Why Communication is One of the Most Important Skills for a Manager

While the leader of the business is forging ahead with new innovations, locations, divisions, etc. the manager is in the position that "makes it all happen" in the day to day realm. That being said, this requires not just mediocre communication skills but sometimes stealth communication skills. In the day to day realm of any business there are all of the i's to dot and the t's to cross, the tax ramifications, the codes to be looked at, the employees to buy into the new equipment and training, etc. The volume of communication skills is mind boggling when you dissect it; and that is why when a business gets a hold of a good manager with top skills; they hold on tight!

It is easy to spot the managers that have not honed their communications skills as well as their technical skills; they come across as less direct, less life experience, more insecure or unsure of themselves. Even though all of their other skills may be top notch; if you can't communicate under many different types of situations you really cannot manage well. That is also why when employees watch a great manager smooth over a difficult situation or event and think that it would be easy for them to do the same thing; they are deceiving themselves, it is a very direct skill that is acquired over a long period of time of failures and successes. Although, some people are born with a special communication talent, you just know even when they are youngsters that they will be running the show before long.

There is also some job security involved in the best communicator managers because there is a human touch to being able to coordinate all different types of situations, people, events, tangible products and so on. Usually one person can do one of these tasks well, but not the other and others can do two tasks but cannot work with the clients. So, it is a mistake when candidates for the management positions leave communication down at the bottom of the list and go for more of the task or technical training first. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you are getting your communications training in some other venue; but usually it is forgotten or not put high on the academic list for experiences.

A great manager in a business is like an accomplished musician; they make it look so easy, until you try to jump in and do it yourself and you find that perhaps there are some skills you may have to brush up on, a lot!