How Underestimating Managers Undermines Internal Communications

Managers can better handle their direct reports if they receive on-going communication training. Hinda Mitchell outlines how companies can do that.

It’s time for a frank conversation about managers. And we can’t do it well without rewinding to the times of COVID-19, the Great Resignation and subsequent challenges in employee retention. 

Let’s be honest — mistakes were made. And while there were many, this is a focus on managers and supervisors. What happened? Human resource teams and leaders in all types of organizations struggled to keep employees — and keep them happy. They wanted more money. They wanted more significant titles. They wanted to advance.  

And we wanted them to stay — so we did it. We threw money at the problem. We called them managers. We gave them direct reports or teams to lead. But we forgot some essential considerations: 

• Not everyone is management material 
• Managing people is very different than being a highly skilled front-line worker 
• Management roles require training 

Good managers must be taught to be good communicators

And the negative evidence of these oversights is clear. A Gallup poll found that in the top five predictors of turnover — the relationship with the employee’s immediate manager was as impactful as pay, benefits, culture and coworkers. A Udemy survey found that 50% of workers would quit their jobs because of a bad manager.  

• But the opportunities for retention are tremendous: 
• Employees whose managers consistently acknowledge them for good work  have 31% less turnover 
• Highly engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave 
• Those working for their best boss are 2.5x more likely to be fully engaged than those working for their worst boss. 
• Workers with great managers are 12 times more likely to cooperate with co-workers. 

Investing in managers as communicators

When companies recognize the critical role of managers and supervisors in keeping teams happy and creating a positive workplace, great things can happen. But this requires intentional work to grow managers and investment in their success — and that starts with increasing your bench strength in internal communications. 

The Predictive Index in 2021 cited a lack of communication as the number-one criticism employees have about their manager. That’s an issue, as the same study also found that communication is the second-most desired skill in a manager, after confidence. 

It’s important to understand that most employees say they want to hear news about their company and updates to programs and processes not from HR or the C-suite but from their immediate supervisor or manager. That means managers and supervisors are a powerful internal communications tool — when leveraged and resourced correctly. 

Creating better manager-employee communications

So, where should companies begin? Employee surveys are essential. You can’t fix problems in your organization if you do not know they exist. Surveys can illuminate gaps in communication and poor leadership. These insights provide direction on improvements and opportunities — and must be acted upon. Nothing is worse for culture and communication than feedback not taken. Benchmark surveys over time so you can understand where positive change has occurred — and where work still needs to be done. 

Survey your managers as well. Are they comfortable in their roles? Do they like leading and mentoring others? A recent Gartner study reported that 54% of managers are suffering from work-induced stress and fatigue, and 44% are struggling to provide personalized support to their direct reports. It also found half of managers are predicted to fail — and the ripple effect of that failure is vast. Getting in front of that by embracing those who are successful and reassigning those who are unhappy is a difficult but necessary step in the process. 

Train them — not once — but consistently. Growing as managers is not a one-and-done. Consider ongoing leadership and communications programming, and incorporate role play and interactive elements to allow them to practice their roles in a safe space.  

Make sure training covers a range of communications skills and strategies for  employee engagement, including, but not limited to: 

• Communicating critical information 
• Having hard conversations 
• Giving constructive feedback 
• Offering praise 
• Mentoring junior employees 
• Managing conflict in the workplace 
• Deescalating difficult situations 

Arm them with the information they need to share your story. Use them as ambassadors for change management within your organization. That means they must be “read in” to company news, at least at a high level, and trust in your managers is key. If you can’t trust your managers as messengers — there’s a greater issue to address. 

Give them tools to support their direct communications to their employees — topline talking points, frequently asked questions, timelines for implementation,  etc. Let them know where to send questions they cannot answer. Managers should be well positioned to manage expectations — and to articulate the “what’s in it for me” for their team members. 

Likewise, when a company is in crisis or has difficult news to share, managers become critical communicators to drive understanding and confidence across their teams. Reassurance and caring messages can be the difference-maker in getting through an issue with minimal disruption to your workforce. 

Companies that are deliberate in recognizing potentially great managers and reassigning those who have not performed successfully in manager or supervisor roles can begin to see workforce improvements and better recruitment and retention metrics. Much of the typical manager role relies on being a strong communicator, and intentionality in upskilling communications within the management ranks will deliver positive results.

Written by:  Hinda Mitchell is the founder of Inspire PR Group, for SmartBrief.