Communicate Better With Your Teams, regardless of Where They Work From.

During neXt 3 years, the 3 Possibilities we will be one or combination 3 ways of working

• Option One : Hybrid,
• Option Two : Remote or
• Option Three: In-person.

Better communication begins with three basic elements as identified by the Communication Index by Gallups:

1. Accuracy 
2. Openness  
3. Timeliness.

And two more which are recommended (good to great) are 

1. Feeling Cared for  
2. Well-Prepared.

The most important type of communication, however, is about what's expected of Teams.

Businesses aren't generally spectacular at communicating expectations, only about half  of all team members strongly agree that they know what is expected of them at work (it's significantly worse in scientific, technical and computer-related jobs). 

The best way, maybe the only way, to communicate expectations is through frequent manager/employee conversations.

Some good habits can juice those conversations in a hybrid world. The best thing which works during these Pandemic are having a weekly One on One, having people contribute their ideas in a shared document (like Padlet) during virtual meetings to ensure collaboration and accountability. 

But content and consistency are key, and managers who learn how to conduct the conversations that matter are very likely to improve engagement, employees are 2.8 times likelier to be engaged, for instance, when they regularly talk to their manager about their goals and successes.

Communication That Influences Performance

Over time, those conversations fuel a positive feedback loop of communication. They build relationships and trust. They spur success. But they've never required propinquity. Managers who learn how to conduct the conversations that matter are very likely to improve engagement.

Seriously, never. Businesses have been asynchronous and distanced since business was invented. Archeologists have unearthed tens of thousands of messages between coworkers scratched onto clay tablets in cuneiform, dating back thousands of years -- including some crabby feedback from a disengaged B2B customer, proving some things never change. 

Most of our communication today is digital even when in-person talk is possible. Hybrid work isn't new. In many ways, it's actually the norm. Effective communication is not the norm, but it could be.

During the pandemic, many leaders learned a whole new level of transparency, timeliness and empathy. Those are great traits in a communicator, and leaders should keep them.

Above all, don't worry about communication in a hybrid workplace -- because it's not where employees are that matters. It's what they hear.

Want to explore the possibilities of implementing these, invite me for a talk and let's explore

Suresh Babu S, Performance Coach ( www.sureshbabus.com )

[email protected] &WhatsApp +919945226624