3 Ways Managers Can Improve Their Communication Skills

Effective communication between managers and employees is one of the biggest drivers of an organization's success. In fact, it accounts for 70% of the variance in employee engagement, according to Gallup. Poor communication adds stress, hurts morale and retention, reduces productivity and trust, and leads to a variety of other negative outcomes.

Crystal-clear communication helps build a team-centric work environment. It's critical in so many management situations from setting clear expections to giving feedback to communicating company information. If your team isn't hitting productivity goals or morale isn't where you'd like it to be, take stock of how you and your team communicates.

Find the problem

If managers aren’t certain whether their communication tactics are working, they need only look at results. If aspects of a project are either duplicated or left unfinished, there’s probably a glitch in the communication system. In addition, communication has to improve when certain team members consistently fall into the same roles on every project, especially if these roles are unbalanced among employees. When one or more employees takes on a majority of the work, and others skimp on duties, managers needs to step in and delegate.

Institute clear expectations 

One way to improve communications is by setting up clear expectations and repeating them often. The repetition of goals and missions is necessary to drive home certain points. Whether these expectations apply to specific projects or the company as a whole, managers shouldn’t be shy about speaking them out loud and repeating them often.

Know when to say sorry 

Apologizing may not seem to fall within the realm of communication, but it can make or break business relationships. Apologies need to align with victims’ self-perception to be effective. Managers shouldn’t fear undermining themselves with an apology; they simply need to make an earnest effort to better understand employees before saying sorry. Bosses should also own up to their blunder as soon as possible, ensuring they don’t let resentment build up in their team member.

There is never a shortage of improvements professionals can make when it comes to communication. Managers can’t assume their teams comprehend tasks. It pays to double—even triple—check everyone’s perception of a project.