Some managers shout, some whisper, others don’t speak much at all, but if you’re trying to be the very best manager you can be, how should you communicate?
Communication skills are vital in life but if you’re going to manage and lead other people, you need to know how to speak to them in order to get the best out of them. Of course, there will also be situations when you need to be firm, situations when you need to be gentle, and times when you simply need to just get your message across.
One of the qualities of a good manager is knowing when to use what approach. Remember, communication isn’t just speaking to someone, it’s also about listening, it’s about creating the right kind of written communication, it’s about body language and being able to read people. These are all things a manager has to do well.
The best managers speak to their employees as the human beings they are. They don’t speak down to people, they don’t push their authority to the fore when it isn’t necessary and they don’t belittle. They’re not sarcastic, they’re not condescending, and they simply know that in order to get the best out of someone, you have to simply speak to them on the same level.
If you were working in an office, sitting at your office desk from day to day, surely you would want your manager to speak to you as a human being? After all, that’s what you are! If your manager came over to you and started speaking down to you, would it inspire you to do your best work? No! It would probably have the total opposite effect.
Effective communication means that you inspire, you motivate, you get your message across, and you avoid the risk of misunderstandings. When you’re unclear or you communicate in a way which annoys someone, you completely miss the point and you fall into poor manager territory.
Quality manager communication is:
- Clear
- Succinct
- Delivered in a friendly manner
- Devoid of sarcasm or other negative traits
- Firm when necessary
- Free from mistakes
- Inspirational in its own way
- Tailored to the situation and the person
A quality manager has the power to inspire their team to greatness. Ideas around the modern boardroom tables will be far more innovative, less mistakes will occur, there will be a solid team spirit in the office, and everyone will feel valued and motivated to do their very best for their manager.
Put simply, when a manager is a poor communicator, none of that is possible.