Communication can do wonders for any workplace and knowing how to most efficiently hone your communication skills and truly get your team talking is the first step. Company efficiency is defined by communication. To build family business efficiency, take a look at our tips below:
Know Your Team:
You should first take the time to learn what your team is like, learn what they do well, what they need help with, and what they want to aspire to within the company. Employees are more than a resume and more than a number and getting to know your team is one way that you can truly start to improve communication. Knowing what your team is concerned with and what they are doing is going to be the first step to really communicating with your team.
Develop Skills:
You then need to start to develop skills and develop your team as a unit rather than as individual people that have to work together. It is always going to be more helpful if you take a moment or two to really give your employees a chance to voice their concerns and let you know what they think they need more work on. Developing skills can make a huge difference and can truly help your team come together and can help you to improve communication both within the team and overall.
Communicate Often
You need to make sure that you are communicating on a regular basis. Allowing employees a chance to talk about what they are concerned with, what they want to share, and what they think needs improvement can help keep the avenues of communication open and can truly help you to keep communication lively within your team. You are going to have a far more successful time working and getting your team together if you take the time to communicate with them frequently so that they can really tell you what is wrong and what they feel needs work.
Inspiration:
Inspire your group to do more. Give them something to aspire to, something to really try for, and they will continue to talk with you and share their thoughts. It is going to be much easier to talk with a group if you give them something that they can point their work toward and something that they can try for.
Allow Feedback on Your Own Performance:
Allow employees to tell you what they think you could be doing better. It is always best to give your employees the freedom to tell you what they think you can improve on so that it does not really seem like you are always criticizing them.
Recognition:
It is always good to recognize when someone does well. Tell them that they are doing the work well, that they are improving, that you like the way they do this or that and you are sure to get a better feedback overall. Allowing them the chance to feel as if they have accomplished something and as if they are improving will help keep them on track for goals and help them to achieve more.
Goals:
Set goals that are lofty but still attainable. Do not set goals that are not going to be something that cannot be reached. Make sure your goals push your employees but still keep in mind that they need to be accomplished. Make sure you are setting goals that are also going to bring your group together.
Listen:
You should always listen! If one member of your team has concerns, allow them to voice them; allow them the opportunity to be heard. Take the time to really listen so that your employees feel valued and so that they feel as if they have a place within the company. This style of management in the family business can help immensely.
Support:
If your team needs support, offer it to them. Make sure that you give them the help and support that they need to accomplish the goals that you and the rest of the team set. You should be sure that you are allowing them to make mistakes but when they do that you are helping build them up and helping them towards improvement.
Coaching:
You are the spearhead of your team. Make sure that you are able to coach them and get them to the end goal. Take the time to really improve your own skills so that you can get your team in top shape, ready to improve, and ready to grow together and as individuals.