The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of effective communication between managers and their dispersed or disruption teams. From the newly-virtual relationship between a team leader and their reports, to senior management keeping the whole workforce informed about plans and prospects, communication matters at every level of an organisation.
To address this skills requirement, and access a unique management development and talent management opportunity, you could leverage Management Apprenticeships, which have been driven and designed by leading employers, professional awarding bodies and sector associations to reflect the skills and knowledge required of modern managers.
So, why do the Level 3 and 5 Management Apprenticeship Standards, focus so deliberately on communication as a critical area of expertise?
Increasingly, people are required to work beyond traditional boundaries. There is a trend towards more project-based relationships, with people aligned on a common purpose, working flexibly within and across networks.
Clear and effective workplace communication is a crucial aspect of employee engagement and a building block of trusting workplace relationships – not just between managers and staff, but at every level and in all directions. Studies show that engaged employees stay longer, perform better and can even have improved mental wellbeing.
Despite these benefits, CIPD research suggests a communication failure, in that many employees feel they receive limited or very little information about organisational strategy. The research argues that, in order to be successful, communication needs management support, a clear strategy and evaluation.
One of the challenges to effective communication is unclear strategic direction and common purpose, which may be more common in the current climate of prolonged uncertainty.
However, as long as the messages are regular, relevant to purpose, appropriately channeled and clearly communicated, they will be effective, even if they change.
Eliesha’s Management Apprenticeship Programmes
Our value-added programmes, fundable via the Levy or a small non-Levy co-investment, do more than just introduce your managers to good communication: they teach them what it looks like, how to do it and, importantly, how to evaluate its success.
Good communication is a team effort, but having a core of knowledgeable, skilled managers that can implement the processes and technology to bring it about is essential.
Now more than ever, the Apprenticeship Levy represents an unmissable opportunity to invest resources that have already been set aside in a comprehensive, high quality programme of management development.
Eliesha has ‘open’ programmes, open to any number of employees, scheduled to start later this year, so if you would like to find out more about the programmes or how to enrol – get in touch now.
