A vitally important skill for managers is communication. Developing this will make a big difference to how successful you are. Even though sometimes managers are required to impart vital information, the way he or she communicates it, as well as everyday abilities to get on well with their team members, can make or break the potential to perform. By taking steps to change attitudes and behaviors around methods of communication, a manager can get more, much more, from the people around them.
For example, there may be times when he needs to find out where internal systems are holding back growth, resulting in poor performance in a business. He might decide to make a presentation suggesting improved measures which would add impetus by making the systems and processes more effective. In order to convey his strategy and get that established, it's essential for him to communicate well.
Of course, the ability to get a special message across is very valuable, in all sorts of circumstances. What must be remembered is that such occasions are probably relatively rare. In the day-job, interpersonal understanding is far more important, so the ability to communicate one-on-one with all sorts of people is a skill worth having. Rapport building comes from listening effectively, so that people really feel you are interested and understand them as individuals too. It does involve some investment of time...and it's time spent that is well worth it.
Many managers fail to understand the effects their poor communication style can have on their people. You see miscommunication commonly comes from arrogance, linked to a lack of appreciating that misunderstandings are almost always the fault of the person imparting the information. And, how frustrating and inefficient can it be to have gotten the message wrong! A good manager will always acknowledge that they have the accountability to get a clear message across to everyone and anyone that needs to get it right.
When your people have come up with a problem, you might have felt that you understood all it's complex twists and turns. Trust me; you are not the only one to misinterpret what you thought you understood - it's so easy! When people are given a problem, they divert their attention towards finding a solution to it and in doing so they fail to understand the various aspects that the particular issue involves. By listening very carefully to the problem, by paying close attention to the detail and asking incisive questions, you will ensure there is little home for misunderstanding. This is a really effective way of getting into a problem and resolving it.
When deciding on a course of action, it is important to make sure that you have all the detail down first, check that you have heard what you have been told is correct and then, only then, go for a course of action. You see, how well a manager receives information, is at least as critical to success as how they impart it - probably even more so.
When working with teams, what you say and what they hear is even more important to get right. If one person gets the wrong end of the stick, then quite soon you will end up with confusion, frustration and possibly even internal strife amongst the team. Clarity is vital here. Taking the time when you brief a whole team, to recognize that they will all receive messages in very different ways (and accommodating this), will be well worth the effort in the long run. Including two-way communication with each and every member of the team fosters team spirit and collaboration.
When you are keen to ensure any communication processes that you have in place are effective, it's pretty important to adequately source relevant materials to deliver all that you need to. There can be few managers who haven't got circumstances wrong at some time in their career. Once it happens you don't easily forget when a piece of vital equipment fails, or your laptop battery died at just the wrong moment. Sometimes it's just as challenging when you can't find a flipchart pad. On an even more an informal basis, it can be a bit embarrassing when you haven't got a bit of paper in your pocket to take a note or two down!
Developing your personal communication skill is one of the most important tactics in your management development toolkit. It has the potential to catalyze great success. Only you can do it!
For example, there may be times when he needs to find out where internal systems are holding back growth, resulting in poor performance in a business. He might decide to make a presentation suggesting improved measures which would add impetus by making the systems and processes more effective. In order to convey his strategy and get that established, it's essential for him to communicate well.
Of course, the ability to get a special message across is very valuable, in all sorts of circumstances. What must be remembered is that such occasions are probably relatively rare. In the day-job, interpersonal understanding is far more important, so the ability to communicate one-on-one with all sorts of people is a skill worth having. Rapport building comes from listening effectively, so that people really feel you are interested and understand them as individuals too. It does involve some investment of time...and it's time spent that is well worth it.
Many managers fail to understand the effects their poor communication style can have on their people. You see miscommunication commonly comes from arrogance, linked to a lack of appreciating that misunderstandings are almost always the fault of the person imparting the information. And, how frustrating and inefficient can it be to have gotten the message wrong! A good manager will always acknowledge that they have the accountability to get a clear message across to everyone and anyone that needs to get it right.
When your people have come up with a problem, you might have felt that you understood all it's complex twists and turns. Trust me; you are not the only one to misinterpret what you thought you understood - it's so easy! When people are given a problem, they divert their attention towards finding a solution to it and in doing so they fail to understand the various aspects that the particular issue involves. By listening very carefully to the problem, by paying close attention to the detail and asking incisive questions, you will ensure there is little home for misunderstanding. This is a really effective way of getting into a problem and resolving it.
When deciding on a course of action, it is important to make sure that you have all the detail down first, check that you have heard what you have been told is correct and then, only then, go for a course of action. You see, how well a manager receives information, is at least as critical to success as how they impart it - probably even more so.
When working with teams, what you say and what they hear is even more important to get right. If one person gets the wrong end of the stick, then quite soon you will end up with confusion, frustration and possibly even internal strife amongst the team. Clarity is vital here. Taking the time when you brief a whole team, to recognize that they will all receive messages in very different ways (and accommodating this), will be well worth the effort in the long run. Including two-way communication with each and every member of the team fosters team spirit and collaboration.
When you are keen to ensure any communication processes that you have in place are effective, it's pretty important to adequately source relevant materials to deliver all that you need to. There can be few managers who haven't got circumstances wrong at some time in their career. Once it happens you don't easily forget when a piece of vital equipment fails, or your laptop battery died at just the wrong moment. Sometimes it's just as challenging when you can't find a flipchart pad. On an even more an informal basis, it can be a bit embarrassing when you haven't got a bit of paper in your pocket to take a note or two down!
Developing your personal communication skill is one of the most important tactics in your management development toolkit. It has the potential to catalyze great success. Only you can do it!
About the Author:
(c) 2008 Martin P Haworth is the author of Super Successful Manager!, an easy to use, step-by-step weekly development program for managers of ANY capability. Want a free sample lesson? It's waiting for you at http://www.SuperSuccessfulManager.com.
