The New Manager Communication Skills to Avoid Big Mistakes

New Manager Communication Skills Matter
Stepping into a management role is thrilling, but it comes with a high-stakes challenge: communication. New managers often underestimate how much their words, tone, and timing shape team performance, engagement, and trust. Communication missteps erode credibility and undermine authority. The difference between an average manager and a high-performing one often comes down to communication competence.

An Extreme Miscommunication Example
There was a report in the papers recently of a tragic consequence of miscommunication. A teenage girl who was about to bungee jump in Spain interpreted the “No jump” direction as her cue to jump — all before the rope was secured at the top. Her death was determined to have been caused by her misunderstanding of the instructor’s words.  She seemed to have heard, “Now jump.”

The Organizational Implications
This tragedy is certainly an extreme example of the consequences of miscommunication. But it does illustrate how easy it is to get things wrong – especially when the stakes are high. People are apt to leap to hasty-but-incorrect conclusions, hear what they want to hear, or fill in the gaps in a faulty or incomplete message.

Organizations require effective communication in order to run smoothly. When messages are mis-heard or mis-interpreted, performance and relationships suffer. That is why most of our new manager training and decision making training programs emphasize communication skills.

The Financial Costs of Poor Communication
A recent study by SIS International Research found that companies with only about 100 employees could lose more than $525,000 per year as a result of ineffective new manager communication skills.  The losses increase with more employees.  The message?  Make sure your new managers know what it takes to communicate clearly so their teams know exactly what is expected of them.

5 Steps to Improve New Manager Communication Skills

1. Start with Clarity
   New managers frequently assume that their team understands expectations, priorities, and goals simply because they have been communicated once. Project postmortem analyses consistently show that unclear communication is a leading cause of team underperformance and disengagement. Being clear as a leader means specifying not only what needs to be done, but also why it matters and how success will be measured.

   Establishing these parameters early sets a framework that minimizes confusion, reduces errors, and aligns the team with strategic objectives.

2. Listen Before You Speak
   Listening is more than passive hearing — it is an active, deliberate process of understanding the perspectives, concerns, and motivations of team members. New managers often fall into the trap of giving instructions without first diagnosing the situation. A meta-analysis by Kluger and DeNisi highlights that feedback and guidance are most effective when grounded in a deep understanding of the individual’s current performance and challenges.

   By asking open-ended questions and reflecting back what they hear, managers signal respect and build trust while gaining insight into potential obstacles.

3. Adapt Your Style
   Communication is not one-size-fits-all. Employees vary widely in how they absorb information and respond to direction. Some thrive on detailed written instructions, while others respond best to informal, conversational check-ins. Successful managers observe these preferences and adapt accordingly.

   A flexible communication approach ensures that critical information lands effectively and prevents misunderstandings that can escalate into larger issues.

4. Give Feedback Thoughtfully
   Feedback is a core responsibility for any manager, but poorly delivered feedback can demoralize employees and damage relationships. New managers often make the mistake of either avoiding difficult conversations or delivering them bluntly without context. Effective feedback is timely, specific, and actionable.

   Employee feedback should highlight both strengths and areas for improvement, framed in a way that encourages development rather than defensiveness. This approach not only improves performance but also fosters psychological team safety — a key driver of team innovation and engagement.

5. Be Transparent and Consistent
   Trust is the bedrock of managerial influence, and transparency builds it. Avoiding tough topics, shifting priorities without explanation, or communicating inconsistently sends mixed signals that undermine credibility. Clear, consistent messaging — even when the news is difficult — reinforces reliability and fosters a culture where employees feel informed and valued.

   Transparency about decision-making processes and constraints also empowers teams to align their efforts with organizational goals more effectively.

The Bottom Line
New managers face a steep learning curve, and communication mistakes can have outsized consequences. Prioritizing clarity, listening actively, adapting style, delivering thoughtful feedback, maintaining transparency, and managing conflict carefully are the pillars of effective managerial communication. Organizations that invest in developing these skills early accelerate performance and engagement.

To learn more about new manager communication skills, download Effective Communication Skills – The Essential Ingredient in Any Interaction