Communication - Why it's key to your team's Productivity and Wellbeing
Learn about the importance of open communication in the workplace and find out how to improve communication with your team
Quality over Quantity
Quality communication that achieves your objectives and doesn’t waste your time is the managers’ Nirvana. As a manager, unless you are a Time Management ninja, you may often be time-poor.
And effective communication is one of the first things to go flying out the window when you're in an endless daily grind. One common complaint is sitting in endless meetings that don’t seem to be effective. If you are more present than participative, i.e. you sit there pretending to be engaged but actually, your mind is wandering; you are catching up on emails or just thinking about all the things you could be doing if you weren’t in the meeting, then you're not alone. It's a common complaint among workers in all sorts of industries and General Practice is no different. It can feel like a waste of time, especially when it seems like quantity is chosen over quality.
So, there’s the illusion of communicating, but is it really achieving anything?
And not all communication methods are created equal. There are lots of different types of ways to communicate, and each has its own purpose. Some are more effective than others, depending on the goal, the situation or the people involved. So, ask yourself: what is the purpose of this communication or meeting? Is it likely to be effective?
And take a moment to consider your goals. Are you happy with the progress you and your team are making? Do you feel like you could be doing more? If your answer is the latter, then it might be time to rethink your communication methods. The truth is, we can all get stuck in a rut, doing things the same way day after day, even when it's not working. But if you want to achieve your goals, sometimes you need to switch up your methods and try something new.
So, how do you make a big impact with little time and energy?
Communication is a big subject, so I’m going to focus on a few simple but powerful aspects that will help you achieve your goals and have a hugely positive impact on your team’s productivity and wellbeing. So, what should you focus on to ensure interactions with staff accomplish this?
The following is a concise version of a 54-page study called:
Hustle Culture and the Implications for Our Workforce
Arianna Balkeran City University of New York
Bernard M Baruch College 6/8/2020
The Link between Open Communication & Staff Productivity and Wellbeing
Availability – Managing by Walking Around
If I could give new managers one bit of advice, it would be this one…
Managers who are accessible to their staff can have a big impact on employee morale.
This sends the clear message that you value their input and are interested in hearing what they have to say. This can go a long way towards increasing engagement and overall job satisfaction. Access staff have to their managers has a direct correlation with employee morale. When your staff feel valued, they are more likely to be motivated and invested in their work.
Clear Role Expectations
Lack of clarity in any role is linked to increased stress. No or inadequate onboarding for new employees is also one of the top reasons staff leave, so it is clearly linked to staff retention.
‘Staff who have clarity over their role and expectations clearly communicated to them, might be better able to manage stress and pressure. Staff who cannot cope as efficiently without managerial intervention often don’t have clarity over their role or expectations of that role. And open communication regarding role expectations and professional performance is beneficial for everyone.
’Excerpt from Hustle Culture and the Implications for Our Workforce
Arianna Balkeran City University of New York
Bernard M Baruch College 6/8/2020
MBO Management by Objectives
First introduced by Peter Drucker in his 1954 book “The Practice of Management”
Management by Objectives aligns team member goals with organisational objectives, so team members feel more motivated and included at work. Amongst other things, the MBO model focuses on enhanced clear communication through monitoring team member performance at regular reviews.
Open communication allows for the development of strong professional relationships. These positive working relationships lead to further increases in employee happiness and performance. Feeling valued and supported in their role is fundamental to motivation, satisfaction and performance.
We’re in this together – Avoiding the ‘Them and Us’ Syndrome
When everyone is working together towards the same goal, great things can be accomplished.
Practices are composed of individuals working together towards common goals. For a GP Practice team to be successful, there must be an understanding of how each person or team contributes to achieving practice objectives and valuing each other’s input is key to avoiding the ‘them and us’ syndrome between practice teams. This clarity enables them to work together more effectively and efficiently. As a result, practices benefit from having staff who clearly understand the inter-relational connection between theirs and their colleagues’ roles and responsibilities
Authenticity and Trust
Authenticity and trust are essential for any successful exchange, whether it's between managers, partners and your staff or any other type of relationship. People need to feel safe to speak up, be heard and know their opinions will be respected.
