3 keys to sparking better manager communication

Most communication departments excel at delivering content: strong messages and good materials a company’s managers can share with their teams.

To be sure, business leaders and managers need that substance. But they might need something more.

Smart communicators and comms teams become indispensable to their organizations by stepping into the role of “business partner” or “trusted advisor.” (I may be known for my distaste for jargon and buzzwords, but I still know how to use them.)

If you’d like to distinguish yourself this way—and level up your organization’s overall savvy to communicate—then I suggest focusing on managers’ communication confidence.

Confidence is a Goldilocks thing. The best manager-communicators have a level of confidence that’s just right. Those with too much confidence may talk more than listen, miss details, or assume that communication is “complete” simply because they have spoken. Those with too little confidence may hold back, rush past or procrastinate on conversations, or assume that communication falls under someone else’s job description (probably yours).

How can you help? Here are three tactics you can employ to improve communication for managers at both ends of the confidence spectrum.

1. Share discussion prompts.