A manager who communicates well can create a working environment where every team member feels valued and understood. In this article, we explore three key strategies for improving communication between managers and their staff — strategies that help build trust, lift morale, and create a workplace where everyone can succeed.
Trait 1 of a Great Manager: Honest Communication Paired with Empathetic Listening
In her book Radical Candor, Kim Scott sets out two key elements of communication: challenging directly and caring personally (Scott, 2019). When these two come together, a manager can show genuine care for the team while still giving honest, constructive feedback.
For instance, when an employee's performance falls short of expectations, a manager with good communication skills will name the problem directly. They explain candidly what needs to improve and offer clear guidance to help the employee grow. This straightforward approach keeps communication transparent, avoids misunderstandings, and makes it easier for team members to understand what the manager expects.
Asking an employee to improve is not enough on its own, however. An excellent manager gives direct feedback while also showing empathy, listening to the employee's personal feelings, needs and development goals (Scott et al., 2010). By combining candour with care, a manager can show employees that they are valued and supported.
How to Improve Your Communication Skills: Candour and Empathy
Step 1: Name the problem clearly
- Situation: You notice that an employee, Alex, has repeatedly failed to finish projects on time.
- How to respond: Pinpoint the problem specifically and come prepared to discuss it with Alex, rather than speaking in vague generalities.
Step 2: Use direct yet sincere language
- Situation: You have arranged a private meeting to talk things over with Alex.
- How to respond: State the problem directly — for example: "Alex, I've noticed you've missed a few project deadlines recently. Let's talk through what's behind it."
Step 3: Show empathy through active listening
- Situation: Alex explains that they are feeling the pressure of their workload.
- How to respond: Don't interrupt them; show that you understand and value their point of view.
Step 4: Offer support and solutions
- Situation: You realise Alex needs help reorganising their workload.
- How to respond: Work out a solution together — adjusting deadlines, say, or drawing up a list of priorities — to show your support.
Step 5: Follow up regularly
- Situation: Once the solution is in place, check in on progress at regular intervals.
- How to respond: Arrange regular check-ins to reinforce your role as a manager.
By combining candour with empathy, an excellent manager can put good communication skills to work and create a workplace where people feel at ease. This approach encourages employees to take feedback positively, make the changes they need to make, and feel respected by the team all the while.
Trait 2 of a Great Manager: Setting Clear Tasks and Goals
Psychologists Chip and Dan Heath stress that "what looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity" (Heath & Heath, 2011, p.17). Many obstacles stem from unclear instructions. For example, if a manager tells the team, "We need to make our social media more engaging," that vague directive can leave employees confused.
A great manager uses effective communication to express specific, measurable goals clearly — for instance: "We want to lift our social media engagement rate by 20% this quarter." A clear directive like this helps team members understand their own role, and aligns their efforts with the company's goals.
How specific a goal needs to be may also vary by management level. Junior managers may focus on operational tasks, while senior managers concentrate on a broader vision and strategy. Whatever the level, clear communication helps build an efficient working environment and empowers employees to reach their goals.
How to Improve Your Communication Skills: Clarity
Step 1: Define the goal clearly
- Situation: You want to boost your company's social media engagement.
- How to respond: Spell out a specific goal — for example: "Our goal is to raise our social media engagement rate by 20% next quarter."
Step 2: Turn the goal into actionable steps
- Situation: You have set an engagement goal, but the team is unsure how to achieve it.
- How to respond: Provide a detailed action plan — for example, publishing three engaging posts a week, replying to comments daily, and hosting a monthly online Q&A session.
Step 3: Communicate expectations
- Situation: The goal and action plan are clear, but team members still have questions.
- How to respond: Call a team meeting, communicate your expectations clearly, and set out the tasks each person is responsible for and what success looks like.
Step 4: Encourage questions and feedback
- Situation: Team members may be reluctant to ask questions in the meeting.
- How to respond: Create an open atmosphere — for example, by saying: "Please feel free to raise any questions, or share any doubts you have about your role, at any time."
