There are several obstacles you may encounter when you are an internet or home-based business owner. However, the most prominent one can also result in being the biggest problem. Communication between yourself and your employees, as well as your clients, must be direct, explicative and most of all understood.
Getting any business message across is paramount to the success of not only the business, but the success of employees or clients as well. In fact, communication only works when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication.
The following tips for your consideration will not only make sure everyone involved has the same line of understanding, but will also allow you to save time through accurate and complete information.
* Any negative aspect should be dealt with in private: Most employers are aware of the possible humiliation and resentment which could occur as a result of being reprimanded in public, such as the weekly staff meeting or conference call. Some employers believe that publically pointing out mistakes or problems will result not only in their personal appearance of power, but also that it will ensure the employee in question doesn’t make the same mistake again.
This couldn’t be farther from the truth. If there are any negativities needing to be addressed, the best way to handle this is either in private at a separate meeting, by email sent only to said employee and not the entire team, or by telephone if needed. This will avoid ill feelings and embarrassments on behalf of the employee.
* Any positive aspect should be made public: Your employees will go that extra mile if they see you giving praise or recognition for their achievements. Most people thrive on positive feedback such as making a comment or two complimenting them on how quickly they finished a project, or learned a new task enabling you to trust them with other assignments.
* No Yelling Allowed: If you yell or raise your voice when communicating with clients or employees it simply shows them you are unable to keep self-control. By staying calm while addressing a particular issue, you will be ensuring positive interpretation of the problem at hand.
* Get to the point: Saying “Do a better job” or “You’re making too many mistakes” are comments that are often too vague for people to relate to. Vagueness leads to these statements being useless to your employees. Elaborate on what exactly it is that you are not pleased with. This permits the person involved to take note of the issue, thus making it easier to avoid in the future.
If your issues of miscommunication involve messages sent via the internet, a whole new set of issues can arise. Such problems could include poor grammar or spelling. Not only do these situations shed a negative light on your performance abilities, but it also makes it difficult for the receiver to decipher what is asked of them. If you are aware you have issues in this regard, practise regularly the use of proper grammar, as well as spell-check when available.
By following these simple guidelines you are establishing healthy communication among your team. Whether in the office next to yours or the other side of the country, it is paramount to ensure all relevant communication is sent in a way easily understandable by all parties involved.
