When it comes to company performance, the degree of success can come down to one competency: communication.
When you have a company with 50, 250, 2,500 or over 10,000 employees, what can you do as a leader to keep everyone focused on mission critical activities and not get distracted by side-shows?
Here are seven ways that leaders can leverage the monthly Town Hall, one of the most effective tools in team communication. These elements will ensure you have clarity in your mission and all of your employees are following your lead.
Emphasize firm goals
Give an update on year-to-date company SMART objectives and make it easy for everyone to see how their contributions are impacting the firm’s ability to meet objectives. Be careful to avoid using financial phrases or other jargon, such as EBITDA and COGS, that some people do not understand. Rather, use language that is common to everyone and brings enthusiasm to the whole team.
Convey your vision
End every meeting with an upbeat tone and repeat the vision statement that your organization lives by. This shared sentiment is the reason everyone is showing up every day to give their best ideas, their hard work and their honest effort.
Share good news
Town Halls are a great place to share company news whether it is a new product announcement, new client engagements, or the company’s birthday. These events bring people together.
Articulate obstacles & challenges
Communicate areas where the firm is working through challenges. Make it clear how employees can communicate their own ideas to contribute to new solutions, innovations or other ways to help.
Ask for help
Town Halls aren’t only for company announcements, they’re also a great way to garner support for new projects and initiatives that are just getting started or need new ideas.
Demonstrate firm culture
Use specific language that reflects your culture when talking about any of your topics. Is your company agile? What is your risk tolerance? What do you expect of your employees and what are they promised in return? Consider your word choice carefully based on how you want people to feel and behave.
Listen to understand
Take questions from your employees and answer them with honesty. Whether you ask for questions to be submitted in advance or whether you take them on the fly in real time, incorporate a few minutes of the Town Hall to listen to what is on the minds of your employees, you can benefit from this information.
Choose Your Metric: Bringing people together for a Town Hall strengthens your team. By carefully choosing the agenda as well as inviting various leaders throughout your organization to present, you’re bringing everyone closer to the company’s shared purpose, and they’re instinctively motivated to work together productively to achieve the mission and the goals that are laid out before them. There are many important forms of communication leaders must use, and Town Halls are a form that when embraced, can lead your team members to form better working relationships on a consistent basis resulting in better outcomes. Click here to set up a consultation now to learn how to choose your metric.
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