The reason #1 for leaving a company is poor management. Unfortunately, not all managers are good managers. One of the main trait of a good manager is that he is good at communicating, but this skill is not innate.
Improving the communication skills of managers to increase staff engagement
Not everybody is in his comfort zone when it comes to communication. But communication is a skill that can be developed through training and coaching. Indeed, research indicates that companies that invest in developing the communication skills of their managers perform better than those who don’t.
Managers need to engage both the Heart & the Mind
To turn strategy into action, the manager will have to connect with his team on both a rational and an emotional level.
At the rational level, the staff needs not only to be aware of the the company’s mission but also to understand it. And it’s the manager’s role to ensure both this awareness and understanding.
But then the manager will also need to connect emotionally with his team - listening to them, encouraging them, inspiring them - to promote commitment and enagement because people want to be part of something that they believe in, of something that touches their heart.
