Are you an effective leader? How you communicate and motivate your employees can make all the difference in a happy, productive workforce, and if you want the most out of your staff, you need to be able to lead them properly.
There isn’t one set way to communicate, so it all depends on your strengths and the type of environment you want to build. Ultimately, you need to reach your workers and have a successful working relationship with them.
Let’s go over the different leadership communication styles you can implement:
Communication Style #1: Listening
Listening to your team is one of the best ways to learn about what they need and how they function. We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, so you should always listen more than your speakers.
You can read between the lines and better evaluate and respond to situations when you hear what your employees say. This open communication approach allows your staff to express their concerns so you can solve issues faster. Be present when listening and take in the information before responding.
Never interrupt, and be patient while waiting for your speech. Then address their concerns directly and make sure it is resolved as fast as possible. An employee that is heard will feel more valued. Listening works well to resolve workplace conflict, perform evaluations and get feedback about workplace procedures.
Communication Style #2: Motivating
Encouragement is a great way to communicate with your team because they must be lifted to perform at their best. While being a cheerleader doesn’t work for everyone, motivating does connect you on a more personal level with your employees. You can use various techniques, including:
- Positive reinforcement
- Motivational quotes in communications
- Working in the trenches with them
- Incentives
- Praise
- Hype
Figure out what works best for your staff and each individual. You will make stronger connections with them and more effectively lead.
Communication Style #3: Directing
This communication style is very specific in how you communicate with your employees and gives them a clear path for working on different projects. Communicating a plan of action with an easy-to-follow framework will help you reach your goals and ensure everyone is on the same page. While it may seem like a dictatorship, directing has you steering the ship and keeping people accountable without starting a mutiny.
Some people like to have clear direction and thrive when led in this way. Make sure to listen and value the opinions of your staff and provide solid solutions they can follow. By giving them guidelines, they can complete the task with your ongoing guidance and support. Directing is an important communication style for high-level job positions. Enroll in executive coaching programs to master this communication style.
Communication Style #4: Teaching
Teaching is different from directing in that you not only present a path to follow with each step laid out, but you also must explain the method and its benefits. When you help your staff understand the nuts and bolts of their work and why you want them to do it your way, they will adopt these new skills and buy into the process.
A strong leader is always a good teacher and gets the most out of their employees by clearing up confusion and connecting with them through outlining and explanation.
Teaching means you must:
- Be a good listener
- Have a collaborative approach
- Be patient
- Share knowledge
- Display empathy
When your employees struggle with specific skills and cannot complete tasks, being a teacher is an effective communication style that will produce harmony and resolve the workplace.
Communication Style #5: Advising
Giving advice is a great way to communicate with your employees. Often they are looking for guidance, especially with a new task or project, and if you can bring clarity to the situation, they will be able to produce more work. You probably spend some of your day fielding questions from your staff, and being a great advisor is an essential tool. Having an outside perspective on projects can clear up roadblocks and help your team move beyond their limitations.
A good advisor:
- Is skilled in their area of expertise
- Takes into account the opinions of their workers
- Loves to tackle new problems
- Builds a collaborative ethos in the workplace
You are approaching difficult situations with advice rather than direction, which is subtle but different. Instead of giving orders, you are offering solutions and helping them to be adopted.
Communication Style #6: Coaching
Coaching is a process that is implemented over time, so patience is paramount. You need to make sure there is enough time to communicate in this way, and for some projects, it is an ideal method to get results from employees.
You are helping staff develop skills they can use in other areas, which differs from teaching because, eventually, they will master a broad set of capabilities to use across tasks. This style works best when there is no urgency on a project so your team can work towards creating their path to success with your coaching.
Leading a team will probably take a combination of communication styles, so adopt what you need to effectively produce the results you want from your employees.