Employees are the lifeblood of your business and according to Gatehouse, 46% of all businesses surveyed were committed to dedicating the better part of this year to enhancing leadership communication and another 38% were interested in supporting internal change. If you’re one of these companies, consider adding one or more of these ideas to inspire better communication in 2019 and beyond.

1. Facilitate employee communication with chat functionality. The ASPEN Business Management System allows colleagues to communicate via a chat function for a more efficient workflow.
2. Use customer notes in your CRM so all employees can see the entire history and other pertinent details of any given customer.
3. Choose to explain the “why” when giving an employee instruction. It will help build trust and give them a better idea of how their task fits into the bigger picture.
4. If more than one employee notices a workflow issue or common obstacle, listen to them and make changes where needed.
5. Communicate project status updates quickly and efficiently. Make sure no involved employees are left out of the loop.
6. Create a system for accepting employee feedback. There might be some managerial oversights you’re not aware of.
7. Be clear on individual employee responsibilities on any group project. Transparency helps workers act more autonomously while still being on the same page.
8. Clearly identify problems before jumping to find solutions. Are there bigger issues at play that require more than a simple bandage to solve? Feedback from employees can also be used to facilitate these changes.
9. Conduct weekly or monthly meetings. Give employees a chance to air their concerns and questions regarding their role or any current assignments in an open and respectful environment. Even if you disagree, find ways to compromise or provide solutions where needed.
10. Make sure any and all issues brought up by employees are resolved quickly. There’s no need to let problems linger, especially if they’re affecting your employees’ ability to do their jobs well.

No matter what your aim, improving on-the-job communication between management and employees is always a great idea. Finding the tips that work best for your unique business might take a little trial and error, but the outcome will most certainly pay dividends.