For many entrepreneurs, one of the most challenging aspects of scaling up is hiring new staff.
Finding the right people and the right mix of people, training them on their jobs, your expectations, and the company culture can be a daunting task.
And that’s the easy part.
Retaining good staff members is just as critical as hiring them. In today’s complex workspace, there are many aspects to employee retention, including flexibility, tailored benefits and conscious team-building, among others.
None, however, is as vital as good communications with your staff.
Being a good communicator requires diligence and hard work, especially if you adopt the strategy of being a “committed communicator”: someone who takes full responsibility for the success of all his or her communications. This means no matter how clearly you thought you were speaking (or writing), no matter how much care you took and detail you provided, if the recipient(s) did not hear what you wanted them to hear, you accept the responsibility.
This seems crazy, difficult, indeed impossible to some people. Yet ultimately, investing in this practice pays substantial dividends. Forcing yourself to communicate as clearly and thoroughly as possible — and at the same time, being mindful of how your words are being received and the responses you are generating — vastly reduces the number of miscommunications you have to deal with.
Here are a few key components of being a committed communicator.
Gradient What kinds of communicators are on your staff? Do they speak plainly and prefer straightforward communications? Are they sensitive or tend to speak hesitatingly? Do they generally listen well, or do they get distracted easily? The more you understand about how each person on your staff communicates, the better you will be able to communicate with them. Being mindful of gradient cannot devolve into favoritism; everyone is different, and your awareness of this is a great communications asset.
Tonality Whether you mean to or not, does your way of speaking come off as gruff or harsh? Distant or too friendly? Angry or too meek? Many communications experts will tell you that how you say something — your tone of voice, your expressions, your body language — is at least as important as what you say. This may sound silly but rehearsing important conversations in your head and even practicing them in front of a mirror can significantly improve your communications success.
Listening Successful communication is always a two-way street. Dialogues are better than lectures. Within bounds of reason, being always willing to listen to your staff builds trust and connectivity. Plus, the more you listen to how people respond to your communications, the better you can track whether they heard what you wanted them to hear, which then gives you the opportunity to clarify anything that may not have been received as intended.
Consistency Everyone has ups and downs, but yours cannot be reflected when communicating with your staff. Good day or bad day, keep your style the same. This also relates to the frequency and timing of communications. Keeping people informed and involved definitely helps build a sense of team.
Honesty It goes without saying that lying to your staff is a recipe for disaster, but honesty means more than that. If your business is facing some headwinds, let people know — they may even have some good ideas for dealing with them. Your staff doesn’t need to know every detail, but lies of omission are as problematic as lies told outright. Similarly, if someone’s job performance begins to slip, have a quiet, thoughtful conversation as soon as possible rather than waiting until a major problem occurs. In general, when things start going down the wrong track, they only go further if they are not addressed.
Entrepreneurs have a million responsibilities, and spending extra time being a committed communicator may seem impossibly wasteful. But it is time very well invested, vital to retaining a high-quality, productive, committed staff.
Keith Twitchell spent 16 years running his own business before becoming president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macro-business levels.
