“In today's world of information overload, leaders must learn new and improved ways of communicating more effectively,” according to Barbara Phillips, Vice President at Learning Dynamics located in Wallingford, CT. “As Robert Kent, former dean of Harvard Business School said so simply, ‘In business, communication is everything.’" With more than twenty-five years of successful management and consulting experience in financial services, sales, marketing and human resources, Barbara knows what she’s talking about.
Communication skills are important for every employee in an organization, but they are especially critical for managers who want to improve employee productivity, performance, teamwork, and morale. Every interaction with an employee or colleague is an opportunity to make a positive impact on both a personal and professional level, and to be truly effective, managers must master verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills.
In a survey taken by the Harvard Business Review, subscribers rated "the ability to communicate" the most important factor in making an executive "promotable" -- more important than ambition, education, and capacity for hard work. "If there's one skill that's required for success in industry, it's communication skills," said William Schaffer, international business development manager for Sun Microsystems.
Effective communication skills are important for managers to be successful at providing employee feedback, resolving conflicts, building interdepartmental relationships, team-building and assessing performance management. Managers must also remember that they are role models and their employees will often seek to emulate their behavior. Employees observe their managers’ communications with others and, ultimately, learn to use the same techniques in their professional relationships.
Marie Miszewski, President & CEO of the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut, knows the importance of communication in all of their efforts towards building strong kids, strong families, and strong communities. “Communication is at the center of everything we do with members, donors and staff,” Marie said. “Done right, you never know it. When it's done poorly, you never hear the end of it.”
Ms. Phillips will focus on all of the critical skills necessary for effective communication in the final workshop of the Leadership for Women Series presented by the Women’s Business Council of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce. Giving effective feedback, strategies for different personality styles, techniques to use when you’re not getting through, effective email techniques and more will be discussed at this highly interactive session to be held on Tuesday, June 12th, from 8:45am to 12:30pm at the Union Savings Bank training facility located at 126 North Street in Danbury. For more information about the workshop, contact the Chamber at 203-743-5565 or email Joann@danburychamber.com.
