6 tips for Effective Communication on the Production Floor

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Effective communication has become increasingly important. Nevertheless, we see that a large proportion of employees are dissatisfied with the internal openness and communication within the company. Good communication not only creates a nice atmosphere and cooperation, but also has a positive influence on the profitability of the company. Therefore: our 6 tips for flawless communication on the factory floor.

1. Good conversation, where you 🗣

Listening carefully

Listening sounds simple, but is often more difficult than expected. It often happens that we interrupt our conversation partner if we disagree with them. Try to avoid just listening and then speak up as soon as possible.

Someone who does not get a chance to finish has the feeling that they are not being listened to. In addition, someone who is interrupted will never believe that you have fully understood their point. By letting the other person finish his / her story and by listening carefully to the core of the story, your conversation partner will feel appreciated and will have more understanding for the point you are making.

Think solutions instead of problems

Discussions or meetings are regularly about problems and how they arise. Of course it is valuable to talk about this, but the solution is much more important. If the focus is on the problems, there is a good chance that people will point out and conflict will arise.

A better approach is to think and communicate in solutions at such a moment. Solution-oriented communication is speaking out in the form of solutions.
The focus on solutions paves the way for a positive and effective way to move forward. Therefore, do not put problems on the table, but solutions!

Stay positive

Being positive is not always easy, everyone has good and bad days. Still, you will find that if you adopt a positive attitude yourself, you will experience a lot of positivity around you. This also works the other way around, a negative attitude attracts negativity.

By adopting a positive attitude, you ensure that people see that you are open to contact. This makes your colleagues feel comfortable, trusted and they are more likely to open up. Maintain an open body posture, use positive terms, smile a lot and make a lot of eye contact.

2. Ask and give feedback 📣

Feedback plays a major role in communication. If feedback is given in a negative way, a lot of frustration can be released and this can lead to heated discussions. Another big mistake is avoiding feedback. If people in the workplace do not express their negative feedback, this will certainly not benefit the work atmosphere.

A good first step is to ask for feedback on your own behaviour and functioning. And yes, critical things are likely to emerge here as well.
Try to see this as constructive criticism and accept that someone else experiences it this way. Keep listening, let it sink in and thank the other person for giving his / her opinion.

By asking for feedback, colleagues will be more open to your feedback. Always pay attention to the timing of your feedback. Make sure you have enough time and don’t shoot it somewhere in between. In addition, always discuss the person’s behaviour and not the person himself. Find a good balance between positive and negative feedback.

3. Better Training Equals Effective Communication 🚀

Better training doesn’t have to mean more training. Time is of the essence on any factory floor and spending weeks training workers isn’t always feasible to provide effective communication.

One way to drastically improve the onboarding process at your factory is to assign every new hire with a training buddy to show them the ropes. Training buddies can also fill the gaps in traditional training protocols. This form of training can also decrease turnover because new employees are immediately immersed into your factory’s culture.

4. Prioritize workplace communication training ✅

Not only new employees have to be trained, also managers need regular training to maintain a good communication strategy.

In order to communicate more effectively with your employees, you need to renew your own skills and constantly avoid developing bad habits.
The goal is to make everyone aware of how we communicate. With the right techniques, it becomes easier to tackle over the phone.

Good communication helps to engage employees. It helps them understand what is going on in the company and what is expected of them. It helps build relationships and solve problems when they arise. Communication is the common thread of all successful teams.

5. Hold weekly team meetings 📆

In addition to the monthly one-on-one meetings, plan the same kind of initiative, but for the whole team in an open forum. During busy times, such as the current pandemic, more frequent meetings will be helpful to re-communicate goals, objectives and any changes in strategy. It’s also a great time for your employees to ask questions and make sure everyone understands what they need and what’s coming.

6. Use the right software 💻

For manufacturing companies nowadays, it’s more than important to use the right software. Digitize your factory and make it smart. Azumuta can easily help you with this. Real-time communication is one of the many features of the Azumuta software which helps your create a perfect communication strategy. Want to know more?

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