In some companies, employees feel that they are isolated from their leaders. Often times, those who are specialized employees work in separate areas of the office, go to a different set of meetings, and manage completely different sets of work than company leaders. Due to the lack of crossover, there is little to no opportunity for junior employees to connect with executives or the CEO. This lack of communication also makes it harder for employees to approach executives; they may feel that they are interrupting, rather than simply conducting casual small talk.

Barriers such as these prevent the work inclusivity in the work environment. This can cause team members to question their value to the company, and wonder if their superiors are even aware of what they do.

Build a Bridge with Team Members

If you feel that this may be an issue within your company, it is important to make steps to create communication channels. It may be the case that an executive cannot check in on every employee; this is why having team leaders is important for staying up to date on progress reports.

Managers should not only take the time to review what each team accomplished as a whole, but also cite individuals and highlight how they contributed. If there is someone who put in extra time and effort into a project, they should be recognized.

Open Door Policy

An open-door policy lets everyone in the office know that they can approach leadership without fear of being a distraction. Make sure that the rest of your leadership team is on the same page with this policy; this way, no one will have to go through a series of channels to access their managers.

Invite Leaders to Team Meetings

Catching up with other team members is a regular part of the job. It is recommended that you invite anyone, including executives, to team meetings large and small. While not everyone will show up to all meetings, this invitation can help leaders understand the nuances of what goes on in their company, and also how teams are working together to succeed.

Skip level meetings are another method to ensure that employees get a chance to sit face to face with management. Being able to conduct a meeting with their boss’s boss gives them time to discuss and collaborate on priorities. This could lead to someone’s dreams for the company becoming a reality, since upper management levels have more power to make necessary changes. It’s a given then that this method will greatly bolster employees.

Create Online Social Communities

Company-wide social networks are a great way to get everyone involved in pertinent discussions. It is a challenge for management to give everyone the time to speak about their ideas; with this method, everyone can participate, and communication barriers will disappear.

Following these small tips will make your workplace far more open and inclusive. You will soon discover that your specialized employees and company leaders are communicating better than ever.

Hartley People Recruitment & Training is just about the leading providers of training strategies to the private and public industries nationally.

F. Aldea is Marketing communications consultant at Linked agency, an Ireland-based advertising consumer experience consultancy that improves agencies in the Ireland generate excellent client experiences.