When you’re in a leadership position, you’ve got to be able to effectively communicate.
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to retain your employees, improve working relationships, maintain unity between the members of your team, resolve conflict in the workplace, or something else entirely.
The fact of the matter is everything you do as a leader is going to require effective communication skills. And if you don’t have them, everything you do will be much more difficult.
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re dealing with some sort of problem with your employees or doubting your ability to communicate.
But as a leader, regardless of who’s to blame for whatever it is you’re dealing with, the responsibility for these issues is going to be placed squarely on your shoulders.
That being said, one of the best things you can do is consider the role you may have played in these problems, and do whatever you can to put yourself in a better position to deal with them.
So, in this article, I’m going to help you do just that by discussing what I consider to be some of the most effective communication skills for leaders like yourself.
Effective Communication Skills for Leaders
Empathy
No matter who you are, if you want to develop more effective communication skills, empathy is one of the most important things to master.
Having empathy will allow you to tailor your language and your approach to each individual or situation, and this is going to make your communication much more effective.
Essentially, it all goes back to the age-old idea of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.
It doesn’t require you to sympathize with the people you’re communicating with (especially if they don’t deserve it), and you don’t have to agree with them either. But you can always empathize with them.
Now, I know this might sound a bit confusing, as people tend to think the words sympathy and empathy mean the same thing, but I can assure you, they don’t.
Sympathy refers to having pity for someone, whereas empathy is more about being able to understand someone else’s feelings, and it’s important to make that distinction.
In any case, when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes by understanding where they’re coming from, it’s going to allow you to understand that person’s point of view, and you’ll have much greater insight into their desires, motives, grievances, and struggles.
It will also allow you to speak to people in a way that shows you care about them, respect them, and appreciate them, and as a leader, that’s going to give you a communicative advantage.
Receptivity
As a leader, inevitably, the members of your team are going to come to you looking for help, guidance, answers, and someone to confide in.
If you don’t know how to handle this, then you’re bound to run into problems.
But how can you show people you’re receptive to what they’re saying?
Well, there are several strategies you can employ, but there are also a few principles that will remain the same across the board.
For example, if you want to show someone you’re receptive to what they’re saying, you need to:
- Listen – I know, it sounds obvious, but this is vitally important. Make sure the person you’re talking to knows you’re giving them your undivided attention.
- Wait – Allow the person you’re speaking with to say everything they need to say without interrupting them. Wait until they’re completely done before saying anything.
- Remain Neutral – Do your best to be unbiased. Try not to place blame unless it’s absolutely necessary, and try to keep your body language neutral, so they know you’re taking them seriously.
Adhering to these three principles will help you to deal with conflict in the workplace in a more judicious manner, which will allow you to be seen as fair, impartial, and objective, and avoid looking like you’re playing favourites with anyone.
As a result, employees are going to have more respect for you, and this will ensure you have an easier time dealing with any conflicts that come up.
Consistency
Whatever your leadership style might be, consistency is key.
If the members of your team feel like you’re playing favourites, or your communication with them is inconsistent, it’s going to be bad news for you, every single time.
For example, if there’s a conflict between three of your employees, and you need to have a discussion with each one of them, you’ve got to make sure to treat all of them equally.
As I said above, you should always be receptive in the sense that you should allow people to speak and avoid interrupting them.
But some people are going to be much more open, and some will have a lot more to say than others. Still, you should do whatever you can to give the same amount of time to each team member, so they can be sure there’s no favouritism.
One of the ways you can do this is by asking each person the same set of questions. Then, once all the questions have been asked, give each person one last chance to speak by asking them, “Was there anything else you wanted to say?”
In addition, if you give instructions to employees, or answer their questions, you’ve got to be consistent.
For instance, if a colleague asks you a question about how they should structure their break schedule, take note of what you said, and if another colleague asks you the same question, make sure to tell them the exact same thing.
Having this kind of consistency in your communication is going to help you avoid creating any unnecessary confusion or misconceptions, which is going to make your job as a leader much easier.
Transparency
If you want to gain the trust of the people you’re leading, you’ve got to be transparent.
In this context, I’m talking about transparency in terms of three different aspects.
First, you have to be accessible.
If possible, you should let your team know you’ve got an open-door policy.
This will inspire trust because it positions you as someone who’s got nothing to hide, and someone who respects their colleagues enough to make time for them.
Ideally, if a member of your team wants to talk, you should do your absolute best to drop what you’re doing and give them your undivided attention, right then and there. If you can’t, make sure to set aside time for that conversation as soon as you possibly can.
Secondly, you have to be willing to share both the good and the bad.
Obviously, there are some things you can’t share, but you should do your best to keep your colleagues in the loop whenever possible.
This is going to show the members of your team that you respect them enough to be open and honest, which will inspire even more trust, and again, position you as someone who’s not trying to hide anything from them.
Last but not least, you should do whatever you can to encourage honest feedback from your team on a regular basis.
Whether that means having a suggestion box for employees to make anonymous complaints and recommendations, or sitting down with each employee individually and encouraging them to give you their honest opinions, the result should be the same.
Whatever you do in this regard, it’s going to show that you value the opinions of your colleagues, and you care about them, which will continue to stimulate mutual trust and respect.
If you’re in a leadership position and you feel like your communication skills could use some work, don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule a free discovery call. I’d be more than happy to explain how I can help you become better at what you do by learning more effective communication skills.