Effective 5Cs Communication Skills for Managers

One third of management failure has historically been attributed to ineffective communication. In order to be an effective leader, you need to be a great communicator. From managing day-to-day functions to leading sustained changes effectively, managers must master communication skill to their best potential. There are five essential skills that all managers, new to seasoned, should possess in order to communicate effectively: clarity, conciseness, courtesy, consistency, and compassion. Let's take a closer look at each one of these 5Cs skills.

Clarity

Clarity in communication ensures that your message can understood without multiple follow-up communications. Clear and structured communication steers away ambiguity saving communication effort and, hence, cost. When you're communicating with your team, be clear about, e.g., what you expect from them or what the deadlines are. If you're unclear, your team will be confused and won't be able to work effectively. Clarity will lead to a more positive work environment, with employees feeling empowered by their managers' expectations of them being successful at all times!

Conciseness

Conciseness allows you to get your point across without wasting time. Clarity and conciseness goes hand-in-hand. One cannot exist without another in any effective communication. Get to the point and don't use filler words! For example while describing plan for a given day break it down into tiered structure, such as, "The team needs to execute 5 things today. One - check on the backlog during first the hour, two - create a list of ..."

Courtesy

I cannot emphasize enough on courtesy. Courtesy is critical because it shows that you respect the people you're communicating with. When you're courteous, you're more likely to build relationships and trust with your team. Be courteous when you're communicating with others. This means using please and thank you, not forgetting to greet and smile. If your style of communication is witty, keep humor to a minimum and never ever use sarcasm at the expense of others.

Consistency

Consistency creates a sense of stability and order. It also shows a sign of disciplined leadership style. If you're consistent in your communication, your team will know what to expect from you and they can count on you. Be consistent in the way you communicate with your team so that they can rely on you.

Compassion

Empathy and compassion are rooted at the principle of leadership of hearts and minds. Compassion shows that you care about the people you're communicating with. It effectively signals that you treat your staff, direct reports and team members as individual human being with the human respect they deserve and not just head count or resource that you need to manage. When you're compassionate, your team will feel valued and appreciated and that will not only be reciprocated to you but also reverberate within the entire team. Be understanding and empathize with your team members. This will make them feel appreciated resulting in long-lasting mutual trust.

In-person vs Remote/Virtual

In the connected and hybrid cyber-physical world we live in today, no leadership communication discussion is complete without addressing differences between virtual and in-person communication. One may ask - how effectively a manager can execute 5Cs of communication virtually in an effective way. In-person communication has a tremendous advantage personal experience. You can see the other person's facial macro and micro expressions and body language, which allows for an easier connection and quicker adaptation of any changes you may want to make in your communication. That quick and effective feedback loop might not exist with remote or virtual interactions. There are mainly two reason - ?

1. Even with video on, we don't have full visibility of smaller details in expression and body language. Often full body language or hands and feet gesture provide order of magnitude more understanding than just seeing facial expression that we typically see in virtual communications
2. Physical distance also can create separation of attention and lack of strong presence and mindfulness during communication

To avoid these two pitfalls, leaders can take the following four steps -

1. Double down on conciseness of communication. Make it more targeted such as plan more thoroughly for each meeting. Make it brief and to the point before online fatigue sets in.
2. Use mixed modes of communication. Video and audio is far better than just audio calls. Video+Audio+ intermittent chat often breaks lack of engagement. Ice breaker questions and chats are fun and playful way to break monotony as well.
3. Have separate regular communication to connect with your team. Virtual coffee chat to mimic water cooler conversation can lower the virtual separation barrier and give you the chance to connect with your team in personal level maintaining mutual trust and compassion.
4. Your staff and direct reports mimic your approach. If you are not mindful and present, they won't be either. So the effective communication in a virtual world really starts with you leading by example.

In order to be an effective leader and manager, it is essential that you possess the five Cs of communication. Clarity, conciseness, courtesy, consistency, and compassion are key skills that will help managers effectively lead their team and communicate with other departments. By mastering these skills, you can ensure that your message is clear and understood by all. How do you think about communication in your workplace? What could you do to improve your communication style? What is the communication style of your favorite leaders? Let me know in the comments below!