3 ways to be a better communicator and boss

It’s hard to talk to people. People can be great but they can also be terrible. If you want to be a better communicator, you need to be able to do more than just speak clearly. Here are a few ways managers can improve their communication skills…

Do your homework: When faced with a problem, take time to investigate. Your message matters the most, so gather all of the information you can before you decide to act. You can treat the symptoms but more importantly you should get to the root of the problem and solve that issue first. Once you’ve laid out those issues, you can make a plan to fix them.

Make it an A-B conversation: It’s always best to discuss issues with employees face to face. If you make a casual statement in a meeting that isn’t directed at anyone in particular, your message probably won’t be received. And if it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, make sure you reassure them of that, but make sure they also know that it’s important to you that they get things worked out.

Keep it simple: Make sure when you communicate an issue to an employee that they understand the problem is a business issue and not a personal one. Sometimes the best intentions can go awry. It’s important that your employees feel supported when positive intentions don’t go as planned. Let them know that the issue is a problem with results, not intention.