Recently, as new generations started to take over the workforce, there has been a shift in perspective of business values. The focus for businesses and workers used to be driven by profit margin and income. Now, there has been an urgency for businesses to focus on other fundamental core values, such as flexibility, strong company culture, diversity, and inclusivity.
When you have successfully created an inclusive work environment, you will have a team of employees from all different backgrounds that feel heard, understood, trusted, and valued within their workplace. Inclusion brings about higher levels of productivity, innovation, and engagement, which result in strengthened relationships. Diversity and inclusion begin with recruiting, but communication is what plays an integral role in creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace.
Communication, both in and out of the office, allows for individuals to connect with each other. Without proper communication, issues are often left unresolved, expectations are left unclarified, and there is a lack of trust that threatens productivity and retention. Once you have created a culture that makes your workers feel valued and included, people will wake up in the morning happy to go to work.
What are some effective communication strategies to create an inclusive workplace?
1. Clarity and Transparency
Setting clear and transparent methods of communication creates a positive work culture that facilitates growth, efficiency, and relationships within the workplace. To create a concise message, refrain from using filler words and keep the message you are trying to relay simple and to the point. It is imperative to a job function that the missions and values of the company are understood, as well as job expectations and standards.
2. Give and Receive Feedback
Feedback is essential when it comes to productivity and making sure that jobs are being performed to maximum capacity. Learning how to properly give constructive feedback is equally important as learning to receive feedback. This means that asking questions and active listening are major components to successful inclusive communication.
A great way to consistently give and receive feedback is to schedule monthly or quarterly one-on-one meetings. This is the perfect time to clearly verbalize job expectations, give feedback on performance, and receive feedback on how processes can be better facilitated.
3. Team Building Events
Team building events are a great option for creating an open and including team of workers. These events are not only a fun time, but they also reduce stress and promote strengthened relationships between workers, as well as higher levels of employee happiness.
Your company could host a company picnic, intramural kickball team, an after work happy hour, or even something as simple as giving out popsicles on Fridays!
4. Company Q&A Sessions
A quarterly or annual Q&A session between the top managers and their team members is a great strategy for creating inclusive communication within a workplace. Q&A sessions allow employees to prepare questions to ask their superiors to help resolve any issues, build trust, and to give employees a voice in the company.
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