Communication Skills

Few companies realise how many of their customers have poor literacy skills and struggle with reading, writing, speaking or listening?

According to the National Literacy Trust, a staggering one in six people in the UK struggle with literacy and their skills are below the level expected of an eleven year old. This may be is a shocking statistic, but how does it impact on your business?
The problem is bigger than this though as it’s not only reading and writing that people struggle with - speaking and listening can also be an issue. This doesn’t mean that someone with poor literacy skills can’t speak, but it does mean that he/she might struggle to communicate clearly in certain situations.

Not everyone will struggle to this degree, as it depends on each individual’s level of literacy, but any literacy problem is going to make everyday life more difficult.

Now let’s go back to your customers. Most businesses send out hundreds of messages in different forms – e-mails, letters, posters, fliers, phone calls, face-to-face communication etc – without thinking about how the messages will be understood by ALL of their customers.

Until you can put yourself in your customers’ shoes, it’s difficult to realise how your messages are coming across to anyone who has poor literacy skills. The National Literacy Trust launched a new campaign last November to highlight the difficulties people face on a daily basis if they have poor literacy skills. The Director of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, spent a whole day without speaking to highlight how important all literacy skills are, including speaking and listening, in order to communicate effectively.

I remember when I got my first time management job; I was so happy that I danced around my lounge with my husband.  I didn’t even mind too much when my dog who wanted to join in the fun, jumped up and bit me on the bottom, tearing my best trousers in the process. 

The euphoria I felt on finding that I had got my first management job, probably lasted into the second week, when I was holding a staff meeting and I suddenly realised the scale of the task in front of me.  I had no previous experience of management, no training and as the post was completely new – no one to ask how to do it.

Of course, I made lots of mistakes,  but I like to think that I made fewer than I might have because I did a lot of listening to other managers, my team and other staff,  and I never stopped listening and learning.

Listed below is a list of the 10 worst mistakes that first time managers make:

1.    Wanting to show who’s boss – As a first time manager it’s normal to want to make it clear that you’re in charge, particularly if there’s some resentment about your appointment. Be clear, fair and firm – but do not be superior or belittle your staff.

2.    Failing to communicate effectively – There are many communication pitfalls for a first time manager but one of the worst ones is not agreeing with your team about how you will communicate and how regularly – e.g. team meetings, emails, phone calls , 1 to 1 meetings

3.    Making change for changes sake – First time managers are often under pressure to make quick changes to working procedures. Try and resist the pressure to act hastily and observe what is currently being done, and make sure you listen to other views.


4.    Failing to listen – By not listening, the first time manager often falls into the trap of introducing a new process or procedure and unwittingly reinventing the wheel. Listen to other people.

5.    Always being the expert- Most first time managers are appointed because they were good at their previous job.  However, you should avoid always being the ‘expert’.  Let other people in your team/area share their knowledge and expertise.

6.    Ignoring different communication and working styles – First time manages need to be aware that some of their staff will have very different communication and working styles. Familiarise yourself with these different styles in order to engage with your staff.  If it works effectively don’t try and change it.

7.    ‘Doing’ the job instead of managing – First time managers can be tempted to almost fall over themselves to be seen doing the job well, which can lead to them ‘doing’ instead of ‘managing’.

8.    Not saying no – It can be very hard to say ‘no’ as a first time manager – particularly if you don’t think you should.  However, it is one of the key skills to adopt when first appointed, as you will need to be able to say no if you are being asked to do too much.

9.    Working too many hours – working late, taking work home and skipping lunch hours are bad habits that first time managers often adopt.  Don’t. There’ll always be more work if you look for it.  You are entitled to a home life and skipping your lunch break is unhealthy.

10.    Not asking for help – As a manager, it is easy to think that you should be able to do everything. If you need help in any area of your work, then don’t be ashamed to ask.

Last week the news was dominated by the big freeze across the UK and the difficulties that some people had getting to their final destinations. In Kent there were people stuck on trains for 9hrs  r more feeling cold and hungry.  Listening to some of the passengers being interviewed on the news, there was a common complaint.  No one had told them what was going on. It’s hardly the first time that customers have expressed their anger at not being kept in the picture and it certainly won’t be the last.  Some of the train companies appear to rely on the fact that however badly they treat their customers many of them will continue to travel by train because they have no choice.

Contrast  the train companies attitude to customers to that of Thames Water. Water leaks are an ongoing problem for water companies, but they become worse in winter as drains get blocked, pipes freeze and crack and roads buckle.  Thames Water have always had a freephone number that the public can use and tell them about leaks but now they  asked the public to photograph water leaks and tweet them the pictures saying where they are.  There may be a few detractors grumbling that the public are being asked to do the companies work for them, but it’s a good policy.  It’s a simple way to be able to report a leak and as the company rightly points out, they can’t be expected to know where all the leaks are. As this policy has only just been announced, it will be interesting to see how quickly the company respond to the customers and if they have thought of how they will let customers know when they will be completed.

The train companies are obviously in a slightly different position, but they can learn a few things from Thames Water. With a train driver and presumably a guard on trains, it seems ludicrous that they were not frequent public announcements.  Perhaps the staff had been instructed to say nothing to avoid the customers getting angry, but why didn’t take to twitter and tweet what was going on?  Some of the customers would have been able to pick it up and pass it on to other people.  People cry out for information in these circumstances.  Companies should:

1.    Tell customers what’s happening
2.    Provide regular updates
3.    Inform customers about immediate necessities (food, drink, heat, toilets etc)
4.    Apologise

It’s not exactly revolutionary, but time and time again companies ignore these basic points. Effective communication is key to the success of any organisation.


In similar circumstances, how would you communicate with your customers?