Communication Skills for Executives

Communication plays a critical role in all of our day to day lives, however when you are a Director, Executive and or Leader the importance of stellar communication is absolutely fundamental. Even though you are painstakingly busy with multiple competing tasks, the skill of communication will be one that drastically affects every aspect of every day and has the potential to make improvements on micro, mezzo and macro levels (including team culture and employee relationships). Without the ability to reflect on how you are doing in this space you are risking more than your job, but you are risking the livelihood of the company at large.

The Importance of Communication in Leadership and the Consequences of Poor Communication

The real question is why does communication matter so much to Executives? How will it impact your effectiveness as a leader and How will it Impact the performance of your team? It is also important to realize what happens if your communication is poor, or if it is a poor fit for your team? A serious consequence is employee disengagement where efficiency and collaboration can be dramatically impacted. With poor communication moving from the top down it means that conflicts will arise at the ground level due to lack of clarity or because employees are not understanding in detail why certain aspects of the business are a top priority at present from your leadership perspective.  

Overcoming Time Constraints for Effective Communication

Prioritizing Communication as a Leadership Skill

When you analyze your daily routine do one analysis with communication opportunities and impacts for you to deeply understand the multilevel impacts of how communication can improve or hinder your day. Scheduling time that is blocked off for Communication Skill Development is part one and scheduling time to reflect upon how successful you were or weren’t when implementing the skill. It may seem daunting, but this type of scheduling is front end heavy, it becomes less over time as skills become further developed and as reflections come more easily to you. Try prioritizing communication in a set duration of time initially to make the task less daunting. For example, within a 1 month block in a slower time of year could be a place to start. 

Implementing Efficient Communication Practices

A leader’s number one question is often how can I make this as efficient as possible? Communication Skill Practice is no different.  It is possible to implement and streamline a process during regular meetings where there is a large attendance , but not so large that it is impersonal. Furthermore, a meeting could have a break out structure where employees get into groups of 3-6 to make interactions much more personalized and you could be going around to each individual group to engage in meaningful conversations and skill development. An alternative approach would be utilizing technology where possible for improved communication if employees are scattered across multiple locations. However, it is still possible to make these updates more personalized by using video messages so that employees feel they are being spoken to more directly and more meaningfully. 

Fundamental Communication Strategies for Busy Executives

In my opinion one of the absolute most important skills is Active Listening Techniques. Employees, Managers and Directors alike need to know that you are listening and that you have an accurate understanding of their concerns and ideas. Simply nodding your head or saying that you understand is not enough. You absolutely need to work on your ability to paraphrase their concerns and verify that you have understood them in detail and with accuracy. A further skill that is embedded within Active Listening is the ability to be silent when an employee is talking and not to overtalk them or be offering your opinion before they have completed what they have to say. This can seriously negatively affect Active Listening and by association the understanding an employee is seeking from you. If you do apply patience and Active listening this will build a much more cohesive relationship with employees and senior colleagues alike. Furthermore, this can have a positive knock on effect as employees that feel heard and understood are more likely to to feel deeply engaged at work. Therefore, they are more likely to be feeling more motivated, more ready to work and in a much better mental health space at work. 

Delivering Clear and Concise Messages is paramount in your communication with employees and colleagues in general. As an executive you are often used to keywords and terms that come up in meetings with other Directors and Senior Management. However, it is important to know your audience and consider what is normal for them in their communication style. It is your job to adapt to your audience, otherwise, you risk your message being misinterpreted and slipping into a place of poor communication, where employees are not focused on what you are saying and they are not in a position to learn anything. Your cadence is also something important to pay attention to. You may be under pressure to get back to your deadlines, however, if Clear and Effective Communication is the goal then you will likely have to work on your strategic pauses and your ability to stop and ask a few engaging questions so that employees can become reengaged if you lost them while speaking. 

Providing Consistent and Constructive Feedback is a cornerstone of measuring success. Both individually for yourself and for employees to reflect on communication skills they are working on developing. Therefore, to make this more efficient you will need to engage the Managers to work with their staff and set a weekly, biweekly or monthly interval to reflect on the progress in a systematic way. Without this type of interval the skills are likely to get lost and it will be too difficult for employees to recollect instances where the communication skills were applied for them specifically. 

Leveraging Technology for Improved Communication

Utilizing Digital Communication Tools

In the modern workplace communication has certainly expanded beyond person to person directly. It is very important to consider which other means of communication you are using and what the impact may be. Between Email, messaging apps, and video conferencing employees are faced with quite a barrage of methods of communication. Creating standard practices for communication of what is appropriate to communicate within what channel becomes important. For example emails are very effective for disseminating information to the team at large, but if there are stressful issues to discuss or if a more detailed understanding of issues is required email can be impersonal. Messaging apps are a frequently discussed topic in my sessions as employees often feel that there is an overuse of these channels and that they are expected to answer in real time. Therefore, if you are using these channels it is important to be aware that many employees are often feeling overwhelmed and burnt out regarding communication within these apps so it can be a good move to use these strategically; not for exhausting topics of conversation. Lastly, video conferencing is quickly becoming a normal means of communication in workplaces in the post Covid world. For remote work places or Hybrid ones this may very well be the most personal means of communication possible and should be utilized to connect more deeply with Employees for complex conversations and learning opportunities.  For the executives that are unsure and struggling with which means of communication may work best for their workplace, soliciting feedback regarding what employees appreciate and don’t appreciate specifically regarding the technologies used can offer some real value to your workplace. 

