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.”
