According to project.co, 70% of people say they’ve personally wasted time as a result of communication issues in their business. And, other various surveys of U.S. companies found that communication barriers are costing businesses millions, if not billions, of dollars per year in lost productivity.
It’s new leaders like you who have an opportunity to shun those statistics and guide your team to success through effective communication.
Here are a few essential communication skills to help make your transition to leadership smoother.
Transparent Communication
Nobody likes a vague, deflective, passive-aggressive leader. That’s why transparent communication is so important — it’s essential for earning trust, fostering understanding, promoting accountability, empowering your team and creating a positive culture.
Be clear and open when talking with both your team as a whole and individuals one-on-one, especially when delivering difficult news or changes within the organization. Explaining the “why” behind decisions helps employees understand the context and rationale, even if they might not agree.
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to guide your team toward better performance and development. Giving constructive, direct and empathetic feedback helps people grow and improve without feeling undervalued or attacked.
Listening
Listening is perhaps one of the most underrated skills in leadership. Too often, people listen to respond instead of to understand.
Intuitive listening goes beyond just hearing words — it requires understanding the underlying messages, emotional tones and body language of others. Here are some tips to improve your listening skills as a leader:
- Paraphrase. Summarize what the person said in your own words to ensure you’ve correctly understood.
- Stay present. Don’t multitask. Give the individual your full attention. Avoid letting your mind wander or think about what you’ll say next — focus solely on the speaker. Eliminate distractions like phone and email.
- Maintain eye contact. Eye contact shows you’re engaged and helps you pick up on non-verbal cues.
- Ask clarifying questions. If something is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
- Listen without judgment. Avoid jumping to conclusions or prematurely forming opinions. Keep an open mind.
This respect for each team member’s voice will not only improve the quality of discussions, but also increase your peoples’ respect for you as their leader. Just as importantly, consistently demonstrating strong listening skills will be noticed and appreciated by your supervisor and other colleagues.
Leading Productive Meetings
We’ve all been in meetings that felt like directionless time wasters — in fact, 65% of people feel they regularly waste time. But now that you’re a new leader, that’s the last perception you want your team or other colleagues to have.
A successful, productive meeting can largely be attributed to how you communicate before, during and after the session.
- Set an agenda. Before each meeting, send your team a clear agenda with specific topics and time allotments. This helps participants prepare and keeps the meeting focused. You can also ask if others have topics to add to the agenda to reduce the chance of hijacked discussions.
- Write an informative description. When you send out the invite, there’s value in providing people with a brief description of the meeting and why they’re being invited to the discussion. This allows them to get into the right mindset when attending.
- Effectively manage time. Set the tone that you value punctuality by starting your meetings on time and warning people if you might be late. During meetings, stick to the agenda and politely cut off tangents or sidebar conversations that derail the flow.
- For example, you can say “Thank you for bringing up that important point. To keep us on track and give this new topic the time it deserves, let’s set up a separate conversation and discuss.”
- End with clear next steps. Before concluding, review and assign any action items, owners and due dates to ensure accountability and follow-through. Send a recap email once the discussion is over to enshrine those next steps in writing.