Effective Communication | Why It's Important

Effective communication may be defined as the process of exchanging ideas, opinions, knowledge, and intelligence with the goal of reaching the most beneficial outcome. Communication is nothing more than the presentation of views by the sender in a way that is most clearly understood by the receiver. 

 For the purpose of this discussion, effective communication is when all parties involved in the communication (sender and receiver) ascribe similar meanings to the message, listen attentively to what has been said, and make the sender feel heard and understood. 

WHY MANAGERS MUST COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY?

To lead others, one must exhibit effective communication skills. Managers who communicate effectively are also more likely to become good problem solvers, which is an important skill to function well in the global workplace where diversity is increasing, and conflict is common.  

Managers who show the ability for verbal and written communication are more likely to get promotion, as well. Effective communication between managers and employees is necessary for a well-functioning workplace. 

The subject of effective organizational communication includes both formal and informal communication at all levels of the organization, including communication with employees, to employees and from employees to upper management. A manager may have all the greatest tactics in the world for how to push the business further, but he cannot turn them into action if he has absolutely no connection with the staff members.  

Thus, for a manager to be effective himself, he needs to be able to motivate them to do more and be more, encourage them, inspire them and listen to their views and concerns. This is the core of communication in management. If a manager cannot communicate with his team, then leadership skills are as good as truant. 

• Effective communication can contribute to organizational success in many ways. Effective communication 
• Builds employee enthusiasm, engagement and satisfaction
• Helps employees understand the terms and constraints of their employment and drives their dedication and loyalty
• Gives employees a voice to express their opinions-an increasingly significant part of improving employees’ satisfaction with their employer
• Helps to lessen the chances for misinterpretations and potentially reduces unfairness, injustice, and lawsuits
• Improves processes and procedures and ultimately creates greater planning and regulation and reduces costs

In the workplace, communication occurs when the information shared among employees contributes to the success and performance of the organization. Effective communication involves not only the use of words, but also the ability to understand one’s own and the other’s emotions, non-verbal communication, the ability to speak assertively, active listening, etc. In this article we will discuss the requirements for communicating effectively as a manager. 

WHAT MAKES COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVE? 

Communication is the key to any successful relationship, whether it is personal or professional. It does not matter whether you are communicating with your managers or the employees you supervise, when you communicate effectively with them, you want to be heard and understood. For a business to grow and for your employees to feel happy, motivated, and secure at work, a manager must be able to communicate in an effective manner. Here are a few things that constitute effective communication for managers! 

1. Understand the target audience – The biggest mistake a manager can make in communication is to assume that one size fits all. To become a good leader, it is necessary to be aware that audiences will vary from time to time, and that you should always adjust your message to suit the audience you are addressing at a given time. Hence, always consider the kind of audience you are communicating with and use that to determine the type of communication style you employ. This will enable you to communicate effectively as a manager.
2. Listen for potential – Active listening is one of the most important aspects of business communication. When we speak, you are repeating what we already know. Listening, however, gives us a chance to learn something new from others. Your staff members will be pleased to know that you are listening to their needs and concerns as a manager. Managers should answer any questions employees have and give them the opportunity to contribute to the running of different initiatives within an organization. It is crucial to listen to understand what each of the members has to offer so that action can be driven.
3. Make Yourself Available – We all understand the importance of an open-door policy in business. When employees worked in cubicles and managers remained behind closed doors, the open-door policy was designed to literally keep your door open so your employees could come to you at any time with questions or concerns. Although, in the modern era where office spaces are becoming more open and working together has become commonplace, the idea might seem outdated. However, it is still essential that managers remain accessible. Keep your door open as a boss, regardless of whether it is physically or technically. Ensure that your employees know they can talk to you at any time and that they do not feel unwelcome.
4. Give Your Employees the Bigger Picture – Whenever possible, help your employees to understand how their work is related to the achievement of the organization’s goals and success. When people feel empowered in the work they are doing, they tend to be more productive, motivated, and engaged as well as more engaged and motivated. Consequently, we know what kinds of goals they need to achieve, how they fit within the organization, and what contribution their work makes to the organization’s objectives.
5. Communicate with Sincerity – one of the requirements for effectively communicating with a manager is being sincere in your communication. Employees value integrity more than anything else in a supervisor. Therefore, as a manager, you should ensure that honesty is evident in all your interactions with your employees and that you speak to them in a sincere and upright manner.  

When communicating with your employees, you may feel tempted to hide or sugarcoat things to preserve their feelings of security and motivation or to present a positive image of yourself. Nevertheless, this approach is more likely to have the opposite effect than to be successful in the long run. If you fail to communicate effectively with your employees, they will lose trust in you, and their motivation and productivity will decrease. Therefore, a manager should maintain open and honest communication with his or her staff.  

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

A manager must not only communicate with his or her staff, but also have effective communication with them, where the message that is intended to be communicated is the one that gets to the recipient, thus enabling the employee to understand and interpret it immediately. There are several workplace related situations and areas in which managers must ensure effective communication. 

These workplace related areas of application include: 

1. Understanding the Need for Better Employee Relations – Managers who are the most effective and successful realize the importance of developing associations and communicating with employees throughout the organization. The use of effective communication skills is essential for overcoming obstacles and promoting the unified atmosphere that is necessary for an organization to be successful. Employees’ engagement and interest in their work varies according to the situation and context of their work each day. A good manager accepts this reality and can modify his or her communication style in order to motivate employees to achieve the desired outcome.
2. Gains in Productivity – Whether they realize it or not, managers are at the heart of a company’s productivity initiatives. It is crucial to communicate strategies and plans clearly so that staff understands exactly what needs to be done, and how the company expects them to be carried out. At the same time, each team member must understand his or her role, as well as why the task assigned to him or her is important. If the manager cannot ensure that this occurs, employees become self-approving and less interested in their work. Managers must therefore be aware of the role they play in ensuring the productivity of employees and the organization.
3. Globalization and the Impact of Cross – Cultural and Multilingual Work Teams – Cross-cultural and multilingual teams are becoming increasingly common in today’s globalized workplace. Another important aspect for managers to effectively communicate is to develop new communication techniques for interacting with the multicultural and multinational workforce of the modern age. Moreover, employees may identify with and feel connected to a multitude of national groups, which managers must consider when communicating a company’s goals and objectives.
4. Solving Problems – Effective communication skills are closely related to problem-solving skills. Employees who have difficulty on the job often look to their managers for guidance. However, a manager who lacks tact is unlikely to gain the trust he needs to deal with co-worker conflicts, declining performance, or other concerns. In turn, failure to deal with these situations threatens productivity and the ability of the organization to reach its goals.
5. Obtain honest feedback at all times – Communication is essential to receiving and providing honest feedback. Before expressing your opinion to anyone, it is very important to find out what others think. Managers may have difficulty handling these situations because they may not hear pleasant things and may not be able to handle criticism well. However, this is an essential requirement since it provides you, a manager, with a framework on how to improve your communication style. 

Request feedback regarding your communication style from your supervisor, colleagues, and staff. Let them know that they should be honest without having to worry about the security of their job, especially if they are your employees. Within a short period of time, you will have a clearer understanding of where you are going wrong as a manager. Employers can ask their employees for feedback in an orderly fashion, asking both what they like and don’t like. The next step is to work on your limitations, which will enable you to communicate effectively as a manager.