Team and Management Communication is a Two-Way Street
Team leaders have a tough job when it comes to communication. You have to adapt your communication style to get the most from team members and do it again when you’re communicating with upper management. While you’re going through hoops to communicate the right way, it may often feel your company leadership doesn’t have a clue what your team contributes to the bottom line of the business.
It might feel like they just send down “commands” that are outside of the scope of your team. How do you deal with it? Is there a way to influence and manage what comes your team’s way?
It’s a fact of life these days that businesses must change quickly to respond to rapidly changing markets. To help your team be a winner instead of a victim of changes, communication should be your top priority. Upward, downward and sideways communication!
Be careful not to let your team get too caught up in their day-to-day work and forget that management must be kept informed. Your team has the responsibility here. And your role is the messenger. Do you have an established procedure for keeping management abreast of what’s happening with your team? If not, it’s easy to set up.
How to Keep Communication Channels Open
First and foremost, make sure your team is aware of the objectives of the overall business and that the team’s objectives help make the business objectives successful! Each team member should understand how their role enables the business to meet those objectives. Second, establish a regular communication channel with management. Here are some suggestions.
- Communicate regular status reports.
- Invite a management team member to one of your team meetings.
- Present ideas for regular communication “up the line.”
- Link your communication to bottom line objectives.
- Ask your management team how and how often they want communication from your team.
- Indicate your team’s desire to help the company be successful.
Having an open communication channel can help your team be the winner. Awareness, by management, of the impact your team makes on the business can help you influence the boundaries of the work you receive. Awareness, on the teams part, of the overall business issues can help your team seize opportunities that can make you even more successful.
How do you keep the communication channels open? Please share your ideas.
About Denise O'Berry
Denise O’Berry — aka the Team Doc — has been working with teams and team leadership in the public, non profit and private sectors for over twenty years. Follow her @askteamdoc.
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Anita Bruzzese is a syndicated columnist for Gannett/USA Today on workplace issues and the author of “45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy.” She has been on the Today show, and quoted in publications such as O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, Self.com and BusinessWeek.com. Her website, 45things.com, is listed on the Forbes top 100 websites for women.
Author and speaker Wendy Komac is a long-time turnaround specialist who has helped save companies by focusing on changing under performers to exceptional workers. She is the author of I Work with Crabby Crappy People, a humorous and highly informative book about achieving happiness and success.
Alexandra Levit’s goal is to help people find meaningful jobs - quickly and simply - and to succeed beyond measure once they get there. Follow her @alevit.
Eva Rykrsmith is an organizational psychology practitioner. Her passion lies in bringing a psychology perspective to the business world, with the mission of creating a high-performance environment. Follow her @EvaRykr.
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Thanks Eva. I’m glad you liked the article.
Denise O'Berry Reply:
May 30th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
@Maj Gen B K Bhatia, you are so right. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Listening is a critical skill for a team leader — to both what is said and what is not said.
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