he was going to have to cut his employee’s pay. But the words he had carefully prepared came out as smoothly as sandpaper, and the employee left in a huff. Word spread, morale sank, and a small corner of social media had a field day calling out the firm for its “insensitive” cutbacks.

If you improve your communication skills by 26 percent, what does that really mean?

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Mark Royal, a senior client partner for Korn Ferry Advisory, suggests that managers avoid the mindset of “because I don’t do it perfectly, I’m reluctant to do it at all.” A leader’s fear that she can’t answer all of an employee’s questions may keep her from addressing anyone else’s, for instance, and potentially create a communication vacuum. Royal says that a firm’s HR department can be an important asset for managers with shaky communication skills. HR can also help guide leaders who are dealing with workers’ mental-health issues, providing resources that managers may not be equipped to offer. For additional support, Westfall suggests executives consider using communications consultants or business coaches. “You don’t have to go it alone,” he says. Experts say it’s important to keep in mind that soft skills encompass a range of abilities, and that strength in one can compensate for weakness in another. Maybe you’re not a good communicator, for instance. “You may have another very important skill,” Royal suggests. “Perhaps you’re a particularly good listener.”

The executive dragged himself into the conference room to deliver the bad news:

Managing this kind of awkward scenario—increasingly common in tough economic times—requires so-called soft skills that serve a firm’s overall strategy and minimize knock-on effects. It all sounds straightforward enough; the only hiccup is that companies don’t really train their leaders in soft skills, says Chris Westfall, business coach and author of Easier: 60 Ways to Make Your Work Life Work for You and Leadership Language: Using Authentic Communication to Drive Results. That’s largely because firms can’t quantify soft skills, he says. This in turn makes it difficult to carve out a budget to address them. “If you improve your communication skills by 26 percent, what does that really mean?” he asks. Yet few would disagree about how important these skills can be. Employees complain that managers have been apologizing too much over the past few years, as the pandemic caused one letdown after another. Now, with firms announcing more layoffs or cutbacks, leaders who lack emotional intelligence can drive away business and workers. “All you’re going to be measuring is the number of people who are walking out the door to go work for your competition,” Westfall says.

Having 'soft skills' can be crucial in an era of layoffs, low salary raises.

The Art of Breaking Bad News

Hiring… With No Age Limit

Brave, Smart… and Punished?

Find and Keep Top Talent

Transform for Growth

Lead Through Change

Brave, Smart... and Punished?

Hiring... With No Age Limit

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Step Aside!

Home

Brave, Smart… and Punished? The Art of Breaking Bad News Hiring… With No Age Limit

Find and Keep Top Talent

Fixing Loneliness, Boosting Culture Please, Pick up the Phone! What Are You Really Thinking?

Transform for Growth

After the Layoffs: Leading Your Teams Mistakes of the Past Superheroes of the Corner Office

Lead Through Change

Step Aside!

Hiring... With No Age Limit

Having 'soft skills' can be crucial in an era of layoffs, low salary raises.

The Art of Breaking Bad News