Effective communication is vital to every facet of business operations, especially in organizations where employees need to collaborate with coworkers located hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.
Managers set the tone in all aspects of workplace communication. In addition to clearly conveying business goals, project parameters and performance expectations, organizational leaders who are good communicators set an example for employees to emulate in their own workplace interactions. They recognize both their own communication style, as well as that of their employees and adapt accordingly.
Given the nature of the workplace today, it’s not always feasible to communicate in person, so using appropriate methods to convey each message is an important part of a manager’s communication style and skillset. Evaluating your management communication style, the methods you choose to communicate, and your overall interpersonal skills will help you develop the essential leadership tools you need to be an effective communicator.
How costly is poor management communication?
If left unchecked, poor communication practices could cost small and medium-sized businesses thousands — in some cases, hundreds of thousands — of dollars, according to a 2018 survey conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
The fallout from communication breakdown can have numerous negative effects:
- 44% of respondents stated that communication barriers result in project delays or even failure to complete assignments.
- 31% believed poor communication lowered staff morale.
- 25% attributed missed performance goals to communication problems.
- 18% blamed communication issues for lost sales revenue.
Managers are most susceptible to the negative effects of communication problems, given their roles as intermediaries between executive leadership and junior employees. Nearly half (49%) of directors stated that they frequently felt the negative consequences of poor communication.
Playing such an important part in disseminating directives that come from the very top of the organization as well as coordinating projects and sharing feedback from lower-level employees, managers need to be the best communicators possible to effectively handle all of their responsibilities.
That’s not always the case, however. Often managers are uncomfortable communicating with employees, especially with particularly difficult topics like negative performance reviews. Finding the communication style that fits your personality and leadership approach will help overcome these obstacles.
Finding the right management communication style for you
The key is to identify your inherent communication style, assess your overall capabilities, cultivate your strengths and address your weaknesses. As noted by Fast Company, there are several management communication styles to consider:
- Analytical: Detail-oriented individuals who crave specific data or feedback in business interactions. They rarely use — and are often aggravated by — vague statements.
- Personal: Leaders thrive on close, emotional connections. They tend to be good listeners and can act as a go-between or intermediary when conflict arises.
- Functional: Process-oriented managers who prefer laying out detailed action plans when addressing any problem.
- Intuitive: Less interested in the specific details of a project or assignment, these individuals focus on achieving larger, sometimes abstract, goals — whatever it takes to get there.
Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, and in some cases these styles can seem inherently at odds with one another. Functional and intuitive communication styles may clash, for instance, when problem-solving since one side wants a step-by-step plan in place while the other cares more about the end result rather than the process.
It’s important to recognize these traits in yourself as well as in your employees and superiors, and tweak your communication style appropriately depending on the circumstances. If you know your supervisor is an analytical communicator, bring hard data and metrics to any report briefing. Conversely, employees who align with the personal communication style will appreciate a less formal approach to performance reviews and other meetings.
Choosing the best communication channel
Matching the medium with the message, as well the communication style of your audience, is also a key consideration in improving your communication effectiveness. Because in-person conversations may not always be an option, there are many alternate ways to communicate. The latest unified communications tools allow managers to stay in touch with employees while they are on the road, working from home or operating out of a satellite office. This includes everything from email and instant messaging, to conference calls and video conferencing.
Choosing the optimum channel is an important part of your communication style. For example, if a member of your team aligns with the personal communication style, leveraging a video conferencing platform enables you to communicate and collaborate with a level of clarity and fidelity that feels as if you are standing in the same room together. This is also useful if communicating sensitive information that warrants a more personal setting. Today’s video conferencing solutions are so powerful that there have been many times where I’ve met someone in-person only to realize later that this was our first face-to-face meeting.
On the other hand, ensuring ongoing and frequent communication to your team may work better on a more immediate channel, like a group chat.
Whatever your communication style, one thing is clear. The right principles, including open, accessible and bi-directional communication, can help make a good communicator, great.
