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Keep the Troops in the Loop

YOU ATTEND ALL KINDS of organizational meetings. If you shared only 50 percent of the information you received in these meetings, your team members would likely know significantly more about the organization than they currently do. Often, managers do not communicate this information back to their teams.

Take notes and be sure that you share pertinent information about the strategic plan, goals, and organizational announcements with those around you. Nothing is more frustrating than working for a manager who does not communicate organizational or community information. This will diminish the trust your team has in your abilities. Your team looks to you to keep them in the loop. If they do not get information from you, they will likely get it from the grapevine, where the message is uncontrolled and often distorted.

Keep your team members up-to-date with the latest information, and you will be developing their knowledge, skills, and attitudes about the organization. Most important, if there is bad news, they should hear it from you. After communicating information, be sure to leave time for questions and space for team members to express frustrations, fears, and discontent. Do your best to be in that conversation so you know where they stand.

What if there is nothing to report? Many managers would do nothing. You should do the opposite. Letting the team know that you have nothing to report does two things:

It lets the team know you haven’t forgotten about them.

It builds trust that you are walking your talk by doing what you said you would do.

So what system do you have in place to ensure that your team is in the loop and aware of organizational decisions, directions, and challenges?