As a business leader, being able to communicate with your team effectively is key to ongoing productivity and workplace harmony.
While some people are naturally good communicators, just about all people benefit from formal leadership training or coaching when stepping into supervisory positions. Unfortunately, many people get promoted or hired into managerial positions without adequate training, which leads to miscommunication and conflict. Thisnis why it’s so important that leadership training not only include traditional elements of management, such as operational efficiency and budgeting, but all people skills. And the most important component of people skills is, of course, effective communication.
Why Good Communication Skills Are Essential for Leaders
Good communication skills are essential for a variety of reasons. Here are a few critical elements for any successful organization and why communication is crucial for supporting these practices.
- Obtaining needed resources: If team members do not have the resources they need to be successful, you’re setting them up for failure. You need to communicate exactly what resources you think will be important for their success AND that it is okay to regularly ask for what they need as new needs arise.
- Having difficult conversations: Giving people hard-to-hear feedback is never easy and often uncomfortable. However, the better you are at giving effective feedback, the easier these difficult conversations should be.
- Inspiring teamwork: A team mindset is requisite for all cohesive teams. Individuals who work well together, collaborate, and communicate effectively will outperform non-cohesive teams. And the spirit of collaboration and communication always starts with the leader.
- Reducing misunderstandings: Most conflicts arise from miscommunications and misperceptions. With clearer and more effective communication, many conflicts can be diminished.
- Increasing self-awareness: When leaders communicate to others about how they are feeling, what they are thinking, and how they are looking to improve, it creates a healthy model for the rest of the team. Self-awareness should be explored and regularly communicated to team members.
- Improving workplace relationships: All relationships are built on trust, and all trust is built on healthy and consistent communication. This is as true in the workplace as it is with family and friends. When building any healthy relationship, especially as a leader, be honest, transparent, self-aware, open minded, and willing to talk.
11 Key Skills for Better Leadership Communication
Practicing effective communication at work is important for all team members, from entry level employees to C-suite executives. Creating a healthy culture, however, always starts with leadership. The more effectively leaders communicate, the more engaging and safe their organizational culture will feel. Here are a few key skills for better leadership communication.
1. Active Listening
When team members approach you, they need to know that you’re actively listening to what they have to say. This is especially important if you’re dealing with difficult situations such as a conflict between employees. Active listening involves allowing the person to communicate without interruption while you take notes and ask questions that can help to clarify anything that might be misunderstood. When they’re done speaking, repeat back to them what you heard so that there’s no miscommunication. Pay attention to not only what they say but also how they say it. Body language and facial expressions may say more than just the words they choose.
2. Constructive Feedback
Effective communication skills for leaders include being able to provide constructive feedback. Doing so gives team members the tools they need to be even more successful, whether they work on small or large projects. Constructive feedback is never accusatory or demeaning, rather it is meant to inspire employees and boost morale.
An example of such feedback could go something like, “I loved the detailed introductions you provided on those last five blog posts for the [name] car dealership. You really made it clear what the posts were going to be about and encouraged the readers to learn more. I want you to apply the same detail-driven intros to landing page assignments as well. Let me know if you have any questions!”
3. Transparency
Being transparent about assignments, upcoming workload changes, office relocations, and everything else having to do with your team is another communication essential. Employees who “never know” what’s going on can get behind on work, feel disrespected, and rarely get the opportunity to share their ideas. Conversely, keeping your team updated on what’s happening in the company helps them feel like they are truly part of the business instead of numbers on a payroll sheet. Remaining transparent also gives employees the opportunity to ask timely questions that help them stay productive.
When being transparent about, well, anything, keep clarity in mind. Being as specific as possible avoids unnecessary questions that eat up company time and allows team members to get to work. It also creates less confusion and frustration that can contribute to a tense work environment.
4. Body Language
Effective communication skills for leaders isn’t just about focusing on the person you are talking to and making eye contact. It’s also about the right body language. Crossing your arms, maintaining a furrowed brow, and clenching your fists does not help employees feel like they can come to you with questions or concerns. A more relaxed approach to body language makes it clear that you are here to talk whenever team members need assistance. They will feel more at ease as a result.
5. Honesty
Effective team leaders are honest. They provide their team with tactful feedback, are always open about upcoming changes within the company, and are willing to discuss projects in depth whenever employees need it. These individuals understand that being dishonest always comes back to you and can result in ongoing repercussions that affect everyone in the office or other workplace. By remaining honest, there is never a need to backtrack or continue lying about anything. Sometimes, the whole truth may be inappropriate for certain team members to know. Not being able to be completely transparent about all the details, however, does not mean you need to be dishonest. It is acceptable to occasionally let people know that “we don’t have all the details yet, but we will keep you informed as soon as we know more.”
