Roughly seventy percent of employees view communication skills as the number one essential leadership attribute, research from Haiilo found. But surprisingly, only one in three employees agreed that their boss communicated effectively.
Leaders and managers have a direct bearing on overall employee motivation, wellbeing, and performance, and are one of the main contributing factors behind employee disengagement trends that have rocked the workforce since the pandemic. Evidently, there is a major communication crisis, and without addressing this concern, productivity and business profits suffer.
Below are three ways to improve your communication skills so you can lead a highly engaged and efficient team.
1. Communicate Clearly
The more transparent you are, the easier it will be for your team will trust you. Maintain an open door policy, so your team can build better working relationships with you, and articulate your thoughts and strategies using terminology that everyone is familiar with, while educating on the use of lesser-known jargon. Be honest about reality, especially as relates to your employees’ work status, and try to communicate this with empathy as soon as you are aware.
2. Deliver Constructive Feedback
Develop the art of relaying constructive feedback in a way that is action-oriented, solutions focused and positive. Ensure the feedback you relay is factual, based on evidence, and use these facts in your meeting, addressing specific behaviors that you’ve observed have had a negative impact on the team or project. Frame your feedback in a way that highlights your colleges, your team member’s strengths and positives before delving into the areas of improvement; ensure they are involved in the process of creating a positive action plan. Additionally, be open to receiving constructive feedback from your team members, as this will help you grow in your leadership journey.
3. Use The Right Communication Channel
Much employee frustration stems from using the wrong communication channels for the wrong people, or at the wrong time. Before you attempt to schedule that next meeting into your team’s calendar, stop and think again. Does this really need to be a meeting or can the information be relayed in another format such Microsoft Teams, or a quick message would do. And if not, does everyone need to be invited to this meeting? You should also ask yourself, How can I be more efficient with work time? Who absolutely needs to participate and how can I maximize the time spent in this meeting so it does not run overtime or take up too much time in my team diary?
Equally, for sensitive situations such as relaying negative feedback, it would be better to consider using an in-person meeting or video call than sending it via email, as it could easily be misinterpreted and result in a tense work environment.
Using the right communication channel, communicating with transparency, and ensuring your feedback is constructive, will help you as a leader to create an empowered, high-performing, and highly engaged workforce, and boost wellbeing and productivity.
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Article by: Sandra Ankomah | univers.ug.edu.gh
