Effective communication lets you create shared meaning and understanding between you and your team. These 5 skills are must-haves for any manager looking to get their messages heard and create a productive work environment where employees can thrive.

5 Must-Have Communication Skills for Any Manager

1. Set the context

Every employee comes into the workplace with his or her own context, a mixture of culture, memories, upbringing, and experiences. Part of the role of a manager is to create a shared vision for the entire team. Make sure employees understand the big picture and how they fit in. Constantly communicate the “why” behind the business plan: why the plan is important, the role your team plays and the critical role individual employees play.

What do employees want? While the answer varies by employee, our research and work reveals a collective “wish list” every boss should know. What follows are some of the most sought-after wishes and those that come up most often as unmet:

Communication—done well—can be tough. But how can you increase the chances you will be effective and get what you want?

To get good at anything—whether in sports, business or a big focus of mine, parenting—you need to work at it. 

What comes to your mind when you think about the world’s great leaders? Often, it’s how they inspired people or organizations to achieve greatness. Or a stirring speech that delivered a compelling message. The fact is, many great leaders are also great communicators. 

When leaders call us for help with any type of communication, our first step is to understand what’s going on. We need to assess the audience and current state to identify key issues or opportunities before making recommendations.   

Typically, this involves using some type of communications measurement tool or method to guide our solution. And we often hear, “We already know our communication is poor, why measure?” 

It’s a paradox that every leader faces: Create teams that work well together but embrace conflict. Also, drive consensus but encourage individual points of view. Discomfort is emotional. Feelings can be complex and multi-layered. But stifling expression can inhibit a team’s performance and lead to poor decision making.

Every leader experiences transitions in roles and responsibilities at one time or another. This is true whether the leader is new to the organization or moving up within it. The most successful leaders figure out how to transition as quickly and effectively as possible, minimizing – or even eliminating – any disruption to the business.

My neighbor down the block is the classic Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched. She knows the comings and goings of just about everyone in the neighborhood, and proudly overshares what she knows with anyone who will listen.