounter employees who try to test boundaries, and see where is good for them to test your limits. However, be sure to display confidence and keep the tone right. Seriousness is key and important for employees especially when you meet the uninterested ones. They must understand and keep in mind the message sends across. If information sent across are seemed to be unimportant, employees will reciprocate the same.

Use simple terms and words & articulate well

We want everyone to be on the same page and yet not everyone is able to understand the same if you use bombastic words to communicate. Keep messages simple for everyone to understand. You do want to keep explaining yourself on any pointers and everyone forgets what was communicated before that.

Listen to your employees

Communications are never meant to be one-way. Always encourage your employees to speak or open during group discussions so that they can be guided properly. You never know, we may have other employees who are also having the same questions in their head, and assume their ways of answers.

Use multiple forms of communication channels

Everyone gets message across in different means. You’ve employees who are good listeners, others who are needs assistance in visual communications while more who digested messages slightly slowly as they need to go through your messages repeatedly. Whenever possible, distribute your messages in all different channels such as e-emails, posters, face-to-face, presentation slides etc.

Plan the communications – Feedback & Q&A

I’m sure no one stands in front of their employees stuttering, and cannot explain any pointers during the session. Plan it out and ensure that the messages are brought across coherently. You might want to have a check-box to ensure that you do not miss out any information. It is also good to have some answers prepared for Q&A session.

Encourage feedback during communications. It gives you the chance to know that your message has been brought across and also to measure the effectiveness of communication.

Effective Exit Interviews

Exit interviews are conducted on the last couple of working days with the employees and are administered by the Human Resource (HR) department. We should give exiting employees that we are keeping information in strict confidence and they can speak their piece of the mind.

You are not conducting exit interviews to keep the employee nor persuade the employee to retract the resignation. You want to find out on what can be done further to mitigate or reduce the rate of resignation.

Always explain the purpose of exit interview

We need to address to the exiting employee that the exit interview is not conducted to put blame on anyone but to prevent further losses to valued employees. You want them to speak the truth as much as possible to have an accurate assessment or analysis for any changes ahead.

Conduct in private, and must be one-to-one

Never let employee think that you’re ganging up with someone to forcefully question him. More interviews might look intimidating and exiting employee might appear less reluctant in honest speeches.

Have a set of standard questions ready.

You need the information for further assessment and analysis. Set standard questions, however, if you feel that you need the employee to elaborate further, you should write it in where appropriate. The set of questions may change accordingly for different level of employees. You might want to understand a different point of view from the rank-and-file and also the management and executives employees.

Keep all info in strict confidence

As much as you don’t like others speaking behind your back, then do not be the shit-stirrer. No matter what the employees has said, all information should be dealt properly with strict confidence. Assure the exiting employees that information is used for assessment and be used anonymously. This shows the professionalism of the HR team too.

Tabulate all information

If the reasons on why the company cannot detain valued employees and are the key reasons on highlight, you might want to set up a committee from different HR functions to come together to explore possible ways to prevent further losses. Some actions can be acted upon immediately but of course, if there are major improvements to be acted upon, it takes time and justifications to convince the management for approval.

Should you allow the transfer of employees?

Employees always want freedom, and want to have a job rotation to have a learning exposure within the environment. They are increasingly becoming common, but sometimes you might need to question on whether it’s the right move.

There are some things you might want to factor into consideration

Team culture and dynamics

Will the new entrant be a good fit with the current culture of the team? Is the transfer happening because the employee is not performing in one aspect and is requesting for a transfer to explore other areas to excel in. Is the employee requesting a transfer a quitter because he defines himself not suitable for the role or does he have a thirst for knowledge?

These can be uncovered through the current team mates of the person requesting the transfer. It will help you assess his personality and work ethics.

If he is requesting for a transfer because the employee do not feel like he is performing in his current role, more training and adequate exchange of information and feedback could be used instead of a transfer.

Current problems in the current team

Understanding the fundamental reason for the request of transfer is important – especially if you understand it is because of the person they are reporting to. Talking to their peers could also give you a hint with regards to why the request for transfer is happening.

You might want to nip the problem in the bud rather than risk a lot more request for transfers or an increasing in resignation rate.

Conduct Interviews

You will want to ensure that the person work ethics and mindset is like the team before transferring the person to the team. You will want to have a better understanding of the motivational forces behind the transfer, and understand the person’s strengths and weakness would make a good fit for the team – hence you will want to treat the current employee like an external candidate.

