How to Teach Young Team Members the Importance of Communication
Good communication skills are critical in the workplace. As our world becomes more digitally connected, it’s easy to lose touch with essential skills of communication that help us succeed at work in the real world.
Digital natives (like Gen Z and Millennials) make up an increasingly large part of the workforce. These generations have always had the internet at their fingertips and likely a smartphone close at hand. With several years of the COVID -19 pandemic necessitating social distance and the subsequent rise of remote and hybrid work models creating a different divide between workers, communication skills have fallen behind the times. Confusion, frustration, and distrust can flourish when workplace communication fails, leading to disengagement and higher turnover.
The last few years have been filled with uncertainty, and the threat of a recession means more challenges lie ahead. But whether you’re building relationships, managing conflict, explaining objectives, or planning for the future, effective communication sets the stage for success.
Improveyour team’s communication skills with these 5 activities:
- Engage in team-building activities. People have different communication styles, and an activity designed to be educational and fun can help your team understand how to communicate more effectively. For example, divide your team into pairs. Ask one team member to describe an image from a prepared set of cards and another team member to draw that image strictly from the speaker’s description. Use the results to clarify how to give clear instructions. Let the participants share what was helpful in the instructions and what kind of communication might have produced better results.
- Encourage an interactive culture. Set your team up with the right tools for nuanced communication. If in-person meetings aren’t possible, tools such as Zoom can open lines of communication among employees and create a more personal connection.
- Hold more frequent check-ins. Show employees the importance of communication by taking the time to meet with them. Model good communication skills such as active listening, open body language, engaged posture, and good eye contact. Avoid checking email or text messages, and give them your undivided attention. Practicing good communication skills will create a more productive and engaged workforce.
- Solicit feedback. Communication isn’t just talking—it’s also listening. Asking for feedback and showing younger workers how to accept and incorporate constructive feedback can be a great way to improve communication on the team.
- Prioritize workforce communication training. Workers at all levels can benefit from communication training. With the right techniques, it becomes easier for your employees to address conflict, bridge differences in work style, and solve problems as a group.
PrideStaff is here to help.
Whether your team is on-site, remote, or hybrid, our national staffing firm can deliver hardworking, qualified candidates who will work well with your team.
How can we help you reach your goals? Contact your local PrideStaff office today to start a conversation.
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