Strategies for Open Communication in Meetings

Sports: a fundamental for most of us growing up. And what we learned from playing sports is that you have to play well with others in order to have a successful team. The same is true on the job. In fact, sports are often used as a metaphor for the workplace.

Consider a recent survey from Harris Interactive regarding the Summer Olympics. When participants were asked about how the Olympics reflect their own workplace, they found that there were many who could equate certain sports with work.

For instance, when asked which sport most represented their current job, 20 percent said volleyball because, "it's a team sport," while 14 percent indicated their place of business was like the hurdles because, "there are a lot of obstacles in the way." Still others chose the marathon (13 percent) for "slow and steady," wrestling (11 percent) for "I feel like I am in a holding pattern," weightlifting (8 percent) because they feel they are "bearing all the weight," and synchronized swimming (7 percent) because their co-workers were "all on the same page."

If you're like most managers, your goal when conducting meetings is to ensure that they are a productive use of time. But the only way a meeting can be productive is if the team is working well together. With that in mind, here are six strategies for ensuring open communication in your next meeting.

Within an environment that encourages open communication, creative dissention is embraced. Helpful conflict is encouraged and resolved in a positive way so that employees are not afraid they will be penalized or punished for raising concerns or making suggestions. In addition, it is the supervisor's responsibility to keep all team members informed of changes or decisions made with regard to policies, procedures, methods, or systems.

While meetings are a vital tool for disseminating information, most employees find them too long and unproductive unless there is an intended purpose. That means that before arranging a meeting, you should consider if there is another communication tool - email, memos, quick impromptu announcement - that would work better for sharing the information.

Successful meetings that encourage open communication start at the top. Ultimately, it is up to the supervisor to create the kind of environment where open communication is embraced.