One of the most essential keys to successful leadership is excellent communication. The role of communication in leadership subsequently cannot be emphasized enough, as it contributes to a streamlined, healthy, productive work environment. Take a few minutes to learn what makes quality leadership communication so important to the workplace.
Helps Prevent Mistakes
Without clear workplace communication, such as detailed assignment and project instructions, team members can make easily-preventable mistakes. Such mistakes delay assignment and project completion, which affects productivity and does not help the workplace’s reputation in terms of efficiency.
Whether you are writing instructions in an email, discussing expectations for an upcoming project in a meeting, or doing anything else where clear employee-manager communication is necessary, remember to take your time. It also helps to let everyone know that you are always available to answer questions and explain anything they find unclear.
Keeps Employees Informed
Effective communication ensures employees stay informed and aware of the latest projects and other happenings. If employees are not sure what is happening on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, they can make mistakes or simply fail to complete various assignments and projects. Rather than berating employees for these issues, keep them updated on company news as often as possible. A daily morning meeting might be in order, or a mid-week conference where everyone discusses what they are working on and the progress they’ve made.
You might want to experiment with different update options to determine what’s best for your workplace. To that end, ask employees for their feedback, as they might have ideas that streamline office communications further.
Reduces Workplace Tension
Inefficient communication among managers and employees often results in workplace strife and tension. For example, perhaps one team member gets frustrated with another because of a poorly-worded email that created confusion, resulting in a “tiff” or “spat” that heightened tension in the entire office. Maybe a recent meeting left employees feeling confused, but said meeting ended abruptly and did not leave room for questions, breeding resentment.
By ensuring everyone is on the same proverbial page every day, workplace tension and confusion decreases significantly. Again, employee feedback can prove extremely helpful, such as asking everyone to write anonymous suggestions regarding emails and meetings, and place them in a suggestion box. Consider having the team vote on the best suggestions and see how the new processes work out. If they do not for any reason, ask for more feedback and go from there.
Attracts New Prospects
The role of communication in leadership is key in attracting new talent. Prospective employees want to know potential jobs are worth it, especially if they are thinking of leaving their current workplaces. A reputation for clear communication encourages prospect enthusiasm, because it indicates a functional, healthy work environment. It also reduces the turnover rate, an advantage that attracts new employees as well. High turnover rates are generally off-putting to potential new hires and can cause them to halt the application or interview process.
Garners Respect
When you make a point of communicating with your team regularly and ensuring they understand the latest assignment or project, you are earning their respect. Poor communicators generally do not garner their employees’ respect, rather team members become annoyed and frustrated instead. Earning employee respect contributes to a productive work environment, as everyone is usually willing to work harder. Team members who do not respect their managers are often not as willing to go above and beyond.
For more about the role of communication in leadership and conflict resolution studies, reach out to Peaceful Leaders Academy today!
