Listen Up
This first step helps you stop making assumptions. Consider setting up anonymous suggestion boxes and check-ins during staff meetings or scrums. Ask, “Is there anything we should be paying attention to?” Don’t be afraid to meander a bit off the agenda when a good discussion erupts.
Be Transparent
Internal communications often default into bulletin-style info shared only when management deems it worth communicating. This approach leaves employees in the dark. Do you know what happens when there’s a communications gap? It gets filled, but not necessarily with the correct information.
Communicate
Often and consistently. Create a schedule and a communication policy so people expect connection, appreciate inclusion and know what’s expected.
Talk About it
Team brainstorms are great, but some team members may be uncomfortable sharing in group settings. Set up coffee meetings in quiet spots and listen. By respecting people and giving them a chance to communicate, you activate a powerful engagement tool.
Walk the Talk
To grow a great company culture, don’t just point to a framed mission statement during meetings. The best way to communicate a cultural norm to your internal community is to demonstrate it in how you work and reflect it in everything you do.
Robyn Quinn is president of Big Bang Communications, a digital communications consultant, and a champion of meaningful corporate culture.
This article is from the February/March 2019 issue of Douglas.