Effective Communication with Remote Teams

In today’s workplace it can be really hard to know what  strategies to use for maintaining engagement with remote employees. Employee culture was much easier to manage within a workplace when everyone was in the same location. One option is to operate within a hybrid model and offer the option to end early on a Friday. This will encourage employees to get as much work done as possible in less time with the reward of having a team build activity or an optional social event at an earlier time of day during business hours. If this is not possible then the option of offering virtual meetups or trainings where employees can speak about education or work based issues in small groups can be really beneficial as well. 

Fostering a Culture of Open Communication

Encouraging Open Dialogue and Transparency is one of the most important things any upper management team can focus on. Having open discussions within various departments and teams where concerns are heard and validated can make a world of difference when thinking about the pipeline of information. It is very easy as an Executive to assume that employees would be willing to share their thoughts with you and to be honest with you. However, in reality this is quite naive without the proper structures and role modeling in place. If you want employees to entrust you and seek you out then you need to make them feel that you are willing to be transparent with them and share honest things about yourself, your life and the company as you see fit. If they feel you are offering a high level of transparency that will build a high level of respect and in turn promote trust. This is the type of open pipeline you need as an executive to become aware of issues that are showing up at all levels of the business. A micro level problem with employees being mismanaged in one department without a pipeline can grow into something much bigger and much more impactful to your company. 

Practical Daily Communication Tips for Executives

Conducting Morning Briefings and Daily Check-Ins can be a great tool to start off the day with clarity for employees and to get yourself in a connected headspace. It is really vital to make these fun and engaging as it can become a real mundane experience for employees that feel they hear the same thing each day. The team will benefit if you are able to positively engage the team. For example going over the small or big wins of the team or of a particular employee can make employees feel very appreciated. Helping employees understand in a concise manner the benefit of accomplishing the targets that are set out for them can also lead to deeper internal motivation and hence a more fierce attitude toward willingness to work hard. However, employees may also need tailored help when it comes to structuring the day and this is better accomplished through smaller meetings with their direct manager. As an executive you can certainly connect with your management team if there are priorities you think would help the team when structuring their day. 

Scheduling Regular One-on-One Meetings as often as possible can be really beneficial, especially in this digital and remote age of employment. This is the one opportunity where an employee can get personalized attention and communication. The fit that exists between the employee and their direct manager cannot be underestimated. And it starts with you in how you are engaging the management team and what you are role modeling. You can role model one on ones with your management team and show them what a customized engaged meeting feels like. If you can offer them this experience and it feels good for them they will be motivated to replicate it for their respective teams. 

Addressing Common Communication Challenges

Managing Difficult Conversations with Employees

Techniques for handling conflicts and sensitive issues is a critical skill that all Executives, Leaders and Managers alike need to harness. We can borrow from the active listening skills as referenced earlier as a starting point. It is also very important to set ground rules with employees regarding letting each person speak and for you to slow down the speed of the meeting if required. You need the ability to see past the minor disagreement and look at the fundamental needs of both employees or of the team as a whole. It is essential to find something that all parties can agree to, such as the need for common respect and the ability to speak to anyone in the workplace without judgment. If you can highlight in a general way how it would make members on the team feel if there is too much judgment, then you are able to acknowledge the core issue without pointing the finger directly at any employee.  

Overcoming Resistance to Communication Changes is one of the most difficult parts of the role of being an Executive. When someone shows they are not willing to change, the immediate response needs to be a position of understanding the needs of the employee. For example, I understand your frustration, can you tell me more about specifically what the most frustrating part for you is? If you were able to change one thing in this scenario what would you change and why? This will allow you to explore the deeper seeded issues as an Executive and you may be able to offer the employee something to meet their needs , and if not at the minimum you can offer understanding and there is a chance to practice that open and honest communication that you want to receive back. 

Conclusion

Recap of Key Communication Strategies for Executives

In summary, the importance of communication skills for yourself and for your teams and employees is paramount. It all starts with you and what you are role modeling. In addition, your ability to engage various positions such as directors and managers in the same way you want them to engage employees can set up the communication pipeline very effectively. There are a few caveats to consider. Your active listening skills, your ability to be clear, concise and jargon free, as well as setting up regular meetings for feedback at all levels of the company will ensure that you are able to correct any issues that pop up in the communication channels. If you consider the pros and cons of how you are using technology to communicate you can significantly engage employees more effectively. And ensuring there is fun and a team culture that lets employees’ human side come out on a regular basis will all galvanize the commitment employees have to the company and protect their mental health simultaneously. 

I challenge you as an executive to implement the communication strategies listed in this blog within your organization. If you make communication a priority then it will become a strength of your workplace and ensure you are in a collaborative and supportive team where everyone helps each other, despite how far apart they might be. Remember, this is a long term and ongoing project that will require persistent efforts to build, develop and maintain a team culture where employees are proud, engaged and feel deeply valued. This is a long term key to the success of your organization and will be fundamental to creating a meaningful workplace where workers want to work hard because they are part of one of the best teams where the person next to you and the person above you are equally committed to each other’s success. If you are challenged in this space and require Executive Coaching feel free to reach out for a detailed consultation.