6. Decisiveness
The best team leaders are able to make decisions, including those “on the fly,” and stick with them. They have faith in their abilities and believe the decisions they make are what’s best for the team. There’s no guesswork involved, only thoroughly understanding the options and determining the best course of action. Successful leaders also have the ability to communicate why they made [x] or [y] decisions with their team and provide detailed answers to any questions.
7. Adaptability
Since varying communication styles can result in miscommunication, team leaders must be able to adapt. For maximum adaptability, team leaders must identify various communication styles, such as intuitive, analytical, personal, authoritative, or functional. This helps them pivot when communicating with others who have vastly different communication styles and subsequently find middle ground. Being able to tailor a communication style as necessary also demonstrates a willingness to help employees succeed and get more done every day.
8. Focus
Team leaders who enjoy success in the workplace are good at focusing on the task at hand instead of “drifting” and talking about different subjects. These individuals don’t “like to hear themselves talk” and go off on tangents. They keep their teams engaged and make certain that their current message is clear to everyone in the room. Such leaders also use their focusing skills to write clear, definitive emails, memos, and agendas so everyone on the team knows and fully understands the day’s tasks or projects.
9. Open-Mindedness
Communication is a two-way street that involves not only what you communicate to others but also what’s communicated back to you. Don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions when communicating with others. Be curious about what others have to offer and open-minded to new ideas and suggestions.
10. Optimism
A cheerful disposition helps you remain approachable to your team, as does an optimistic attitude. You want to make it clear that you are there to help, not disparage. You also want people to feel like you are open to their ideas. Perhaps a staff member has a fantastic idea for an upcoming marketing campaign, or a fellow manager wants to implement a rewards program that encourages employee retention. You want to make employees feel like they are on the journey with you instead of on the outside. Finding the potential benefits, values, and strengths of people’s ideas first, before pointing out weaknesses, creates a psychologically safe environment.
11. Confidence
Leadership communication requires projecting an aura of confidence and self-assurance without being arrogant. Have a clear vision of what you’re trying to accomplish and communicate that vision to your team. When team members know what’s important and why it’s important, it can help to improve productivity. Confidence is also crucial when communicating with executives or shareholders. When it’s clear that you’re confident in the message you’re communicating, others are more confident in you.
What Do Good Leadership Communication Skills Look Like in Practice?
If effective communications skills are practiced consistently by leaders, the organization should realize a variety of important outcomes. But when and how should these skills be utilized exactly? Of course, leaders should always practice good communication skills. Though, here are a few practical scenarios in which communication should be deliberately enhanced.
Recognizing and Appreciating Employees
Who doesn’t want to be recognized for the hard work they put in? Effective business communication isn’t just about the work, it’s also about appreciating the work. Both verbal and written recognition-related communication helps employees feel appreciated and valued, such as writing an email “shout-out” regarding top-selling team members for the month or talking about what a great job various team members are doing during the next meeting. Small prizes are also ways to recognize jobs well done, like providing gift cards or additional paid vacation days. Any way you do it, recognizing employees effectively is founded on effective communication skills.
Building Stronger Teams
Teams interact closely with each other, and leaders need the ability to promote team unity. This starts with communicating with clarity in every interaction. For example, tasks may be divided among just a few people when your team is small, and tasks are likely more dispersed when the team is large. In either case, we want to ensure the strength and unity of that team remains intact. Each member of the team needs to clearly understand their individual role and what’s expected of them. There should be no confusion about job duties or about what each team member’s priorities should be.
You’ll need the ability to communicate to all members of the team in a clear way both verbally and in writing with as much transparency as possible. Be clear about why individual tasks are important and when they’re expected to be completed. Be available to answer any questions your employees may have.
Find ways to improve the unity of the team. Periodically have team building exercises to help staff get to know each other in a more relaxed interaction. The goal is to improve communication, collaboration, and trust.
Motivating Employees
As the leader of a team, you have the opportunity to lead each employee in a way that empowers them to meet their potential. Get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each individual team member and consider how each can make a contribution to the team by utilizing their strengths. Strategically delegate tasks among your staff while giving individual team members the autonomy to complete tasks in a way that makes sense to them.
