How you communicate with employees matters so much more than just the words and ideas you convey. At work, your communication skills are critical to building and maintaining trust.

When you communicate with employees, you’ll want to gain and build their trust. That leads to quick clarity and understanding.

Lead with empathy

Create a sense of togetherness when you share information, showing how it affects all of you in similar ways.  You can also show compassion by recognizing how it will affect the team or individuals in different ways.  Your caring tone of voice and body language are as important as the words themselves.

Be transparent, accountable

Employees want to trust what their bosses say. It’s important to treat workers as adults and be direct and truthful, especially when it’s bad news. Be transparent, explaining what you know, how you know it and how and when you’ll share more.

Communicate regularly

Managers can’t just drop information on employees and let it sit. You want to make sure employees don’t feel ignored after you’ve shared critical information.

The best way to maintain trust and employee engagement is to communicate relevant information often. Add “Ask Me Anything” discussions or daily email updates to your communication tools.

Make it a two-way talk

As much as you share information, you’ll want to get input and insight. Use employee voices to communicate up the line of management, sharing their valid concerns and expectations. Even better, schedule time when employees can communicate directly with higher management for productive exchanges.  Avoid gripe sessions.  Complaints should be accompanied by practical solutions and suggestions that benefit the entire team.

• Please take a moment to read this month’s Using Electronic Onboarding in DNet and What is my Team Culture? articles, these blog articles are a great source of information.
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