Building great teams at PQE Group is my passion. When we all come together to make things happen, there’s a special kind of magic. But, working with teams can also be challenging – with so many different personalities, beliefs, and ways of doing things. I have found that communicating successfully with my teams is the bottom line for success. 

Here are my top five points of how to communicate effectively in a team environment:

Take A Kind Approach

Kindness rules the day! Sometimes the things we learn as children in the playground remain important rules for the rest of our life: Don’t be a bully; give everyone a chance, and be kind are all very important in the workplace. I have learned that you will only get the best from your team if you are kind and empathetic. 

Being kind doesn’t mean you can’t be assertive, but a particular way of talking to and with people encourages positive action. In his new book, former CEO of Best Buy, Hubert Joly, talks about “the human magic of empowered employees,” and I believe that’s what kindness does – it empowers employees to be the best they can be and to follow by example.

Moderating conflicts

Sometimes the team is under a lot of pressure and stress, so moderating conflicts as and when they arise among certain parties or individuals is fundamental. This helps the team avoid stalling the workflow progress due to personal issues among members. To be a good moderator, you need to listen to both parties, analyze the issue, and ensure that each team member recognizes where they have gone wrong or where they have been right (no one is always entirely right or consistently wholly wrong). 

As a leader, I think it’s essential to create a safe space where employees can disagree and be authentic in airing our views – but always with a sense of order and respect. It’s also very important to know when to diffuse a situation and encourage team members to give their conflict a deadline.  Letting go can be a superpower!

Bring passion to your work.

I believe that emotion is the key to creativity, and if you bring passion and energy to what you do, it will transmit to your team, and that way we all empower each other. Bringing emotion helps to build relationships and brings humanity into the workplace. And one thing is for sure, the world needs more humanity! I believe there is no real separation between personal and work life – there needs to be a balance but in essence, we don’t or shouldn’t become different people when we enter the workplace. 

Listen!

This might sound too easy, but it is just that. Listening is fundamental to all good relationships. Take the time to talk with each team member individually and listen to what they have to say. Create a relationship where people know they have a voice and will be heard – that way they will share ideas, problems, and solutions and will always put their best foot forward.

As the saying goes, “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” 

Be Approachable

My team knows that my door is always open, and I think it really helps to be the kind of leader that people can talk to. Creating very a very strict hierarchy might work in some companies, but it’s not the culture at PQE Group. I have found creating an open and productive work environment at PQE Group ensures that we are all on the same page. 

We really put humanity first in all that we do and in my experience, being open and approachable filters down to everyone and does wonders for productivity and the overall wellbeing of employees, including myself.