Topics for business communication skills

Communications Survey
In the Spring of 2015 we initiated a survey of business executives regarding the importance of communication skills. These questions were submitted to leaders from a broad range of industries in order to gauge the quality and key issues around building effective relationships

Spring 2015 Business Communication Survey Report

Q: Overall, how would you rate the importance of excellent communication skills for a successful leader? How relevant is communication quality in building a healthy work environment for your team?

In a landslide, almost 100% of respondents to the 2015 Yabwi Communication Survey said excellent communications skills are critically important for success as a leader.

Q: How much does communication skills and quality contribute to creating a culture of trusting relationships?

While most participants felt the quality of communication skills are critically important to creating a culture of trust, one fourth viewed its importance as only usually important.

Q: What is one area of communication that you wish you could improve upon? The most common responses included:

• Listening and asking more questions
• Communicating without intimidating
• Generational communication
• Cultural awareness
• Communicating effectively to geographically dispersed people
• Dealing with difficult conversations
  

Q: How important is continued development of your communication skills this year?

This question had a surprising answer. Over 60% said developing their communication skills was important to critically important this year because they recognize that more effective communication is vital to achieving and sustaining success, that it contributes to a healthy environment, and determines the level of trusting relationships. Noticeably, over one third of the respondents didn’t feel it is at least important to enhance their communication skills this year. It's not clear whether this sharp contract in priorities and plans is due to a lack of available professional development options or perhaps other goals that take precedence.

Q: Any other feedback on the topic of communication and relationships? The most common feedback:

A few samples that summarize a large percentage of the feedback received:

* Email communication can be very damaging and people need much more training on its effective use

* Its a challenge to communicate to all generational levels effectively

* Confusing to know how and when to share sensitive communications and with whom

* The best leaders are the best communicators and communication is the key to trust

* Want to know more about how to have difficult conversations

* Need to learn how to communication more effectively with our CEO and our board

* We need to learn to communicate more efficiently and to listen more often