Cynthia McEwen is the VP of People and Head of DE&I at women's health benefits company Progyny.
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A CEO once confided in me that the hardest part of his job wasn’t the operational challenges or strategic planning; it was communicating with employees and the expectation that he do so consistently. He could talk all day about the business and products, but he struggled with even the simplest conversations when the subject matter fell outside of day-to-day work.
As the company leader, he was acutely aware that his words carried significant weight, but he was unsure of how to engage without being misunderstood. So he often limited interactions with employees to those related to task and status updates. But that strategy kept him from developing meaningful connections, leaving him feeling disconnected from the team members who worked tirelessly to make his company the success it was.
It's crucial that organizations have clear goals and strategies for fostering connections up, down and across the company. Opening lines of communication is often the foundation for success.
Whether you're a C-suite executive, a senior leader or someone supporting executives in their communication efforts, consider these three strategies for developing a framework that enables connection across all levels.
1. Create Regular Opportunities For Connection
There are several ways to facilitate communication across an organization, but one of the most effective strategies is having executive teams meet with employees. For example, they could conduct intimate round tables or one-on-one meetings with new hires. This kind of personalized interaction is key for developing company loyalty and trust, and it builds rapport from the start.
Town halls and fireside chats are excellent platforms for transparent conversations about the company’s growth, goals and challenges. We host these opportunities at Progyny, and my suggestion would be to schedule them quarterly at a minimum. In addition to sharing important updates, use this time to address employee concerns. Having executives acknowledge employee needs in an open forum showcases that senior leaders are accessible. The meetings are also a great time to recognize outstanding achievements. Celebrating employees’ successes in front of their peers boosts morale and reinforces a culture of appreciation.
2. Ask For Any And All Feedback
Feedback can be difficult to give and even more difficult to receive. However, if you really care about your employees’ well-being and the health of your company, creating an honest feedback loop is necessary. One option to consider is conducting regular surveys to gather employee feedback on various aspects of the company.
While I suggest making these surveys anonymous to encourage honest responses, include some generalized identification questions to help you see any trends in sentiment from certain teams or certain types of employees. Then share the insights gained from these surveys with executives, who can use them as the basis for productive conversations with their teams. These discussions should cover how the company plans to both encourage continued progress in positive areas and address things that need improvement. This ensures employees actually see the impact of their feedback.
Related to surveys, you can gain timely employee feedback through anonymous forms that go directly to leadership. Instead of asking specific questions, give employees a way to submit questions or concerns in real time. Executives can then address these points during company gatherings or through internal communication channels like memos, newsletters or internal messaging platforms.
At Progyny, we even started an internal podcast series that involves interviewing our leaders. They may talk about their background and leadership philosophy, but they can also share other tidbits like the way they take their coffee or their favorite slang terms. This approach helps humanize our leaders, and it ensures even our most introverted employees have a direct line to the executive level of the company. It's also helped develop more informal lines of communication, which many employees now prefer.
3. Develop Deeper Connections
Let’s be honest: Executives terrify most employees. They're at the top of the company ladder, and for those employees who are still climbing, it's daunting to even say a simple "Hello." But there’s no need for it to be like this. I challenge senior leadership and HR teams to develop deeper connections across the company.
One of my biggest accomplishments has been establishing a mentorship program that pairs executives with cross-functional team members at all levels. I've seen before how programs like this can foster personal connections and allow for knowledge sharing. Through mentorships, employees feel supported in their career development and build trust with leadership.
Another effective initiative is providing executive leadership with training in effective communication and connection. Not everyone naturally develops these skills, but with intentional learning and effort, they can be improved. I would even consider making this kind of training mandatory for any employees who wish to be promoted into leadership roles. This investment in development will pay dividends in employee satisfaction and engagement.
Bridging communication gaps between executives and employees takes time, but it's one of the most rewarding things you can do for recruitment and retention efforts. By creating effective communication channels, actively seeking feedback and facilitating the development of deeper connections, you can foster a supportive workplace culture that enhances employee satisfaction and drives the overall success of the organization.
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