Communication Skills for Managers

According to a recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) report, 73.3% or employers are seeking employees with strong written communication skills and 58.8% are seeking employees with strong verbal communication skills (NACE, 2022). Communication skills, in general, consistently rank near the top of desired competencies sought by employers. To truly be an effective communicator, one must make a life-long commitment to learn and practice the tools and techniques of communication (Coffelt, Grauman, and Smith, 2019). This module on Communication will introduce you to the essentials that you need to become an effective communicator. It starts with choosing the right channel of communication for the proper occasion. Next, it focuses on how to establish an organization that values feedback, and how to provide constructive feedback to your employees. The third lesson discusses what it means to be a good listener and the things you can do to become a better listener now. The fourth lesson examines the four basic communication styles and provides a survey so you can determine your preferred style. The last lesson in this module breaks down meetings and discusses the who, what, when, and how of effective and efficient meetings. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE; 2017). Job Outlook 2017. Retrieved from NACE website www.naceweb.org Coffelt, T. A., Grauman, D., & Smith, F. L. (2019). Employers’ perspectives on workplace communication skills: The meaning of communication skills. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 82(4), 418-439.

  • Choosing the right channel of communication
  • Provide constructive employee feedback
  • Learn the who, what, when, how of effective and efficient meetings