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The uncertain economy is likely to heighten the need for chief information officers to improve the way they communicate with their IT staff. If you're a CIO wondering where to begin making improvements, start with these three questions.
Also See:
How CIOs Maintain Morale In Uncertain Times
5 Ways To Motivate IT Staff
Question:
Even though I meet with my IT team several times a day and communicate with employees almost constantly via e-mail, I don't seem to be connecting well with individual staff members. I would like to think my employees feel they can come to me with a problem or tell me if they are unhappy, but this doesn't seem to be the case. How can I improve communication with my team?
Katherine Spencer Lee responds:
The hectic pace of an IT department, coupled with the pervasiveness of electronic communication, can make it challenging for managers and employees to find enough time—or the right opportunity—for meaningful interaction beyond the dialogue necessary to getting business done. And as you suspect, the communication that does occur in your department, while frequent, is not necessarily of high quality. It is unlikely substantive enough to help you build enough rapport with your workers so they feel assured they are valued and can speak candidly with you when a problem arises.
It is also important to recognize that the uncertain economy is likely heightening the need for you to improve communication with your staff. Even if your organization is stable, your IT workers still may feel insecure and concerned about the future. After all, if your company does eventually decide to pull back on spending, hiring or business expansion plans, IT projects may be shelved. Speculation about these types of changes can dent morale, especially if staff members do not receive reassurance or guidance from management.
To determine where, specifically, you should begin making improvements, consider these questions:
Are you really accessible to your employees?
Instituting a formal open-door policy—and encouraging your staff to make use of it—is one way to help strengthen the channels of communication between you and your IT team. Try to build a few hours into your schedule each week so employees can approach you for a discussion. Often the simple act of leaving your door open - when possible, of course—is enough to encourage people to stop by. If you constantly work behind closed doors, employees will worry about interrupting you. Your Generation Y staffers, in particular, likely will appreciate knowing you have time to interact personally with your team members. According to a recent survey by our company and Yahoo! HotJobs, Gen Y professionals seek frequent and meaningful communication with their managers.
Do you meet one-on-one with your workers regularly?
Even after you establish an open-door policy, you may find some members of your IT team are still resistant to the idea of meeting individually with "the boss" for anything but the most serious work matters. Or, they may worry about bothering you with what they perceive to be minor questions or problems they assume you expect them to work out on their own.
One way to jumpstart communication is by providing constructive feedback—particularly, praise, when deserved—to your IT staff more frequently. So, instead of waiting for the annual performance review to meet one-on-one with workers and let them know what they are doing well and where they need to improve, consider scheduling less formal "mini-reviews" every few months. These meetings will ensure you are checking in regularly with your entire IT team, keeping them apprised of your expectations and gauging their job satisfaction. Through this process, your employees also will become accustomed to talking with you in a more relaxed atmosphere and more often. In addition, you will learn about each worker's professional aspirations, which will enable you to play a direct role in helping them set and reach their goals. And you'll gain a better understanding of the communication style and management approach that resonates best with each individual staff member.
Next: Do You Keep The Rumor Mill Under Control?
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