So what is a manager with good communication skills? Refer to the following characteristics to see if you are one of the good communicators.
Simplify complexity
Any profession has its complex aspects and employees must constantly absorb new information. An effective communication manager has the ability to simplify all the complexities and find the right approach to solving things. They also have the ability to speak their mind clearly and succinctly so that employees can accurately grasp and act on instructions. This reduces the waste of time and effort and creates a more comfortable feeling in the working environment.
Listen with your eyes and ears
This involves reading body language and listening to employees. Managers can easily convey their information to employees, but it is important to pay attention to how listeners react to that message. A good communicator combines what they see and hear. They are able to understand the implications behind what is written or said as well as pay attention to nonverbal clues. Sometimes a person's body language can say more than any words.
Ask open-ended questions
Asking open-ended questions will help you better understand the employee's motivations, thoughts, and goals. Effective communication managers always use questions like “Tell me more…”, “What do you think about this?” or “How do you understand that term or concept?”. By using these open-ended questions when speaking to the team, they can elicit more in-depth, focused answers and ensure that they know what employees need from them to succeed.
Communicate with confidence
Managers who communicate well always exude confidence because they know their employees need to trust them and that seeing hesitation or hesitation will backfire. They will not say “I think we need to change this” but will instead say “We need to change this”. By appearing excited and confident, employees will feel more motivated.
Confidence when communicating helps managers communicate clearly and motivates employees.
Repeat and summarize
When walking out of a meeting or ending a discussion, a good communicator always summarizes what has just been said and repeats it to the employee. This has several benefits such as:
– Clarify any decision or outcome just discussed, avoiding confusion;
– Give employees a chance to give feedback;
– Reduces the possibility that the employee will disagree later because the information has been confirmed and repeated.
Feedback is encouraged
The best communicators never assume that the message their employees hear is the same as the message they intend to convey. They always check to verify that their message was understood correctly and if not, they don't blame the listener. Instead, they changed the wording to be as simple and straightforward as possible to ensure consistency.
Good writing skills
Not all communication between managers and employees is face-to-face. There are times when a manager will need to send an email or text message to someone inside or outside of their team.
At this point, having good writing skills is essential to ensure that the reader understands what is being communicated. As well as face-to-face communication, they also use concise but complete expressions. For example, an email with meeting content at 4 p.m. always has specific information such as what the meeting is about, who is in attendance, and where the meeting will take place.
Know when to speak up
Understanding when dialogue is needed is always helpful in effective communication. When an employee realizes that an employee does not understand a certain concept or works slower than other colleagues, a communicative manager will immediately reach out and provide support. They know when to speak up and when it will be best for them and the employee or under which circumstances it is best to remain silent.
At the same time, they also always avoid calling group members early in the morning or late at night, because then their message may go unnoticed. They also don't like to "disturb" employees during lunch hours unless there's a real emergency.
Cultivating these skills requires self-discipline and deliberate practice. The best way to do this is to practice things one by one, until they become habits. Also, identify the manager with the best communication skills you know and observe them. Study their communication habits, use them as an example of what to do and see the difference they can make for you and your team!
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