If you want to dispel the anxiety growing in your workplace, build a foundation of trust built on communication. In uncertain times, employee gossip is at it’s peak and it is important to respond quickly. It is critical for senior management to talk freely and honestly with the workforce in order to keep the rumors in check. Below are five techniques to help ease employee apprehension and keep gossip in the workplace in check.
1. Be Accessible
As a senior leader, you need to be accessible and visible to your employees. It is key that, if there are problems or challenges that the company is facing, you do not wait until they have been resolved to let your employees know. Rather, keep them apprised as to the steps the company is taking and the progress it is making as the situation evolves. In challenging times, it is even more critical to be there and available to your employees. . It is not only important to communicate and to share with your employees, but to establish confidence in the company in order to keep the rumors and gossip to a minimum.
2. Don’t Hide From Bad News
You have nothing to gain by withholding bad news from your employees — they know times are tough and that your business will have to adapt in order to survive. Trying to pretend that all is well will only result in a distrustful workforce, and communicating with them will become even more tough. Letting your employees know when changes need to be made is the best thing you can do to stop rumors. When a workforce has faith in their management, they will trust they will heard bad news from the source and stop spreading rumors amongst themselves.
3. Emphasize Personal Communication
All too often, leaders communicate bad news via e-mails and memos. While it may seem more time effective when every second counts, workplace productivity is effected by such impersonal communication. Research has shown that face-to-face or voice-to-voice conversations build up trust in a relationship and also improve the clarity of your message. You may find yourself stumped by a question that you didn’t expect, but don’t worry. Your employees are much less concerned with your perfection as they are with your honest effort to communicate directly and keep them in the loop.
4. Listen
Face-to-face communication is two-way, which is a massive advantage. Many employees will be able to give you solid suggestions to resolve the challenges the company faces, but this is not the only advantage to listening to your workforce. Your employees will be motivated by the knowledge that their ideas and feelings are valued, and it can help them engage with the business and with you.
5. Acknowledge the Unknowns
Talk as honestly as you can about what you do know and what you don’t. They will understand that you don’t know all the answers yet, and will trust you more and understand the situation better by being told where the uncertainties lie. If you are unsure about the future, it is better to discuss the prospects for the company and probabilities for success rather than making promises that might not be kept.
Communication is the bedrock of good management practice, and the only way to get the best out of your workforce. Regardless of the company’s situation, make it a goal to always communicate openly, truthfully, and frankly.
Wendy”>http://www.WendyMack.com”>Wendy Mack is a professional advisor, trainer, and author with a focus in leading
and communicating change. Contact Wendy at, or Download her free e-book, Transforming Anxiety into Energy at