Why Managers Should Improve their Communication Skills

 

I found out that 75% of workers leave their jobs because of their managers (LinkedIn.com).  Have you been among the 75%?  I know I have been. A manager made me leave a job!

As a manager, adopting effective communication techniques can positively impact how you manage employees. I am saying managers should focus on their communication because 91% of employees think their managers are bad communicators (smarp.com). If you are a manager, CLICK HERE to download a checklist to assess your communication skills.

So, how should you communicate with your employees?

·         Communicate frequently

·         Listen actively

·         Be approachable

·         Communicate clearly

·         Encourage them to get involved in decision-making or brainstorming sessions.

Now that we know how you should communicate with employees, let us talk about why it is important to effectively communicate with them.

·         When you listen to employees, they begin to trust you and feel like you value them. Employees who work in organizations where trust has been cultivated are 74% less likely to feel stressed (smarp.com).  When employees feel less stressed, they are more productive.

·         When you adopt effective communication techniques, it promotes employee retention (Harvard Business Review, 2018). If you yell at employees, talk them down, never listen to them, and exclude them from important decisions, they will get exhausted and leave at some point. So, focus on improving your communication skills and reduce your employee turnover rate.

·         Employees will become more engaged and productive if they feel they are contributing to the growth of the organization (Kouzes and Posner, 2018). It is important you let employees share their opinions and thoughts on important organizational issues and activities.

When a manager adopts impeccable communication techniques, it is a win-win for the organization and the employees. Employees get job satisfaction and the organization reaps growth because of their satisfied and productive employees.

            I hope this post prompts you to reevaluate your communication techniques. Download a free communication checklist for managers HERE. This checklist will help you assess your communication efforts towards employees.

Nene Folorunso