Written by: Ivonne Zucco, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
By now, it is probably fair to say that the world has changed radically and that nothing will go back to the way it used to be before the pandemic. This is not a fatalistic view, but an indisputable fact demonstrated, for example, by the job market. The Great Resignation has forced employers to adapt their operations and get by with a significantly reduced workforce. Individuals who lost or quit their jobs are finding it challenging to get noticed amongst other qualified candidates.
Even those who maintained their roles through the last two years are burnt out and perhaps also asking themselves if they need to make a different choice. No matter where we are in this domain, we are all adapting. As we adapt, we must invest time and improve our practices to get to a better place. There is basic work that companies and individuals cannot afford to skip because the cost of carrying dysfunctionality, talent turnover, and unproductivity is too great. The most important foundation and pillar to building trust and cohesiveness is effective communication.
Workplaces could have used some improvement in communication before the pandemic. However, now that virtual work is here to stay, communicating successfully is even more critical. The pace of work has changed, and the time people have gained with less commute and distractions is wasted due to an overload of virtual meetings and slow decision-making. Moreover, what could have been accomplished by a short talk in the office, might take five to six emails to resolve if you’re lucky. We create fertile ground for unproductive efforts, loss of trust, and unhappiness at work when there is no clarity on team roles and responsibilities, and personal connection is lost.
There are many frameworks that could help your team communicate the right way. Training with an experienced facilitator or business coach can help you implement a structure that is right for your workplace. As you think about how to approach the subject, be sure that you are covering at least the three following domains:
Alignment:
How has your business changed? Is your team aligned with your mission? What is your organization’s culture, and how is it reflected in the work you do? What is the message you wish to convey to your clients and staff?
Clarity:
Are your goals clear? Does your team know one another and understand what motivates them to be part of your business? How are you measuring success? How does your team know they have done their job right?
Frequency:
How often do you communicate your messages to your team? What communication channels do you use to transmit it? When leading a team, repeating your message in many different ways could be beneficial rather than overwhelming because people have many matters to pay attention to.
For many years we were convinced that there was no other way to find success but to work long hours and juggle our personal lives with high work demands. But when people had to stay in their homes to take care of their families and health first, they discovered that life did not have to be a choice between personal and career fulfillment. Now employees are setting new rules on how they want to work, and because the demand for talent is high, they can. As the dust settles, we will figure out if remote or hybrid work is sustainable. Until then, focusing on training your workforce and yourself on effective communication is your best key to success.
To learn more details about the three domains to communicating successfully, click here or visit the articles section on my website.
Ivonne Zucco, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
As the Founder and CEO of A Better Story Coaching, Ivonne's mission is to work with individuals searching for fulfillment and balance in their careers and with companies working towards intentional culture change.
We are currently experiencing a significant shift in humanity. Because of the worldwide health crisis, individuals have learned that there is much more to life than working 12 hours a day. For so long, we believed that the only way to be happy was to follow the old script of working hard to obtain financial security and sacrifice our health and relationships to buy things to make us happy. Today people are learning that:
Life balance is more important than wealth.
Creating memories is more important than obtaining accolades
Financial security does not mean more money; we can live with less
Finding meaning in what we do is the only real fuel to living a successful life
Ivonne works with those looking for clarity and purpose using a pragmatic approach to help them advance from where they are to where they want to be. Bilingual-bicultural (Spanish-Latino).
