Top 6 communication mistakes managers make
One of managers’ most important — but often overlooked — tasks: communicating important information to employees. And whether using e-mail or written memos, managers’ communication mistakes can lead to bad morale, lawsuits and other big problems for HR.
To make sure they’re communicating clearly, experts recommend managers keep an eye out for these common business writing problems:
- Too much throat clearing – When people sit down to write, it’s natural to start off with some introductory phrases or sentences before getting to your important information. But to grab someone’s attention, managers need to get to the point right away. One strategy for supervisors: Once you’re finished, go back and see if you can delete the beginning of your message. Odds are, there’ll be plenty you can do without.
- Not keeping the audience in mind – One of the most common complaints about any piece of writing: It’s not tailored to the audience that’s reading it. Managers should be careful not to include phrases and abbreviations that their staffers won’t understand.
- Common word switches – When writing under time constraints, people often replace the correct word with one that’s similar — for example, “than” instead of “then,” “affect” instead of “effect” and “its” instead of “it’s.” Those errors often slip through because a computer’s spell-checker won’t catch them. That’s why reading over a message with a close eye is key for maintaining credibility.
- Giving the wrong impression – It’s tough to convey tone of voice in an e-mail — a manager may think he’s sending a friendly reminder, but it may sound angry or nagging to some recipients. One way to help: Read the message aloud to hear the different ways it could be interpreted.
- Too much “business-speak” – When trying to sound professional, it’s tempting to use lofty words and phrases — but finding a simpler way to say things will make the message clearer. For example, “at this point in time” can be replaced with “now,” and “I am of the opinion that” with “I think.” In most cases, shorter is better.
- Going on for too long – Just like many pieces of writing contain unnecessary throat-clearing at the beginning, they also often become redundant during the conclusion. Once what’s important has been said, the message should end or move on to the next topic.
What common writing mistakes have you noticed? Share your strategies for better communication in the comments section below.
