Communicate Better as a Manager: 3 Employee-Approved Tips

How to Communicate Better as a Manager
High-performing leaders understand that communication is central to organizational success. When information fails to flow effectively, confusion rises, decisions are delayed, and alignment suffers. Our organizational alignment research confirms this: timely information flow and transparency rank as the fourth strongest predictor of higher performance.

Without clear, consistent communication, even the most capable teams struggle to perform.  Consider the data:

• 81% of respondents in highly aligned organizations reported that information flowed in a timely manner. In contrast, only 6% of employees in poorly aligned companies felt the same.
  
  
• Similarly, 53% of employees in low-alignment organizations did not know key financial metrics, compared with just 26% in high-alignment organizations.

Leaders who excel in communication actively manage the flow of information, ensuring employees talk with each other rather than just to each other. They prioritize open, frequent, and candid two-way dialogue, modeling transparency at every level. This includes proactively discussing market realities, explaining company strategies, and engaging employees in achieving team goals. By creating an environment where information is shared freely and questions are encouraged, these leaders enable people to perform at their peak.

3 Employee-Approved Tips to Communicate Better as a Manager
Often incorporated into our communication essentials and new manager training programs, here are three tips from corporate culture assessment data on how you can communicate better as a manager:

• Listen Better
  Effective communication is a two-way street, and listening is just as critical as speaking. But listening well requires more than simply hearing words — it demands active engagement.
  
  Active listening means giving your full attention to the speaker, resisting the urge to interrupt, and fully absorbing not just the words but the intent behind them. It also involves confirming your understanding and asking thoughtful, relevant follow-up questions. Leaders who master this skill build trust, uncover hidden concerns, and create an environment where employees feel truly heard — laying the foundation for stronger collaboration and more successful change.
• Assume Less
  One of the most common causes of communication breakdown is assuming that your audience already shares your context and knowledge. Effective leaders resist this temptation by setting the stage thoroughly, providing the necessary background before delivering key points.
  
  Skipping ahead or leaving out critical context can leave your message unclear, misunderstood, or incomplete. By framing your thoughts carefully, offering the information needed for understanding, and confirming that your audience has fully grasped your message, you ensure clarity, alignment, and stronger engagement.
• Focus as Much on Tone as on Substance
  How you communicate can be just as influential as what you communicate. Tone — both in speech and in writing — shapes how your message is received and interpreted. Casual, conversational language that works with peers or friends may fall flat or even create confusion with supervisors or broader audiences.
  
  Be deliberate about your tone of voice, word choice, and formatting. Thoughtful phrasing, clear structure, and appropriate style convey credibility, respect, and professionalism, ensuring that your message lands as intended and resonates with your audience.

The Bottom Line
Whether you lead a small team or a large organization, communication is a determining factor in success — particularly when the stakes are high. The question is not just whether managers are talking, but whether they are communicating with clarity, consistency, and transparency. Are your leaders actively adopting best practices that ensure timely information flow, foster engagement, and drive higher performance across the organization?

To learn more about how to communicate better as a manager, download 7 Proven Tips to Increase Employee Engagement through Communication