Many small business managers don't realize until it's too late just how important it is to maintain open channels of communication with their employees. In fact, executives polled by Robert Half cited "lack of communication" as the biggest mistake they have made as leaders when looking back over their careers.

Do you consider yourself a good communicator with your staff? It's particularly important for Gen Y professionals, whose numbers are growing rapidly in the workforce. Gen Y members polled in a Robert Half International and Yahoo! HotJobs survey said they value frequent and meaningful communication with their managers. Just one in 10 respondents indicated they are comfortable with communicating only once a week with their bosses.

To evaluate the quality of your interaction with your team and identify areas where you could improve, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you accessible to your employees? Managers should never assume that simply because they have an e-mail or voice-mail inbox, their workers will contact them to ask for advice or alert them of a problem. Nor should managers feel confident that every message they send electronically will be clearly understood by the recipient. Instituting an open-door policy – and making staff aware of it – will encourage greater communication with your team. This does not mean you have to be available at all times, of course. If your schedule permits, establish weekly "office hours" when employees can have face time with you. Your staff will appreciate your willingness to regularly set aside time for direct communication.
• How often do you meet one-on-one with your workers? While an open-door policy will enhance communication with many of your employees, some may worry that they will be bothering you with their questions or problems. Proactive outreach on your part can assure staff that you really do want to interact with them more frequently. One way to help ramp up communication with all employees is to provide constructive feedback to them more often. For instance, instead of holding only one performance review annually, consider scheduling "mini reviews" every couple of months. By communicating more often with employees individually, you can adapt your management approach to the particular needs and personalities of each worker. This can make all the difference in enhancing the quality of communication you have with each staff member, and how they respond to you as their leader.
• Do you praise employees as often as you should? Hard-working professionals want to feel they are valued by the organization; they appreciate being recognized for a job well done. A Robert Half survey suggests that managers who offer praise can help enhance their staff retention efforts. Approximately one-third of employees and executives polled said frequent recognition of accomplishments on the job is the most effective nonmonetary reward for workers.
• Do you help control the rumor mill? Direct and honest communication from management is especially critical when an organization is going through change. Keeping your team updated as often as possible can relieve anxiety, help workforce morale remain in positive territory and prevent rumors from spreading.