It is important for every employee in an organization to have effective communication skills. This is especially so for managers as they have to deal with additional responsibilities or duties in improving employee productivity, teamwork, morale, and performance. If an aspiring or experienced manager wants to remain on the top of his/her game, then it is important to master written communication, verbal, and nonverbal skills.
Remember, any interaction a manager has with an employee can be considered as an opportunity to create a positive impact on both professional and personal front.
Why are effective communication skills for managers so important?
There are several benefits to look forward to for managers having effective communication skills. Among different benefits that managers can look forward to, are as follows:
- Giving feedback to employees
It is the responsibility of managers to provide regular feedback to employees based on their behavior and performance. Now, how well a manager communicates will decide on the way employees receive their feedback. In a way, this will directly have an impact on the way employees behave and perform going ahead. If the communication provided by the manager is concise and clear then employees are able to perform better and behave properly in an organizational setup.
However, when the communication skills of managers are insufficient, a lot of confusion and even decrease in productivity at workplaces can be seen. Therefore, whether in a one-on-one or group situation, managers need to communicate well to ensure the team performance is on the right track.
- Relationships with other departments
Effective communication skills for managers are also important when the employees are required to deal with other departments in an organization, in one way or the other. More often than not, managers are required to interact with employees belonging to other departments for exchanging ideas and information. When a manager has excellent communication skills it helps build trust across various departments and enable them to work towards achieving a common goal.
- Conflict resolution
Managers need to have excellent listening abilities if they were to improve their communication skills. Managers who tend to listen better to their employees gain confidence from them and let them know that their opinions too count. This also helps employees to discuss all their problems freely that have been affecting their performances. When managers have excellent communication skills, they can keep their team morale high and help resolve conflicts in time before they go out of hand.
- Managing performances
To improve performance levels of employees, it is important for managers to hone their communication skills. Managers who exercise open and candid communication with their employees actually facilitate a two-way dialogue that is critical in executing performance-based appraisals.
- Building teams
Effective communication skills for managers also help build teams. For example, managers can use their communication skills to set rules, define employee roles, encourage employees to take their own decisions, and obtain goals for their teams. That’s not all; excellent communication skills also allow managers to increase morale, productivity, and team unity easily and effectively.
