By Zachary Amos
Dramatic shifts in the economic landscape have hampered morale and productivity in many organizations. However, it’s not because more employees are insisting on remote work, as some executives have said. Ultimately, a motivated workforce stems from transparent communication from the top. The real question leaders have is how to incorporate this practice effectively.
Transparency Is Key to a Motivated Workforce
A Gallup survey shed light on how well companies communicate with their employees. Only 27% of respondents felt their supervisors kept them updated about current trends at work. A mere 29% said their managers actively supported them through changes.
Transparent communication goes a long way when building trusting relationships with workers and motivating them for excellence. One study demonstrated how this approach to disseminating information through authentic leadership instills trust and confidence and inspires employee engagement.
Another study found that transparent communication directly affects employees’ willingness to embrace change and keep their anxiety to a minimum. In fact, a combination of providing accurate information and including teams in implementing change was most impactful. Corporate consultant Reggie Butler believes leaders must adhere to three principles of transparent communication in modern workplaces:
1. Communicating one’s feelings. This means demonstrating vulnerability while highlighting personal fears and uncertainties.
2. Timely information sharing. The sooner employees receive updates, the more equipped they are to handle emerging challenges. This is particularly important for reducing stress and apprehension when an organization is restructuring or laying people off.
3. Clarifying changing information. Thirdly, leaders must recognize how information may change at a moment’s notice. One can’t always control external circumstances and must adapt accordingly. As developments occur, managers need to relay any crucial updates to team members so they remain empowered.
7 Tips for Business Leaders to Communicate Transparently
Organizational leaders and middle managers can boost workplace productivity when they communicate transparently. Not everyone knows the best ways to do this, though.
Striking a balance between sharing information and avoiding inundating employees with communication is critical for the most effective messaging. These seven tips can help leaders adopt this essential skill for motivating the workforce.
1. Be Clear and Truthful
Clarity and concision are the cornerstones of transparent communication. Employees want leaders to provide factual and relevant information, even if it’s bad news. This means being direct throughout all messaging and avoiding complex language and industry jargon.
Being honest also requires leaders to own up to mistakes and admit when they don’t understand something themselves.
2. Explain the Reasoning Behind Decisions
Employees may not understand what motivates leaders to make decisions about the company and workflow. Eventually, they may begin to feel indignation or fear without being given a reason for particular actions.
According to a 2024 survey on workplace changes, 47% of respondents said recent changes made them worry about job security, while 44% said they weren’t sure why change was necessary at all.
Leaders must back up changes by explaining why they are essential. This approach will hopefully get workers in agreement and eager to be an active part of the transition.
3. Provide Regular Updates
Business leaders must provide regular updates about the company and team if they want to cultivate trust among employees. Otherwise, employees may become unsure about what they’re supposed to be doing and disengage.
Managers must effectively communicate clear objectives for success. Using different communication channels, such as email, internal communications systems, and company-wide meetings, may be the easiest way to broaden the reach. Another method could include a monthly newsletter sent through email.
However, organizations must be cognizant of how many updates they give at once. Communication overload through too many channels may overwhelm teams, making information difficult to process and causing inefficiencies.
4. Reinforce Purpose
While many employees learn about the company’s mission and vision when they start their roles, they may forget the overarching goals over time. Organizations should reinforce the purpose of hard work and the value of employees’ contributions to motivate teams.
Displaying workplace objectives on signs throughout the office makes the mission visible to everyone. Leaders should also occasionally revisit these corporate statements and ensure they align with the ideals of progress and innovation.
5. Demonstrate Empathy
Empathy requires a person to practice active listening and demonstrate understanding of another’s feelings. Empathetic leadership matters to employees and can help managers craft the correct messaging for teams. Making oneself approachable and available is equally important.
Empathy affects transparent communication by cultivating trust, respect, and rapport. In turn, leaders create an open and collaborative environment for everyone to share their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and opinions. An empathetic leader is also capable of resolving conflicts and preventing small misunderstandings from turning into significant problems.
6. Embrace and Act on Feedback
Transparent communication is a two-way street. Therefore, leaders do themselves the greatest favor by encouraging teams to offer feedback—this means creating a safe and comfortable space where they know there won’t be repercussions.
Employees will feel more inclined to deliver recommendations they believe will enhance the work environment and their daily tasks. Receiving feedback from employees is only beneficial if managers act on it. Otherwise, what’s the point in fielding areas for improvement?
Making changes based on employee insights can make team members feel more valued, confident, and motivated to work harder. Workers are more likely to view their employer as someone who truly cares about them and is deserving of their efforts.
More from AllBusiness:
How Transparent Is Too Transparent?
While practicing transparent communication in the workplace is best, there comes a point where leaders should hold back some information. These instances include oversharing personal details that are unrelated to what the team is trying to accomplish or discussing confidential information.
Internal matters—like negotiations, potential mergers, or restructuring—should also be avoided as they may cause employees to feel anxious.
Holding back select information protects employees’ privacy, prevents misunderstandings, and preserves leaders’ authority. It also keeps employees focused on what matters most and supports productivity.
Communicating Transparently Builds Business Success
The art of transparent communication sets the stage for organizational success as leaders mobilize and motivate their employees. It creates a healthier work environment where executives and managers foster trust, loyalty, collaboration, and innovation among teams. Although overlooked by some leadership, transparent communication has proven itself an essential skill to learn.
About the Author
Zac Amos is the Features Editor at ReHack, where he covers cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and HR tech. His insights have been featured on VentureBeat, TalentCulture, and DZone. For more of his work, follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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