The list of reasons managers must have strong communication skills runs long. Increased motivation and thus productivity. Trust establishment and thus stronger team cohesion. Transparency and thus decreased conflict.

You might be thinking, I try to be a good manager, but there is certainly still conflict on my team, or perhaps a disengaged team member, or even a personal rift. What then, might you do differently to help drive your team toward unity? The answer, in most circumstances, is communication.

Communicating is far more than the words we speak. Communication encompasses tone, body language, semantics and framing. With even one aspect amiss, conflict can surface unnecessarily.

While it’s quite simple to list all of the benefits of improved communication, let’s discuss a handful of ways you can improve communication on your team readily:

Showing appreciation.

It is far too easy to let a good job go unnoticed. We become accustomed to calling out challenges or work that was not done adequately, far more than we take the time to appreciate the work that has been done well. Step one: Seek an opportunity to appreciate each team member for the work they are doing (with sincerity).

Displaying empathy.

We all have challenges. We all face daily struggles. Especially when a challenge relates to work, demonstrating empathy can go a long way. Note that expressing empathy does not mean you need to focus on the negatives nor does it give a person a free pass for making an error (if that is the case). Rather, acknowledging that missing a deadline or getting something wrong is indeed challenging... And work on solutiions.

Actively listening.

Listening is a topic I write a fair bit about. It is foundational to relationships and, at work, it can make the difference between efficiency and meetings wasted. Demonstrate comprehension by making sure you can repeat what is being said to you. Put the attention-takers away (tablets/phones/etc.) and be present when your team is speaking.

Collaborating.

Seek to establish team camaraderie through collaboration. Brainstorming, ideating, and seeking solutions to problems as a group, are all examples of collaboration. Collaboration can drive innovation and it can offer an opportunity for involvement from all team levels, resulting in increased contentment levels from individual contributors.