Effective Workplace Communication Skills (Part One of a Two-Part Series)
How Good Managers Ensure Successful Communication with Employees
Whether you’re a manager or would like to be one at some point in your career, you must practice effective communication. Without it your company will experience higher turnover rates, less productivity, and decreased customer satisfaction. Not to mention, your employability lessens when you don’t possess key soft skills like effective communication.
Unfortunately, communication doesn’t come naturally to many accountants. Known as introverted “bean counters,” we often have a bad reputation for practicing ineffective communication with customers and coworkers alike. If you find yourself struggling to get your message across, consider the first of 8 tips on developing effective workplace communication skills:
1. Determine your message
First you must determine exactly what your message is. As a manager you must always be aware of office dynamics and employee performance in order to work closely with those you supervise and facilitate improvement. Take note of areas that need attention and then determine what your intended message should be.
After you’ve determined your message, ask yourself what you hope to accomplish by communicating this message? As you define your objectives and the intended audience, consider how to present the message so that it appeals to them. Your approach will greatly influence how the message is received.
2. Select the most appropriate communication method
Different communication methods include written correspondence like email and business letters and verbal correspondence like face-to-face meetings and group presentations. Each and every communication method can be effective if paired with the right message.
For example, if you need to place an employee on probation, email probably isn’t an appropriate communication method for that message. If you need to announce a departmental retreat, it probably wouldn’t be effective to schedule one-on-one meetings with each employee. Scrutinize your message and select the communication method that will most effectively communicate that message.
3. Ask for feedback
In order to truly know how your message has been received and whether or not it has been understood, you must ask for feedback. Provide a forum in which feedback can be safely communicated and received. Some employees may not feel comfortable sharing feedback in a public environment; in that case you might consider requesting feedback via email.
4. Listen with intent
If your only objective in communicating is to get your message across then chances are you are not communicating effectively. The majority of effective communication comes in listening with intent. If you’re not listening, you’re not learning. And if you’re not learning then your work as a manager is probably misguided and ill-informed.
When you listen with intent you focus on the speaker and their message. Consider what motivates them and what they may be thinking and not saying. If you are too busy constructing a response or refuting their message in your mind, you are not paying close enough attention.
Without effective communication skills a manager will not be successful. And if you want to earn a promotion, chances are your boss will be watching to see whether or not you practice effective communication techniques.
Return next week when we will be discussing the final four tips on developing effective communication skills:
5. Speak up!
6. Tackle difficult topics
7. Practice presentation skills
8. Allow everyone the opportunity to voice opinions
If you would like to learn more about how accountants can increase profitability by communicating effectively, visit our website Are You in the Black today!