So, what are authenticity and trust? Authenticity refers to the quality of being genuine and trustworthy, while trust is the belief that someone or something is reliable. For these exchanges to be completely authentic and transparent, managers must encourage a culture of open communication to strengthen the quality of professional relationships in the workplace. Your staff will then be more likely to trust that their voices will be heard, and observations acted upon. This is closely linked to the ‘no blame’ culture and one can’t flourish without the other. T
The culture of Authenticity and Trust can only be built on mutual respect, so leaders need to set the example by being respectful toward staff. Only then can Authenticity and Trust begin to flourish in your practice.
Flexibility – Everyone is different
In any work environment, it is important to remember that everyone is different. What works for one person might not work for another. That's why it's so important for managers to have a flexible approach when it comes to staff. It's vital to understand the type of support each employee needs, in addition to understanding the kind of support the team as a whole needs. By taking the time to understand these individualised needs, managers can create a more positive and productive work environment for everyone involved.
So how do you identify what would make a more effective way to approach each member of your Team?
Firstly, identifying team roles through a Belbin analysis can be very insightful and secondly, using a profiling tool to get a deeper understanding of your team members’ unique take on the world and their preferred communication styles, so you can engage staff and communicate in a way that works for them. See this link for information on TetraMap https://www.tetramap.com/articles/ a profiling tool I use. It’s fun to use, simple and effective
Saying Thank You - Everyone loves a bit of recognition
It seems so simple but how often do you take the time to do it? It costs nothing and makes a huge difference. As human beings, we all know this from personal experience of how it feels to be on the positive end of a thank you. Staff satisfaction for both work completed and being a team member are positively linked to managers taking the time to thank them.
Being flexible in your approach
An essential observation for leaders, specifically transformational leaders, is to adapt your leadership style to your staff. So, it’s important that you know yourself and what your leadership style is. ‘Know thyself, as the famous saying goes.
Conclusion
Open Communication
Clear and open communication is essential for any organisation to function effectively. Your staff need to know what is expected of them in their role, and they need to be able to give feedback on their performance. When staff feel they are in the loop, they are more likely to be satisfied with their job and to perform at a high level. Open communication also helps to build strong professional relationships within an organisation. When staff know each other and feel like they can trust one another, they are more likely to work well together. Open communication is therefore essential for increasing employee performance and satisfaction.
Virtual and Face-to-Face Workshops 2022
And finally…I hope you enjoyed this short introduction and found it helpful, although it only scratches the surface of how great communication is accomplished and like many other skills managers are expected to magically perform, very often you wouldn’t have learnt this at school. So, if you would like to learn more, then please feel free to get in contact to find out about my Communication Skills Workshop running throughout 2022.
See the contact form on my website www.gabbyprowsetraining.co.uk or simply email me at gabbyprowse@gmail.com for more information.
I’m also running virtual and face-to-face workshops on…
Effectively Managing Conflict
This workshop is for anyone in healthcare right now. There are many different reasons why patients get angry. Some will be a one-off and some will be repeat offenders. Like everything else in life, it takes experience and training to deal effectively with other people. This workshop will equip staff with tools to increase their confidence and ability to handle conflict and will include skills such as assertiveness - learning how to reframe your conversations, stay calm and get the best outcome; dysfunctional patterns; escalation and how to avoid it; the conflict cycle; emotional intelligence & a difficult conversation blueprint.
Assertiveness – Your Superpower
Assertiveness underpins everything we do in all aspects of our everyday life and let's be honest, being genuinely assertive isn't easy and for many people, it's not a natural skill. It's much easier to be submissive or aggressive in difficult situations or when dealing with difficult people. In this workshop, you’ll learn some very practical tools and techniques that you can use to integrate into your everyday life. Learn how to set boundaries, communicate your needs and improve your interpersonal relationships.