Research Paper on Leadership: A Key to Employee Success and Productivity

Introduction

A management leader should have the ability to provide a safe and conducive environment where employees can be productive and can express themselves freely without intimidation. A leader must provide guidance, direction, and excellent leadership to set a good example to all the subordinates (Bui, 2019). As a student of management, I strongly believe that communication is one of the most significant factors that determine how good employees become and gives insight on how to solve challenges and shortcomings in an organization (Jelani & Nordin, 2019). There is the inadequacy of communication in many organizations, a situation that results in failure since many workers are not usually aware of what to do in various situations like after meetings or during conflicts (Bui, 2019). Employees must be actively engaged so that they perform their duties and align their actions with the organization's vision, mission, and goals.

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Different strategies can be used to communicate effectively to employees. An excellent manager of philosophy should use multiple channels for communication. Many people often want to hear a message multiple times to comprehend it completely. Messages should be distributed through all the possible channels, but the information should be consistent and straight to the point. Some organizations use memos, emails, phone calls, and one-on-one meetings with the subordinates (Jelani & Nordin, 2019). The recommendation is that as a student of management, memos and emails must not contain any jargon or language that is difficult for employees to understand without asking for clarification. It is important to write brief and concise emails and memos using basic English or the company language. Technical jargon will lead to confusion among workers, and the misunderstanding could lead to underperformance. The expectations should be clearly outlined in the simplest manner possible for all workers at every level to comprehend and do as recommended.

The second strategy for effective communication is setting the tone at the top. The senior leaders in organizations must set the tone for the employees to follow. Leaders must be accessible at all times and have the goodwill to listen to the subordinates when there is an issue that requires to be addressed. One of the most effective methods to achieve success in a firm is to ensure that there is a connection between the communication of the subordinates and achieving organizational goals and objectives (Bui, 2019). As a management leader, one should be keen on the group they are communicating to since every level should be treated differently. Different audiences require different modes of communication, and it is upon a leader to devise the most effective strategy to address the diverse groups in the organization (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). Understanding employees is a crucial requirement for leaders, and this can be achieved by conducting surveys and interviews to inquire if they are getting all the information they require to work effectively in their respective duties.

When making decisions in an organization, employees should be the first priority since they are a significant part of a company's success. Employees should be the first people to be notified upon any development or changes that need to be made through the proper channels of communication (Bui, 2019). It is crucial to think of the internal people first than those who are outside the organization. For example, it would be unfair for the employees to receive news regarding their firm from the media or other outside sources.

In my philosophy of management, I believe in aligning one's actions with words. A leader must be a good example for the subordinates. Employees are more likely to take the information they are told more seriously if the leader does what he says (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). If a leader instructs employees to behave in a certain matter and does not act according to his words, their credibility may be affected in the future since employees are most likely not to take any conversations seriously in the future (Jelani & Nordin, 2019).

In today's world, technology has taken over many sectors, and many organizations opt to use the quickest and most convenient channels of communication. Emails and memos are easy to send and are also time-saving since one document is written, duplicated, and sent to multiple people within a few minutes. However, face-to-face communication is one of the most vital strategies that leaders must use to communicate with their employees (Jelani & Nordin, 2019). It is crucial to connect with workers at a personal level, know their reactions and emotions.

Technology is convenient, but nothing beats human interaction. Most workers want to hear news and information directly from their bosses. Moreover, managers should be trained on how to effectively talk with their subordinates to ensure that information is passed in the right manner and that it is comprehensible (Bui, 2019). It is also crucial to communicate regularly, but a leader must be strategic when doing so. A good manager should have a calendar that contains regular dates for communicating with employees through any forum. For example, during some days, communication can be done through emails while on others, face-to-face interaction should be arranged.

How Effective Communication Will Fix an Existing Problem in the Workplace and Improve Organizational Culture

Effective communication at the workplace will solve several issues and improve the overall corporate culture. Some of the issues that communication will solve are employee demotivation and morale issues, damaged relationships between leaders and their subordinates, wastage of time and resources, and unclear messaging. Employee morale and satisfaction are some of the significant actors that lead to success in any organization. Many issues arise when workers are unhappy with their supervisors and bosses. When such problems arise, most employees prefer to badmouth their leaders instead of requesting for a conversation that would solve such problems. However, leaders must understand that most employees do not dare to speak up and air their grievances.