Step 5: Monitor progress and adjust as needed
- Situation: A few weeks into the plan, you find that engagement has not improved as expected.
- How to respond: Arrange a follow-up meeting to review progress, discuss the challenges, and adjust your strategy based on feedback and performance data.
By defining tasks and goals clearly, an excellent manager can help the team work towards them effectively together. This approach not only ensures everyone is clear about what is expected of them, but also fosters a sense of responsibility and drive within the team.
Trait 3 of a Great Manager: Staying True to the Company's Vision
Acting as the "Chief Reminding Officer", an excellent manager regularly restates key messages to ensure everyone understands the company's vision (Scott, 2019). They recognise that their role is not only to lead, but also to motivate and guide team members in keeping their efforts aligned with the broader vision.
When introducing a new idea, a manager may not win the team's enthusiastic support straight away, which can be disheartening. An excellent manager, however, understands the importance of perseverance. They do not give up easily; instead they keep conveying why the vision matters, reminding the team of the intent behind a decision even in the face of resistance.
This communication skill can give a team a sense of stability and direction, building a culture where the company's vision runs through the whole organisation and letting employees focus on achieving shared goals.
How to Improve Your Communication Skills: Holding to the Vision
Step 1: Keep restating the vision
- Situation: The company is going through change, and some team members feel uncertain about the way ahead.
- How to respond: Remind the team of the company's vision regularly in meetings — for example: "Our goal is to become an innovation leader in our industry. That is the mission we are focused on."
Step 2: Lead by example
- Situation: You notice that morale is low and productivity is falling.
- How to respond: Take an active part in projects that support the vision, and keep a positive attitude. For example, join the brainstorming meetings and express your enthusiasm for the plans about to launch.
Step 3: Face challenges candidly
- Situation: The team has hit a major obstacle on the way to realising the vision.
- How to respond: Call a meeting to discuss these challenges openly, restate why the vision matters, and work together to find solutions. Encourage team members to share their ideas for overcoming the difficulties.
Step 4: Celebrate the small wins
- Situation: The team has made some progress, but may think it does not count for much.
- How to respond: Acknowledge and celebrate milestones tied to the company's vision, such as completing a key project phase. This kind of recognition helps maintain momentum and keeps attention on the bigger goal.
Step 5: Encourage continuous improvement
- Situation: The team feels confused and unsure of what to do next.
- How to respond: Encourage team members to pool their ideas and put forward new thoughts and methods that support the vision. Create a safe space for experimenting and learning from mistakes.
By showing unwavering perseverance and conveying the company's vision effectively, an excellent manager can inspire the team to stay aligned with long-term goals. This kind of commitment helps build a resilient working environment, keeps employees energised, and channels their energy into the organisation's success.
Becoming a Great Manager: Improving Your Communication Skills with the MindForest App
Effective management and good communication skills are vital to career development. The MindForest App is an indispensable tool to help you strengthen your management ability and improve your relationships with your staff. Here is how MindForest can help you grow into an excellent manager:
1) AI Guide: Crafting Your Management Strategy
Use the AI Guide to refine your management style. It analyses the way you lead and offers tailored suggestions to help you sharpen your communication skills and engage with your team more effectively.
2) Inspiration Journal: Encouraging Deeper Reflection
The Inspiration Journal feature encourages you to record interactions and feedback, giving you a deeper understanding of your communication patterns. This reflective practice helps you identify where you can improve, so you become a more effective communicator and manager.
3) Goal Setting: Improving Team Management
Use MindForest's goal-setting feature to set and review your goals clearly. This not only fosters a sense of responsibility, but also helps you communicate expectations clearly, keeping your team in step and energised.
Download MindForest today, strengthen your management ability and communication skills, and pave the way to a successful career.
References
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2011). Switch. Random House Business Books.
Scott, B. A., Colquitt, J. A., Paddock, E. L., & Judge, T. A. (2010). A daily investigation of the role of manager empathy on employee well-being. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 113(2), 127–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2010.08.001
Scott, K. (2019).Radical candor How to get what you want by saying what you mean. Pan Books.
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