You will want to know how have the current employee performed, and to have a proper justification of how are they able to value add to the team. Managers would also want to understand how the person have contributed to his current team, before deciding on accepting him into the team. If the potential employee is really keen on the transfer, the employee should have done adequate homework before attending the interview.

You could also consult the managers the employee is interested in joining. The manger, should also feel potential and to ensure good team synergy between the team members as well as the new entrant.

Hiring the right person is key for start-ups – But how do you ensure that?

Being a start-up, your usage of resources is fundamental. You always think that the person whom you hire should and most importantly be able to contribute to the success and sustainability of your company. With this mindset, you set out in a search of looking for anyone with the skill set you are looking for.

The right people do not just come along with the right skill set, but also with other factors. You want to hire someone who will help establish the long-term success of your company.

These are other methods you could use to ensure you are hiring the right person for the start up.

Look within

That’s right! You should look within your current new hires. Being part of the team, and understanding the cultural fit – you should consider providing an incentive for your team to recommend someone else to join the team. The person they have recommended should have understood the team culture and the limitations of the company well, for them to provide some recommendation.

This is more important if you are looking to bring someone more senior into the company. Evaluate your current new hires and assess if they are suitable to have been promoted, and allowed to acquire that role.

You can also approach your customers for some recommendations, as they are the proper people who understand your deliverable.

Internship Program

Engage academic institutions to provide you interns. These interns would not just only bring about their academic knowledge and skills, but also about awareness of you as an employer. During their internship, you can assess their interest and skill set.

If there is a perfect fit, then you will be able to have a well-rounded new hire who does not require training.

Target competition

These group of people already have the skillset and knowledge required for the role. Getting your competitor’s employees is the best group to acquire with minimally training cost. However, they might be passive candidates – and if you are worried about face, you can always engage recruitment agencies like us to activate your search for you.

How to Brainstorm Efficiently

When it comes to brainstorming, there are a lot of ways one can tackle the overwhelming amount of content that needs to be translated to paper. From keywords to pie charts, the meat of the meeting usually lies in how effective the brainstorming portion turns out to be. Here are some of the methods that can ensure an efficient brainstorming session.

Summarize The Problem In 7 Words

The first step to ensure that the brainstorming group is in the right direction is to identify the crux of the problem. What is the problem that needs to be solved at the end? Once the problem is identified, attempt to formulate it in seven words to create a purpose statement that can keep everyone on track. Seven words give the statement good allowance for keywords to stay and clears up any contradictory intentions.

For example, a restaurant needs more ideas on how to improve its customer retention system. This can be affected by its menu items, service crew, location, prices, and promotions. In order to brainstorm about a solution, pick one aspect and trim it to its most dominant factor. Say the final problem statement is, “High prices make the restaurant seem exclusive”, then the ideas will concentrate around the factors that account for such high prices, and subsequently solve the ambiance issue. 

Come Up With Ideas Alone First

When a group of people come together and everyone is trying to speak over the other, most of the ideas get lost or people concentrate on a singular point collectively. Instead of getting everyone to chip in, consider giving at least 15 minutes for each member to deliberate about how they will tackle the problem alone. This way will allow everyone to work on the same problem with their own set of objectives and creativity.

Brainstorming loves a myriad of ideas. Once all the ideas are presented, identify the advantages and/or disadvantages of certain points that are interesting, and continue working from there.

Remember To Take Action After

Most of the times when brainstorming fails, it is because after the session, no action is taken with regards to what was discussed. It is understandable that the generated content is usually heavy and varied after an intensive session, but leaving the discussion to quietly fade into oblivion is not the solution here. If no concrete action is taken after the session, then the efficiency of brainstorming will never be tested.

Consider employing someone to take the minutes of the meeting. Afterwards, craft feasible action plans to enforce the solutions, and keep track of its progress. Have specific teams monitoring the results. If something works or does not work, bring it up during the next session. There is a reason why these points were brought up in the first place, so immediately incorporate it back into work and prove that it can add value to the company as a whole.

4 Ways to Make Meetings Effective

Let's be honest - As much as we know that meetings are important and key to communications for everyone, most of us hate attending them. Usually, what goes on at the back of your mind during the meetings are the the pile of documents waiting for you to be settled at your desk to be completed today. 

