Managers: How to be an Exceptional Communicator

What characteristics and behaviours do you associate with good and bad managers? We often ask a similar question at the start of training and many of the answers we get relate to communication - 'bad managers do not listen to the ideas of others ', 'good managers make time for their employees’.

For most of us, communication plays a critical role in our relationships - personal and professional. Communication, when done right at work, brings us closer to each other, drives innovation, and improves productivity.

Communication is important for everyone but particularly for managers who are responsible for the performance of others. Rarely do we see over-communication as a problem for managers. It is usually under-communicating that is the challenge. We know we should be communicating more and better but the day-to-day work pressures can get in the way.

How well do you think you perform in the communication areas below?

Communicate Regularly

Gallup’s research shows that engagement is highest among employees who have some form (face-to-face, phone, or digital) of daily communication with their managers. To be effective the communication should be meaningful. There should be some daily interaction regarding roles, responsibilities, challenges, or progress.

This becomes difficult for managers when they are managing people remotely and when they are managing people who are fairly independent and competent. Firstly, with remote employees, your opportunity for casual corridor conversation just does not happen. Digital communications are going to play a critical role here. Using a tool like Slack or WhatsApp can keep your communications informal and mirror the style of a normal conversation.

For employees who are more autonomous, it is important not to forget about them. Just because they are skilled and can get on with their role does not mean they will not benefit from check-in and praise. Keep conversations brief and let them know they are doing an excellent job. Also remember to not take the pressure off these employees, find ways that you can stretch them and challenge them to raise their performance. It will be more challenging for you as a manager but also more rewarding when they step outside their comfort zone, grow, and contribute more.

Use Different Channels

When communicating do not become over-reliant on one channel of communication and select the right channel for the message you are sending. The way you communicate something will have an impact on how it is perceived by the other person. A disciplinary message delivered over WhatsApp will probably not be taken as seriously as the same message delivered in a face-to-face meeting. If you want a record of something email is your best bet. If the message you are communicating is sensitive, then face-to-face is always better. Face-to-face communication is much better for building a relationship, when you can look into someone's eyes and read their body language you get new levels of understanding and connection. When you have someone new in your team get as much face time with them as you can. If you are managing someone remotely try to be there for their first few days or week to help them feel settled. We are more likely to ask questions and check in with someone when they are there, and it can be difficult for new employees to pick up the phone or draft an email each time they have a small query so being there in person makes a huge difference.

According to Forbes, "managers who use a combination of face-to-face, phone, and electronic communication are the most successful in engaging employees."

Praise Often

You can never have too much praise. I remember a manager early in my career making a big deal about how great my contributions had been that quarter. I remember thinking that they had not been that great but his high perception of me made me want to live up to his view next quarter. If you are familiar with Cialdini's influencing techniques this is a good example of 'Commitment and Consistency'. We want to live up to the opinions that others have of us. It is important though, that your praise is genuine and not used as a tool to manipulate behaviour.

When employees come with ideas or work that is not feasible or just plain bad, it is important to still encourage them, so they are confident in coming back again with more ideas and trying new things with their work. Praise the effort and the process they went through, praise the pro-activeness, and praise aspects of the idea or work that you do like. When doing this it is important not to mix your messages, be clear on the things you do like and the things you do not like so that the other person is not left feeling confused. The concept of praise is something that is strongly valued at Google, Eric Schmidt said that "praise is the most underutilized management tool and we all need to be doing more of it."

Repeat Yourself

If something is important it is worth repeating. As managers, we are not here to catch people out or trip them up. Often employees are bombarded with multiple messages throughout the day, and it is so easy to fall back on, 'I did tell you that', as a response when something hasn't happened or has been done wrong. As a successful communicator, it is not only your responsibility to ensure you have delivered the message but also to ensure that the message has been received, and understood. If you are in doubt about this, it is worth repeating. If a message is particularly important it can be reinforced with different media, for example, you may first deliver it face-to-face and then back it up with email communication.

Speak Last

One of the problems of being in a management role is people tend to be a bit too agreeable around you! Is it that all your ideas really are that good or are people just reluctant to disagree with you? Simon Sinek argues that managers should always be the last to speak. Only then will you gauge the true opinions of the group. In meetings encourage everyone to contribute - this requires active controlling as some people will tend to dominate and others will not speak at all. Often you will find that when you call on the quieter members of the group to contribute, they have some of the best ideas. Once you get into the habit of sharing last you should find a much more open and honest exchange of ideas and opinions.

Communicating well is simple, but not necessarily easy. Time, workload, and our own emotions can all get in the way of us communicating with our team. Slow down, take a breath and be more mindful throughout the day of how you are interacting with your team members.