Toxic bosses are one of the most common reasons people leave companies. These managers tend to be viewed as self-oriented, stubborn, overly demanding, impulsive, and interruptive. In addition to impacting retention, working for a bad boss increases the chance of a heart attack by fifty percent. Sixty-five percent of managers admit that they need to work on their leadership skills. Great communication skills can help many issues between leaders and teams.

Effective communication between leaders and teams is the key to a great working relationship. Leaders need to be coached, a delegator, and public relations for their staff. Often managers can become distracted by their own workloads, leaving team members feeling like they have been left behind. Left unchecked, leaders can stress and potentially turn in to a toxic boss.

How to Improve Your Communication with Your Team:

  • Providing transparency is one of the most important things leaders can do to be a great communicator. Giving credit where credit is due and speaking highly of your team will show that you care about your staff. Along with transparency, a great leader will have confidence in their teams. They will guide them when needed, but not micromanage daily work and projects.
  • Trust and confidence is a two-way street and needs to be fostered on a regular basis. Conversations with your staff do not need to be work-related. Take the time to learn more about your team as individuals with interests outside of work. In turn, share some of your interests. It is important to be friendly, but not so friendly that it creates awkwardness or a division within your staff.
  • Communication breakdowns between leaders and teams can occur when staff does not feel as though they are being heard. The two most damaging words a leader can say to their teams are “not possible”. These two words can easily break the spirit of an employee, ruin relationships, or even challenge the employee to prove you wrong. Leaders should be the visionary conduit for their teams. They can allow employees to imagine what is possible and help focus on what it will take to implement their ideas.

Being a great communicator can make the difference in being viewed as a strong and approachable leader or a toxic boss. Maintaining transparency, having trust and confidence in your team, and allowing your team to come to you with new ideas or solutions to problems will allow you to lead with enhanced skills in communication.

Michael Klein is a premier writer and speaker on all aspects of human capital.  As VP Operations for KDS Staffing, Inc., he has achieved industry-leading success. Michael was awarded, The New York State Small Business Growth Award; presented by Governor George Pataki.  Additionally, Michael has successfully grown and sold multiple firms. If you or your organization would like to discuss hiring needs, contact Michael at 646-350-3015 or michael@kdsstaffing.com.

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