A lot of coffeehouses are “good,” but not many are truly great. Great ones don’t tend to fail—and open communication with and among your staff can make you one of the great ones.

When you look at the core of problems at your shop—drama and chaos that can infect your business—you don’t have to look much farther than communication issues. Good managers go out of their way to communicate to their team, whereas loose expectations and assumptions can be their downfall.

Be sure you’re communicating with your staff in ways that will strengthen your business:

Provide context

Every employee comes to work with their own set of culture and experiences. Make sure they always understand:

• The big picture

• How they fit into that big picture

• What’s in it for them (i.e. why they should care)

Continually communicate the “why” behind what you’re asking of them—why it’s important and the role they play. If possible, do it in real time, pointing out how their work affects the success of the business.

If you don’t set context and paint the larger picture, you contribute to the silo mentality where employees don’t see why their individual contributions matter.

Rinse and repeat

Communication is a continuous process. If you state the “why” for policies and procedures in a staff meeting, don’t let that be the end of it.

Messages need to be given consistently across multiple touch points—at meetings, in one-on-ones, and spontaneously during the workday when the opportunity presents itself. Don’t be a nag or a broken record, but do know that when employees hear the same message repeated, they’re more likely to take notice, believe it and act on it.

Create dialogue and understanding

Each time you communicate, make sure the message is heard and understood. Find out if your staff gets it by asking them to paraphrase what they heard.

If you want to know if they understand the “what” and “why” behind a strategy, ask them, “What challenges and opportunities do you see with what I’ve explained?” If you want to know whether they heard your key messages or need additional context or detail, ask them, “What are your key takeaways from the information I just shared?”

Taking advantage of opportunities for questions and dialogue into your communication helps you measure in real time how well employees receive your messages.

Listen, and follow up

For communication with your staff to matter and make a difference, find out what’s working well, what’s not and how things can be better.

Ask broad questions that let the listener guide the conversation, such as:

• “Help me understand…”

• “How do you envision…”

• “Do you have alternatives you’d like me to consider?”

Engage people fully when listening to them, and share your motivation for getting feedback. Then let them know if you like an idea and how it will be implemented—or if you won’t be taking their advice, tell them why. Either way, show appreciation for their input.

Also ask yourself: in what environment(s) would employees be most comfortable sharing input? In staff meetings? One on one? Anonymously through a suggestion box or an online contact form? Depending on the context, it could be all of the above.

Use calls to action

What actions are you’re trying to create in your communications with staff? Be specific and give examples. Without a call to action, your message can fall flat.

It can feel tedious, but good leaders tend to repeat themselves. Sometimes over and over—and over—if necessary. Running a coffee shop requires constant, clear and honest communication with your staff—for your success and theirs.

More articles in this series:

Coffeehouse Management Skill #1: Adaptable Leadership

Coffeehouse Management Skill #3: Accountability

Coffeehouse Management Skill #4: Attention to Detail (coming soon)