4 Ways to Improve Communication as a Manager
The success of any enterprise is hinged on effective communication. Managers must ensure they disseminate the right information to employees promptly and in the simplest possible way. Quality decisions are made on the strength of available information.
Employees may not adhere to workplace rules if they are not rightly communicated. For example, in an organization without any clear rule on smoking, it might be difficult to regulate staff activities on the matter as nothing was communicated regarding that. With effective communication, management regulates and elicits actions in a specific direction, and team goals are aligned with the soleness of purpose that drives its achievement.
When employees don’t have the resources to execute their tasks, it affects their morale and reduces productivity. Poor communication also increases employee stress and anxiety levels which affects their effectiveness.
No manager can lead without interacting and sharing the goals of the organization. Effective communication thus becomes vital in strengthening coordination and enables good leadership. It becomes the basis for evaluating performance, rewarding excellence, and correcting mediocrity. Here’s how to improve your communication and grow your business.
4 Ways to Improve Communication as a Manager
1. Embrace Transparency and Straight Talk
Managers need to learn to have open and honest conversations with employees. It can’t always be rosy. And when there’s a need to disseminate not too pleasant news, resist the urge to sugarcoat it. It might save you from the awkward position now, but the repercussions are always severe.
When sharing difficult information, you can still have a positive demeanor while sticking to the facts. If the company needs to let go of staff, no matter how you beat around the bush, it won’t make the news any better received. Avoid euphemisms and tell people what they need to hear and not what they want to hear.
2. Promote Virtual Communication
Today’s business world is fast-paced, and teams may not be able to organize in-person meetings at a moment’s notice. This is where virtual communication systems play a vital role. The pandemic has fastened the remote work reality, and employees now consider remote work or hybrid options as a work perk.
Virtual communication bolsters consistent communication, which increases employee efficiency. Instant messaging, group chats, video conferencing offer quick solutions to resolve pressing issues. Virtual communication requires a fraction of the time it will take to organize a physical meeting or travel to meet a client, thus saving time, cost and improving productivity.
A virtual PBX system helps integrate a company’s communication system into a single platform, making it easy to set up free calls. So employees from different parts of the world can communicate effectively and at a cheaper rate.
3. Paint the Big Picture
Excellent managers have mastered the art of transferring the organization’s vision to employees. Team members must understand the connection between their duties and the company’s strategic goals. When employees know that their work matters, it improves their morale and productivity. If your employee can’t see how they fit into the company’s goals, they’d struggle to keep up.
Properly highlighting the values of an organization in tandem with staff roles makes them feel wanted. This way, employees know what you expect of them and what the company wants to achieve in the near future. You can then plan tasks into small actionable steps to improve clarity.
4. Radiate Positivity
Beyond words, emotions and expressions are powerful communication cues. You could tell employees how much you appreciate them but convey a different message with your body language or facial expression. For an engaged workforce, always exude a positive and confident aura.
Positive emotions like gratitude, optimism, and happiness help employees feel valued. Research has proven positive emotions reduce stress, enhance interpersonal relationships and creativity. When you genuinely listen when employees approach you with issues, it improves their sense of belonging. Also, consistently assuring your team members that they can come to you with any concerns should be part of your organization’s culture.
The Building Block
Open communication improves a healthy company’s culture and strengthens cooperation. When a team has a healthy rapport, job satisfaction, and loyalty increase. Effective communication helps reduce tension and conflicts and can be the difference between a mediocre and an outstanding company.
