The most effective leaders possess a combination of skills and personality traits that meld to create a person capable of rallying the troops and leading the charge. A key component in the successful leader’s arsenal is the ability to communicate well. Whether in writing or via spoken conversations, among the workforce, the public, business associates, or potential clients, those in leadership positions must be proficient in the fine art of communication.
“Your primary role is to lead,” says Catherine Hollyman, Founder and Communications Coach at Behind The Scenes Communications. “To have a destination in sight, to chart the course to success and to persuade your team to follow you on the journey. To influence your team to follow you, you first need to connect them with your vision meaningfully. And to connect with them, you need to be able to communicate effectively with them.”
While 3 in 4 employees see effective communication as the number one leadership attribute, less than 1 in 3 employees feel like their leaders actually communicate efficiently. There is no getting around it: effective communication from the leadership team directly impacts a company’s success. The benefits of ongoing, effective communication from management ushers in many workplace positives, including—
1. Better employee relations
Do you want to promote a spirit of collaboration and inspire unity among the employees? Make communication a top priority. Are you concerned with breaking down barriers between the management team and those they direct? Keep everyone on the same company page by striving for consistent communication.
2. The nurturing of stronger relationships
Open channels of communication that promote authentic dialogue, bond management, and staff into a dynamic, productive team. And when leadership sets the example by prioritizing and practicing effective communication, employees pick up on that vibe, and communication between co-workers improves.
3. Growth in trust and transparency
Have you ever been tasked with taking direction from someone you didn’t trust? Maybe the relationship lacked transparency, arousing doubts which impacted your level of engagement, which affected your productivity. When employees can count on management to be forthcoming with accurate, timely information, they will feel confident in following their direction.
4. Ramped up employee engagement
Everyone knows that employee engagement drives employee productivity and business success. But sadly, 85% of employees are not engaged in the workplace.
Quality conversations can change all of that. By helping employees understand their role in the company’s success, how they fit into the company’s culture, where the company is headed, and so much more, open, transparent lines of communication will drive engagement.
5. Unified remote workforce
Remote work grew 44 percent over the past five years. And that was before COVID-19 put millions of employees on work-from-home status. Industry experts have noted that remote work “is here to stay,” predicting increased interest in this trend long after the pandemic. While flexible work arrangements offer a sought-after perk for job candidates, such scenarios can present communication challenges for leadership teams.
Alison Davis, Founder, and CEO of Davis & Company, suggests that companies, “Show remote workers that you care by designing communication that includes them. How? Embrace technology, so all employees have an equal experience.”
The benefits afforded by ongoing, effective communication between the management team and the staff will ripple across the company, creating a positive and lasting impact on its success.
A.R. Mazzotta stays connected, via transparent communication with both clients and candidates. Our goal is to create best-fit connections between employees and clients. Contact us today.