Team members often complain that communication in the workplace is lacking. Emergent leaders on the other hand state they communicate plenty, and struggle to find more time to communicate more. As a result, I’m often asked about how other organizations manage to keep their employees satisfactorily informed, engaged and on track with their projects. Contrary to what many leaders believe, addressing all your team members’ communication needs/concerns doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. The time you invest in improving communication with and within your team will always pay off. And while there are many other ways to improve communication in the workplace, I have chosen to stick with the three super effective strategies I come across the most with my clients.
Below I go will go through 3 communication touch points you can adapt and integrate into your workday to improve your perceived communication “score” with your direct reports:
1) Team huddles (either daily or weekly)
- some do them weekly, other clients hold them first thing every morning.
- these are brief, informal and basically serve to set the tone for the week or the day by describing what needs to be completed, and allow for everyone to share where they are at;
- can improve collaboration between team members;
- can help break down silos and connect the dots between the work everyone is doing;
- can provide an opportunity for individuals to ask for help/support;
- I’ve also seen these used as an opportunity to celebrate wins and/or express gratitude for co-workers;
2) 1-to-1's (most commonly weekly or bi-weekly)
If you are not in the habit of meeting everyone on your team on a regular basis, you are missing out big time on an opportunity to connect with the members of your team. With practice, most of my clients carry these out in 30 minutes. It takes some getting used to – for both you and your direct reports, but if you are consistent with the structure, the learning curve will be shortened. It is also helpful to inform your direct reports of the structure beforehand so that they can prepare for the meeting. You may also ask your team members for feedback to ensure these 1-to-1’s is at the service of their work. For example, you may ask “How are you finding the format/length of these check-ins?” “How could they be improved?” With time, you’ll all become more efficient at them and will probably be able to shorten the time and structure to best suit both of your needs.
Below is an example of how a 30-minute 1-to-1 could look like:
Personal Check-In (5 minutes)
Begin the meeting by checking in on how your direct report is doing personally, how they're feeling about their work and if they have any concerns or challenges outside of work that might be affecting their performance. Some may open up, others won’t. It’s ok – don't force it. You can also ask questions like:
How are you feeling about your workload this week?
How are you coping with your workload?
Is there anything outside of work that is affecting your ability to focus on work?
What can we do to better support you now?
Progress Check-In (10 minutes)
This is the time to review progress on current projects or goals, review any upcoming deadlines or deliverables, and discuss any potential roadblocks or issues. You can ask open-ended questions like to encourage more thoughtful discussion:
How is the project going?
What obstacles or challenges are you facing?
What have you tried?
What can I/team do to help get you to the finish line?
Delegation (5 minutes)
If there are any tasks or responsibilities you want to delegate to your direct report, discuss them here. You can explain the task or responsibility and why you think it's a good fit for them. And probably the most overlooked step here is “painting it done”. What does this project or task need to carry out or look like once completed, in as much detail as you can provide. This isn’t micromanagement because you’re not telling them how to do it, you’re simply being kind by providing them with clarity of what you need upfront. If you can’t describe the final product, you’re not ready to delegate the task nor will you be setting your team member up for success. Take the time to map out a project timeline (include milestones/deliverables with descriptions of what needs to be completed by milestone dates – don't simply give a due date for the final project). You can ask questions like:
How would you feel about taking on this task/responsibility?
Can you describe for me what you understood from my instructions? (and make any corrections if necessary).
What concerns do you have about taking this on?
What do you need from me/team for you to be successful with this?
What other questions do you have around this project?
Support (5 minutes)
This is the time to discuss any resources or supports that your direct report needs to succeed in their role. This might include training, mentorship, or additional tools. You can ask questions like:
What is missing for you to feel more confident in your role?
What is missing for you to feel more confident about the project you’re working on?
Are there any areas where you would like more support or guidance?
Career Development (5 minutes)
Here, you can discuss any career goals that your direct report has and talk about what steps they can take to achieve those goals. You can ask questions like:
What are your short and long-term career goals?
What are you currently doing to achieve these goals?
What skills or experiences would you like to gain in the next year or two to get you closer to your career aspirations?
Coaching (5 minutes)
Finally, this is an opportunity to provide feedback and coaching to help your direct report grow professionally. You can ask questions like:
What would you like feedback on?
What are some areas/skills you would like to improve upon?
Overall, this framework provides a balanced approach to ensure your team members feel seen and heard, while also addressing work and long-term development needs in a way that empowers your team members to grow and succeed in their roles.
While time may feel tight, you can adjust accordingly. Some team members may need more support than others, some weeks may be a little more pressed for time than others due to natural business cycle needs, but the consistency in these meetings is a reassuring contact point for your direct reports and ensures that dialogue is always open with everyone on your team. No one feels left out. No initiative falls through the cracks.
3) Walk-abouts
Help build report with all staff members. Make sure you meet with everyone equally to avoid being perceived as having favorites;
Can evolve into coffee or lunch breaks;
Create opportunity for casual conversation so that 1-to-1's can be reserved for agenda items;
Help grow your network;
Grow the breadth of your influence.
When inter-personal relationships are actively honed, it not only helps with employee retention and engagement, but it can improve collaboration. As one of my clients put it, “I underestimated how much grace the people I really got to know well at work extend if I mess up or need help.” And he’s not alone in seeing this. When you show that you care about your people and help them succeed, they tend to return the favor – even if you’re the boss. They see you as a human being and want to help the person behind the title.
There you have it! A lot can be accomplished during these communication touchpoints, even reducing the need for focus time interruptions.
What communication touch point strategies have you practiced with your teams?
What has it done for the productivity of individual team members and the whole team?
What challenges are you still experiencing when it comes to communicating with your team?
1. If you are still looking to further improve your leadership skills, let me recommend starting with an affordable course:
→ The New Leader’s Survival Guide: Time Management
→ Stand Out From The Rest: Communicate Like An Effective Leader
2. If you are looking for a more customized leadership development experience, leadership coaching may be the better option to get you to your professional development goals faster. Book a complimentary “Discovery Call” to discuss your goals and see if working with a leadership coach might be the way to go.