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Hubspot
How do you speak to your employees? Seriously. Take a minute to think about it.
Are you loud? Are you demanding? Are you friendly? Are you supportive? Are you funny? Silly? Mean? Complicated? Do you speak with them at all?
If you’ve never thought about it, it’s time to start. The communication styles you use in employee interactions set the tone for how your company does business.
Don’t believe me? Follow along.
Communication shapes any interpersonal interaction. You know that to be true. Those interactions set the tone for the environment in which you work because the environment is basically made up of all the people working together.
The work environment at any given company helps to form the corporate culture. If you haven’t caught the buzz lately, your corporate culture really does dictate how you do business. It seeps into your products, services, customer interactions and your brand image.
And it all is influenced by—and starts with—your internal communication styles.
Choose Positivity
Communication that invokes positive interactions is the best way to go for business. It improves employee relationships, boosts workforce morale and empowers employees to do the best work they can. All of these things lead to:
• Improved employee productivity
• More effective workplace stress management
• Increased employee engagement
These benefits stem from and contribute to a sense of positivity, which can be a very powerful thing in the workplace. It’s a business approach you can take simply by communicating positively with your employees.
Productivity
There are a variety of studies that illustrate the impact a negative attitude has on a person’s brain. This one—and this one, here, actually—found that exposure to emotional or negative words can physically damage the part of the brain that helps us to make memory associations. These memory associations are what your employees use to maintain productivity at work.
Along the same lines, this study done by experts at Stanford University shows that the stress of negative situations shrinks the hippocampus—the part of the brain your employees need to solve problems and take some initiative.
Ultimately, negativity isn’t just annoying or hard to work with. It’s counter-productive. Negative environments and communication styles weaken your employees’ sharp-thinking skills and squash “can-do” attitudes.
Stress Management
A lot of the theories about positivity and optimism are based on the idea that positive people are more resilient. They thrive through difficult situations and can bounce back from stress and struggles more easily. What that means is that positive people are just better able to handle everyday stress.
The stress we all face in our daily lives is often caused by an increase in cortisol—or the “stress hormone.” Increased levels of cortisol make us feel more stressed. How we respond to changing cortisol levels is how we respond to stress.
This 2013 study took a look at the cortisol levels and responses of optimistic and pessimistic people. What they found was incredible. Pessimists usually had higher baseline levels of cortisol than optimists. But they also had more trouble regulating that hormone when faced with particularly tough situations. It was a lot more difficult for them to return to normal. Optimists, however, better managed stress in similar situations.
This goes to show that the benefits of positivity aren’t just psychological. Our bodies physically function better. That can be seen in how optimists manage and bounce back from stressful situations.
Engagement
Employee engagement is a business strategy that’s on the rise. And for good reason! One study revealed that 66% of highly engaged employees reported no plans to leave their company. Only 3% of engaged employees were looking elsewhere. Those numbers for disengaged employees are 12% and 31%, respectively. Engaged employees are good to have around, and they stick around.
Positive communication drives positive interactions and positive feelings about the work being done. When employees feel good about the work they’re doing and enjoy who they’re working with, they’re simply more engaged.
Positive Communication
But what does all of this actually mean for you and how you speak to your employees? See, that’s the problem with positivity. It seems fluffy—rainbows and butterflies, right?
That’s where I think we’ve gone wrong. Somewhere along the way, we missed the fact that positivity—specifically positive communication—is a legitimate business strategy.
Be Personal
Stories will always be more effective than facts and figures. Statistics have their place, but relatability is truly the key when speaking with employees. Use success stories, get to know who you’re speaking to and—at all costs—avoid templates and scripts.
Be Encouraging
Focus on the progress being made. It’s important to correct mistakes. But it’s equally important to use mistakes as learning experiences. Avoid shaming employees or making them feel guilty. Help them be better by speaking to them about the things that can make them better.
Be Passionate
When you care, they’ll care. That’s true in everything—even business. Don’t let professionality stifle your own excitement and passion. It’s okay to like what you do and to like talking about it. I promise. So be authentic in your communication and interaction with your employees.
Be Empowering
Help your employees realize why they were chosen to do their job. Help them recognize their own strengths—their positive professional traits. That means seeking out and actually discussing the good things that are happening among your workforce. Don’t let good deeds go unrecognized.
How you speak to your employees is the foundation for how your company does business. Focusing on positive communication styles is one way to maximize your workplace interactions and build up an environment that nurtures good employees and fosters good business.
