Employees Can't Hear What You Think

Business owners are frequently frustrated that their employees don't act as expected. Ironically, employees are often frustrated because they're not told what's expected of them, and many other things.

Business owners, because they are owners, spend lots of time thinking about the business. They think about all aspects of operating the business, solving problems, making improvements, and other important matters. Because of all this thinking, owners are intimately familiar with what they believe should be done, when it should be done, how it should be done, etc.

Unfortunately, the communication of this information to employees is usually brief and incomplete. Important instructions are often delivered in one or two communications, with the belief that employees will then be as thoroughly familiar with this information as the owner who's been mulling over the same matter for days, weeks, or even months. The result can be a dramatic mismatch between the owner's understanding of an important issue and the employees' much lesser appreciation of the same.

And, as you might expect, this lack of information, or lack of thorough understanding, can significantly impair employee performance. Performance is harmed not only by the lack of clear direction, but also by the damage to morale, personal commitment, and personal growth that results from depriving employees the information they need and want.

So what should you do? —Consider the following suggestions:

Recognize and understand the problem. Most employees don't receive all the information they want and need. Also, recognize that the problem lies with you, the owner, and the communications processes.
Communicate comprehensively. Don't assume that, because you understand what you are saying, others do also.
Don't assume understanding comes easily or quickly. Repeat your messages, especially important ones. Often, information isn't absorbed and retained when first conveyed, and may require many repetitions to fully sink in.
Communicate to your employees about lots of things, not just direct instructions. Include discussions of values and your ideas about the future of the enterprise.
Use multiple methods for communicating: oral, written, physical demonstration, etc. Different people learn in different ways. And everyone benefits from the repetition and the varied perspectives on an idea or topic.
Make praise a regular feature. Without praise, employees don't know what they're doing right. If you want employees to keep up the good work, let them know the work is good.

Remember that employees can't hear what you think — only what you actually communicate to them. If you improve your internal communications, you'll probably improve the performance of your employees, and thereby improve the performace, success, and profitability of your business.

To learn more about a simple approach for building a successful, high-performance business, see How Business Really Works.