Below are some ways we have put together to ensure that meetings are valuable and productive. This will also make sure that uses every attendee’s time fruitfully.

Start Punctually

Waiting for the latecomers will only mean that you agree and able to accept their late coming. That's a big no no. If the content of the meeting is really important, latecomers will eventually be on time to avoid any inconvenience for others. Of course, the person who have arranged for the meeting has to ensure that the meeting content is worth everyone's time.  

Set out a clear agenda

Agenda of meeting should be set out clearly two to three days prior to the meeting and the time needed for each topic should also be indicated. Topics should be as specific as possible so that the presenter may also know the key pointers to share. This will help attendees identify the topics during the meeting. This also gives the presenters a better gauge of time to move forward if they are next in line.

Presentation (Visual & Aural)

While we may think that aural presentation is sufficient to catch the attention of all attendees, we want our content shared during the meeting to be clearly communicated. Presenters must always go into meetings well-prepared with presentation slides, write-ups and figures. More often than not, graphs and images help in shortening meetings when every one of us can comprehend so much faster in seconds.

Everyone to Contribute

Meetings are meant for attendees to contribute their ideas and input suggestions and polls, with regards to the topics presented. Not for people to attend boring presentations. Such session is critical and to ensure that participants are engaged and important decisions are made during the meetings. To be polite, you may want to get allow people voice out non-urgent thoughts after the meetings. 

Benefits of Punctuality

Ever thought of the impression that you are giving to others each time you are late for appointments? You may not have realised but being punctual does help in improving work performances.

Besides, i'm sure you only want positive impressions. Either be punctual, or be ready to get judged.  

Be 15 Minutes Early!

Be it if it’s for work or appointments, being punctual clearly show the importance and respect you have for the person you are meeting. Your time is as precious, as it is for others. Yes, we're talking to you although you may be the Managing Director of a established company.  Your employees would appreciate the respect they deserve. 

Meeting deadlines

Put in some effort to reach office early or even on time to give yourself ample to settle down before the day begins. This reduces any stress and pressure that you may be lagging behind your colleagues in work completion. I’m sure you want the other party to have confidence and faith in you when you meet them up for discussions and as much as they trust you to finish within deadlines when they hand the projects or assignments over to you.

Professional Punctuality

This is utmost important in workplace and it shows as a professional way to be trustworthy and reliable. Always keep in mind that while you delay any submission or miss any deadlines, you are also keeping others from finishing their work. In such a interdependent work environment, never give your colleagues any opportunity to have a bad impression of you or see you as someone undependable.

Always Ready

Being ready a couple of minutes before any meeting will give you ample time to easy your mind and time to relax. Ensure that you are ready to give your best before meetings while you collect your thoughts and get ready. 

The distinction between working for a leader and working for a manager

The fact exists that sometimes when employees leave organizations, they are not quitting on the company, but rather their bosses. This fact is often hidden under the piles of other reasons during the exit interview process, or during a new job interview process. People know not to talk bad about their previous employers as it might hurt the chances of landing their new dream role.

The following are the main distinctions between a manager and a leader.

The difference between controlling and influencing

Leaders influence, motivate and empower towards the effectiveness and success of the organization, whereas managers direct and control employees towards accomplishing that goal. Leaders see problems as opportunities and think of solutions, together with their team. They excite their people and focus them to solve problems and excel. On the other hand, managers formulate strategies, policies and methods and get their people to execute to reduce unnecessary risk to get the tasks done.

The difference in the personality styles

Leaders usually come with great charisma, and are not risk-adverse. They encourage risks and usually will go against “status quo”. Managers take on the more rational, realistic approach and are control problem solvers. Their main focus would be on how to accomplish the goals and coming up with a structure to attain the goals based on the available resources. Their personalities are more geared towards persistence, strong will, analysis and intelligence.

The people they are managing

The people the leaders are managing are followers. This is because leaders are very people-orientated and they have the emphasis on leading people. Managers, on the other hand are leading subordinates because they are mainly tasks and results orientated.

There is no right or wrong in choosing a leadership style over the other. It really depends on your current situation such as the people you are managing, and their preferred working styles. The best bet is to engage your current employees, and understand the urgency of situation before deciding that one leadership style is more superior compared to the other.