Today’s workforce is dynamic. Employees seek a work environment in which they can thrive, take charge of their growth journey and feel supported by their manager and HR leaders who empower them to take risks and embrace new challenges.
At the heart of empowerment lies communication, a critical yet often overlooked skill that is the foundation of building a strong workplace culture. Through meaningful interactions and consistent communication, managers play an essential role in building trust and guiding their direct reports to success.
Read more: Effective communication can change everything
But everyone is different; each of us have unique communication preferences, much like how in our personal lives we respond differently to various expressions of love and care. And, in today’s business landscape, communication is more dynamic and personally resonant than ever before.
So, how can managers inspire their workforce to take the wheel and navigate their own path to success?
The workplace equivalent of love languages
Every human is unique, shaped by their experiences and skill sets which influence both their professional and personal journeys. In our personal relationships – be it with friends, romantic partner or family – we often express our needs through our own 'love language': some value quality time with their other halves, while others perform best on words of affirmation. But what if we applied this same perspective to the workplace?
Read more: From burnout to balance: How communication skills transform workplace stress
Some people at work may thrive on regular reinforcement from their manager, such as verbal recognition of their contributions, while another may feel most engaged through collaborative brainstorming sessions or one-on-one mentoring with colleagues. Across these interactions, building trust and understanding individuals’ preferences is key, ensuring that feedback, recognition and mentoring methods truly inspire personal and professional growth.
Increasingly, businesses are encouraging managers to take recognition one step further, introducing visual elements to improve the level of engagement. For those who love feedback, this could mean collating comments from peers in a presentation during annual reviews; for others who enjoy spending time with their colleagues, this could include hosting interactive brainstorming sessions. By adapting to individuals’ communication styles, or ‘workplace love languages’, managers can foster the confidence needed for their employees to step beyond their comfort zones and grow.
How recognition can spark workplace innovation
Beyond the big milestone moments of the employee lifecycle, like annual reviews and promotions, HR leaders shouldn’t underestimate the importance of acknowledging the smaller moments. We’re all human, after all. Currently, only 10% of UK workers feel that they are engaged or thriving in the workplace. Addressing this is all about starting small, and introducing regular touchpoints with individuals that encourage greater connection with the organisation.
Read more: How HR and leadership can transform internal communications
Cultivating an environment that prioritises growth requires celebrating the little wins, even during the busiest times. This can include public shoutouts, mirroring the words of affirmation that many deem their love language. Or, acts of service could take the form of proactively providing hands-on support, such as helping a new team member navigate new processes to make their onboarding more streamlined.
Encouraging employees to be in the driver’s seat of their own path should be at the heart of any organisation seeking to innovate and grow. To upskill teams fit for the future, remember that one size doesn’t fit all. Understanding and responding to individuals’ recognition and communication preferences, or ‘workplace love languages’, can be the personal touch that teams need to thrive. In the end, it’s the genuine connections that make employees truly love their workplace.
by Faye Longhurst, regional people lead Europe, Canva
