How to communicate effectively in the workplace

Working in retail relies heavily on effective communication. That means that everyone needs to be on the same page in order for each day to run smoothly and with very little problems. As retail normally involves customer-facing duties, it’s good to make sure that everyone in the workplace is working together to satisfy the customer. Here are some tips on how to communicate effectively in the workplace.

Make it clear about who is in charge

With a lot going on and what is a very busy environment, it’s important to have individuals in charge who can maintain and manage the employees. Whether that’s a manager per floor or supervisors, who look after a group of people on one particular shift. Ensure you’ve got those people in charge so that they can relay any information to their colleagues quickly and when needed.

When picking those to be in charge, you want to check that they’re right for managing. Some people have a natural ability to do it, whereas some people struggle with it. So make sure you’ve given those individuals the proper training and support.

Take advantage of technology

Technology is about to take advantage of so make use of two way radios when it comes to communicating in a large space or building. The worst thing that you can do is to shout across the room. It sounds aggressive and also if there’s other staff or customers within the space, it can be a little off-putting or annoying. 

Look at body language

Body language is probably more important than what you say. If you’re not careful, you may be saying something completely different in your body language than you are with the words coming out of your mouth. We notice and react differently with our bodies, so look at how your staff are communicating through the body not only with each other but with customers.

It’s good to share these observations with certain staff members, especially if it’s affecting their work and how well they are performing. The same goes for anyone who’s managing staff and how they can use body language to be more inviting and engaging.

Have 1-2-1 meetings

1-2-1 meetings are needed pretty much in all companies. It can benefit from having that more personal work relationship between the manager and the staff member. It helps understand where communication can be improved or has broken down and as a result, needs fixing. Try to make it as regular a thing as possible. Whether that’s once a week, once a fortnight or month, the staff member will appreciate this active opportunity to communicate their thoughts and feelings in relation to the job and anything in their personal life that directly affects it. 

Being able to communicate well within the workplace is going to help incredibly. So work on these tips in your own business, and you’ll notice a difference in no time at all. From personal meetings to using technology, there’s so much you can do to improve communication.