The 5 C’s of employee communication

What’s the worst that could happen when you’re communicating with employees?

A stray typo or bland email here and there won’t ruin anyone’s life, but poor communication, over time, can erode trust, tarnish credibility and sink employee morale. Stilted communication sows seeds of mistrust, and it tends to sap engagement and productivity. Who wants to work for a company that routinely puts out mysterious, muddled messaging?

To avoid annoying workers and stoking internal confusion, consider these five hallmarks of effective employee communication:

Confident. How often do you receive messaging that’s long-winded, but light on substance? How about when change is afoot?

Companies often craft halting, anodyne messaging with all the confidence of an awkward teenager asking for a dance at a bar mitzvah. If you lack confidence or some measure of authoritative command in your communications—if you fail to provide clear, specific directions, feedback and explanations of where the company is heading—you’ll alienate your workforce.