Robert Half Management Resources recently released the results of its latest survey on leadership performance, which included 30 percent of responding workers say that their managers could improve their communication and diplomacy skills.

"At the managerial and executive levels, possessing technical skills is frequently less important than being a good leader and communicator," Tim Hird, Robert Half Management Resources' executive director, said in a press release. "The greatest ideas go nowhere if a manager cannot express them effectively, gain consensus and build the work relationships necessary to execute them."

Communication and diplomacy skills lead the filed of areas in which managers can improve, followed distantly by technical expertise and leadership, which 18 percent and 17 percent of respondents identified, respectively.

Robert Half Management Resources identified five key steps managers can take to improve their communications: request feedback from all levels, identify a role model, understand their management style and work to push their limits, practice active listening and don’t try to manage in a way that is inconsistent with their personality.

"Leaders must be able to tailor their communication style to the individual and recognize what motivates each team member,” Hird said. “Managers who excel at this achieve higher levels of employee engagement and productivity."