How Leaders Can Encourage Open Communication

Leaders need to establish an environment where their team can communicate. After all, if people feel like they can’t say what they want to say, then this can lead to problems within the business. Here are some key ways that a leader can encourage open communication.

Avoid Judgment

When people feel judged, they close off and become fearful of opening their mouths. You don’t want this to happen within your team, always avoid judging your team members when they say things or make suggestions. Instead, encourage their comments and be kind.

Always seek to get something positive out of any comments that your team makes. If someone has an idea, point out the good aspects of it. This will encourage them to talk and to speak up more often.

Give Credit

Many people love to receive recognition for their words and their ideas. If you give people credit for their ideas and make it clear that you recognize them, then they will want to communicate. After all, people love it when you recognize the good that they do and the excellent ideas that they have.

Gaining recognition allows members to feel good about themselves. Not only that, but their colleagues see the recognition, which inspires those colleagues to communicate as well. This can encourage your entire team to openly communicate as they seek out that credit and recognition.

Ask the Right Questions

You want to ask open-ended questions and for feedback. When you ask open-ended questions, you encourage your team to throw out ideas and to consider different options. This leads to open communication and giving people the opportunity to share their ideas.

As for feedback, you put yourself in a vulnerable position, which is a good thing. Your team sees that you want to improve, that you value their input and that you care. By showing your willingness to hear the truth and to gain feedback, you encourage them to do the same through communication.

Conclusion

Open communication can provide a variety of benefits to a business. By encouraging your team and showing appreciation for their comments, you can create an environment where people feel safe to communicate their ideas.

This article was originally published on http://matthewlittlemore.com/

The importance of teamwork for a successful business

Within the past few years, it has become increasingly more apparent that the companies who are good at boosting the idea of teamwork are standing out as more successful than ones who focus on a few key players. Much like in sports, if the team serves as one cohesive unit with a common goal, they will go further than one with a few heroes who get all the attention. There are several reasons why teamwork is encouraged.

Communication is a key element to any successful team. It’s important to remind your staff that they should not only offer assistance and helpful guidance to each other, but you are also available to mentor or assist with any issues they may be having. Teams who respect their leaders will have a much higher chance of succeeding.

Brainstorming sessions are defined as spontaneous ideas offered back and forth by a diverse group of individuals. Ideas can be bounced off others or be expanded on. It is a free-flowing, creative environment that reinforces the fact that there are no bad ideas. This leads to an abundance of suggestions and a higher likelihood of a solution to a problem. Brainstorming only works within a trusted group that is willing to share information with each other. Cooperation is key if working on a team. 

Another reason that a team is more successful than an individual is the concept of perspective. The old adage ‘there is no reality, only perception’ holds true because everybody has different ways of seeing the world. The more perspectives and points of view you can aim at a problem, the more well-rounded picture you will have. Studies have shown that more diverse teams bring more perspective and creativity to a business than ones who hire only one demographic.

Another way that people differ is by their skillset. Each of us has talents in certain areas. The more we match the right person to a task, the more productive the team will complete a project as a whole. In addition, each team member will feel a sense of accomplishment for being able to do work they are good at. This, in turn, increases morale.

This article was originally published on http://matthewlittlemore.com/