The attitude you project can have a big impact on your team’s morale. Effective leaders project a positive attitude. If you’re facing any stressful situations, remember to set a positive example and don’t focus on the stress or openly demonstrate signs of fear or negativity. Work on remaining calm under pressure.
There are times when your team may look to you to be inspired or motivated. Even if times are challenging, work on conveying a positive attitude and show them that you have faith that the team will get through stressful times. Offer words of encouragement or praise and positive feedback when appropriate. Know what motivates your team and work on keeping them focused and driven.
Keeping Staff Informed
Keep your team informed whenever you can about any information you have about the direction the company is going in or any imminent changes that may be ahead. Communicate with authenticity and transparency. Employees that sense that there’s secrecy about company decisions may have a hard time trusting you. Poor communication about job duties can lead to confusion and miscommunication with other team members.
Besides meeting regularly with your team to communicate important information, plan to have one-on-one meetings with individual team members. This gives you a better understanding of problems staff members may be dealing with. Encourage innovative ideas and suggestions.
Have a plan about what you need to cover in staff meetings. Don’t hold your staff hostage while you ramble aimlessly. Your employees don’t want to take time out of their day to hear about things that aren’t important to them. Have a clear agenda and make sure you don’t leave out anything important during a meeting.
Communicating with Diverse Teams
Leaders need the ability to adapt to different styles of communication. Even with a small team, you may interact with people of very diverse backgrounds. Get to know your staff and you’ll find some may want frequent feedback while others prefer to work more independently.
In a leadership role, you may need to choose your words carefully. Don’t blurt out comments that might come across as discriminatory or offensive. The first thought that comes into your mind may not be your best thought. Pause and think through what you say to make sure the words that come out are what you mean.
Take your time with written communication for the same reason. Don’t dash off an email in a moment of annoyance or anger that you may end up regretting.
If you do end up saying something you regret, don’t make excuses. Admit you shouldn’t have said what you said. You may not be able to completely make up for an offensive comment, but admitting you were wrong is an important step toward repairing a relationship with a colleague or employee.
How to Improve Communication with Your Team
So, you’ve honed your skills and implemented them, especially during important situations. How can you enhance your habits even further to ensure effective communication with your team? Here are a few best practices.
Remove Distractions
Regardless of who you’re communicating with, an important part of effective communication is being focused on the conversation. Put your cell phone away and put your business phone on “do not disturb.” The person you’re talking to wants to feel heard and know you’re fully present. You’ll get much more out of a conversation when you’re completely engaged and you’re much more likely to gain the trust and confidence of the other person.
Adapt Your Communication Style to Your Audience
Your word choice and communication style may vary from one person to the next, so it’s important to know your audience. Your demeanor may not be exactly the same talking to employees as it is when talking to clients. Part of improving leadership communication skills includes adapting your communication style based on who you’re talking to.
Consider whether your audience is highly experienced or brand new to the topic. Another thing to consider is the best method of communication. Can you get your point across most effectively in person, over the phone, or through email?
Prepare What Needs to Be Said
Don’t assume if you’re putting on a presentation or leading a meeting that you’ll automatically remember what needs to be said. Get in the habit of being thoroughly prepared for every interaction with others. Invest time and energy preparing ahead of time what needs to be communicated. Know what you want to achieve and stay on topic. Not being prepared increases the risk that you may not say what you mean to say and you might say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Preparing ahead of time is also important when having one-on-one conversations. If you have to give critical or constructive feedback, be prepared to say what needs to be said but also what possible responses or objections might come up.
Keep Learning
The most effective leaders are those who recognize that there’s always more to learn. Look for opportunities to learn more on improving leadership communication skills whenever you can. Read books and articles on the topic, watch videos, and participate in classes and webinars. Look for opportunities to practice new skills as you learn them. Welcome feedback from others on what you’re doing well and where there’s room for improvement.
Conclusion
No matter what level of leadership you’re at, whether a C-level executive or mid-level manager, the minute you begin having supervisory authority over other people, your skillset absolutely must expand. You no longer simply have the job you’ve become good at; you now have a new job: leading people. And much of your energy and focus should be on becoming great at that job. When it comes to being an effective leader, being an effective communicator is priority one. So, make sure to get some leadership development training. You could try online courses, such as our leadership certification program, our difficult conversation course, or our creating peaceful cultures course. You can also enroll in continuing education courses at a local college, read leadership books, and listen to leadership podcasts.
Whichever method you prefer, your career as a leader, executive, and/or business owner will only benefit from becoming a fantastic communicator.