Employees prefer to lay back and be quiet about their problems, and with time, the situation becomes worse, and their productivity reduces drastically. However, with effective communication, employees often have a sense of belonging, and they feel that their leaders are there for them despite the circumstances around them (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). Thus, effective communication will lead to employee satisfaction and increased morale and therefore increasing their overall productivity in the firm.

Employees often feel satisfied when they know that they can have a healthy relationship with their leaders and that they prioritized and listened to in the right manner. As a leader, one can understand if the employees are satisfied or dissatisfied by having regular conversations face-to-face with them (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). If the workers are not happy or not enjoying their jobs, a solution must be found by asking for suggestions from them regarding what should be changed to create a good environment for them to thrive (Bui, 2019). It is crucial to know that the intensity of communication is significant, and unmotivated employees lead to the lowering of productivity in the organization.

There is employee dissatisfaction if information does not reach the workers correctly and through the proper channels. Through effective communication, leaders will ensure that accurate information reaches all employees and that no individual feels left out in the system (Nabie & Ome, 2016). Employees should be allowed to set their personal targets and decide the time frame they should be given for those tasks. If such decisions are made in the absence of employees, they become frustrated and may not perform as expected (Razak, Athmar, Durani, Salleh, & Hamdan, 2019). Moreover, effective communication will assist leaders in ensuring that they discuss appraisals and promotions in the presence of their employees (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). When such strategies are implemented, employees often work harder to take the firm to the next level and not just to impress their supervisors and other leaders.

With effective communication, there will be employee satisfaction, which will then lead to improving the organizational culture. Workers will work without compulsion because they have a goal of taking the organization to the next level (Nabie & Ome, 2016). Employee satisfaction will lead to an ambient environment in the workplace, and thus, they will concentrate on their work and duties more (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). When employees are satisfied, it is difficult for them to leave their jobs and look for others. Thus, employee turnover will significantly reduce if leaders develop better strategies for communicating with their workers.

Employee satisfaction is a factor that plays a significant role in retention. Organizations spend a lot of time and resources during employee turnover since other workers must be recruited, trained, and employed for the vacant positions (Nabie & Ome, 2016). There is a need to retain the best and most talented employees. Offering workers a platform where they can freely air their grievances and give suggestions without being intimidated is very important in the process of retaining them (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). An individual who is treated well at work and given an opportunity to grow and advance in their careers cannot leave and will give the organization an excellent reputation for those who would like to join the team.

Effective communication leads to employee satisfaction, which in turn leads to the gaining of high revenues for the organization. In such situations, no amount of training or motivating strategies can replace the effectiveness of excellent communication among employees and their leaders (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). A lot of time is wasted when employees fight with their colleagues, and such situations create a hostile environment in the organization. However, satisfied employees act as ambassadors for their organizations, and they take pride when representing the firms they work for at any given time. In such cases, the organizational culture of a company is improved, and more investors may be attracted to work with the firm.

One of the most significant benefits of organizational culture is that it gives an identity to a firm and makes it unique from the rest. Communication plays a vital role in creating a good organizational culture, mostly by increasing the comfort factor among the employees (Kelly & MacDonald, 2019). The relationship leaders have with their subordinates creates a corporate culture. Conflicts and arguments in the organization lead to the deterioration of the organizational culture and spread negativity in the firm. Effective communication will benefit employees in various ways. For example, they will have the liberty to share their ideas and suggestions in an open forum and be included in decision-making processes. Secondly, they will have a say in strategy making and be involved in morning meetings together with their supervisors. Supervisors and other seniors will also be available to listen to grievances and issues presented to them by their employees.

References

Bui, T. L. (2019). Internal communication in the digital workplace: digital communication channels and employee engagement.

Jelani, F., & Nordin, N. S. (2019). Communication Issues at the Workplace. International Journal of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 32-46.

Kelly, S., & MacDonald, P. (2019). A look at lead...