Introduction
Managing people is a key management skill. And there are small armies of gurus, academics, consultants and specialists waiting to help you do it better. But all their theories, models, systems and ideas are almost useless without one thing: effective staff communication. And they rarely tell you that.
The Secret
The secret is so absurdly simple it’s hard to believe that it’s rarely mentioned. It’s this. Effective interpersonal communication is the core people management skill. You don’t have to be a totally outstanding communicator. But if your skills in this area are poor, your business will suffer.
Stop And Think About It
How much time do you spend each day
- Speaking with someone?
- Listening to someone?
- Writing (emailing, texting, twittering) to someone?
- Reading something from someone?
Could these activities occupy 75% or even more of your time? Almost any manager spends at least 50 % of his or her time this way. We must consider it to be very important to occupy so much time … even if we don’t realize how much time it takes.
The Great Business Communications Mystery
TGBCM – in best text messaging style – is fascinating. Communication occupies at least half of every manager’s time. This activity involves every person in the workplace. This activity is absolutely essential to enable virtually any business transaction to occur, internally or externally.
The Mystery Deepens
It’s not enough that we’re up to our ears in interpersonal communications in the workplace. There’s an even greater conundrum. If we communicate poorly, it costs heaps to sort out the confusion and demotivation that results. If we don’t communicate well we’re in trouble. If we communicate poorly we’re in more trouble.
The Response
What’s the response of the gurus to this reality? They emphasize the importance of “business plans”, “branding”, “mission statements”, “productivity”, “benchmarking” and “world’s best practice”. They fail to inform us that we can’t do any of these things effectively unless we’re effective interpersonal communicators. I’m not saying that some communication courses don’t exist. But I don’t know of any business degree or MBA that dedicates even one semester to developing practical interpersonal skills.
The Courses
Courses and programs exist about workplace communications. They’re part of conventional management training programs. There are special training programs in business writing, better meetings, sales skills, counselling, motivation and disciplining – punishing by another name – skills. But these are specialist segments of interpersonal communications. You may write the most elegant, cogent and lucid report seen in the history of your business. But if you can’t convince people to read it …!
It’s Far Too Important
The skill is called effective interpersonal communications. It pervades business life whether spoken or written. It’s the lubricant that enables the machinery of business – or any organization – to run smoothly.
It’s more important than cash flow. Without it you can’t even ask for an overdraft! You can’t negotiate with your staff, your customers, your prospects, your colleagues, your competitors, your suppliers or even your bankers. And we give this all pervasive skill almost no emphasis in day to day management development.
It’s Not Chit Chat
Volumes of interpersonal chit chat are spoken at work. That’s normal and desirable. It’s in your best interests that staff are comfortable with social chatter.
That’s not what I’m talking about. Nor do I confine my comments to formal communication such as meetings. It’s the little talks, snatches of conversation and casual remarks about work matters that must be improved. These informal interchanges are a great place to practice better interpersonal communications. And with the practice of the skills informally, you can achieve great results.
The Core Management Skill
Communication, however you describe or define it plays a major role in everything that you do, as a manager, day to day. It’s central to your success. In large part, the effectiveness of every transaction you have with another person at work determines how successful you are as a manager. These small exchanges in corridors, lunch rooms, car parks, workshops or wherever, are all part of the communications fabric of your workplace.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter how focused, clever, intelligent, original, innovative, creative, well-informed, determined, conscientious or persistent you are. You need to communicate these admirable qualities to your employees. You also need to develop high level communication skills in your employees. Without these skills, you reduce your chances of business success. You face enough problems in building a successful business. Enhanced communication skills is something you can readily and inexpensively rectify. What are you going to do about it?
It’s posts like this that keep me coming back and checking this site regularly, thanks for the info!
Great writing! I wish you could follow up to this topic!
Best Regards
Sammie