Bahrain managers urged to get the messages across to their colleagues

A new study has revealed that managers in Bahrain are not as good as they think they are at communicating their organisation's business objectives to their employees.

The findings are published in Middle East Corporate Reputation Watch 2008 - Getting the Message Across, a survey of more than 500 managers and employees in the GCC conducted by leading communications consultancy Hill & Knowlton, using YouGov Siraj.

The study found that while 90 per cent of Bahrain managers believe they make a point of explaining their organisation's strategic objectives to staff, only 44 per cent of employees in Bahrain feel that these objectives are properly explained to them. Only 54 per cent of employees believe that their direct manager helps them to understand how their job connects to their company's business objectives.

Two-fifths (39 per cent) of employees surveyed in Bahrain do not feel that they receive the information they need to do their job well while 41 per cent do not feel valued for the contribution they make.

While 95 per cent of employees would like to develop their skills and advance professionally in their job, only 41 per cent feel that the way to do this has been properly explained to them.

Fran McElwaine, director of change and organisational communications, Hill & Knowlton Middle East, said: "The Bahrain findings are broadly consistent with the results in other GCC States. They suggest that, although managers in Bahrain understand the importance of communicating with employees, many of them are failing to get the message across.

"This is a vitally important issue for corporate managers in this region. Companies are under pressure to lift productivity and it is becoming harder to attract and retain top talent. The ability to engage employees and align them with a company's strategic objectives is a key to better motivation, productivity and staff retention."