Communication training for managers: You can’t afford to skip it

Phoebe Perelman

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Phoebe Perelman

Did you know that miscommunication costs U.S. businesses over $1.2 trillion annually? That’s not just a jaw-dropping number — it’s a flashing red alert for companies of all kinds. For managers, it’s a reminder that communication is a skill that must be continuously sharpened in order to keep teams cohesive, engaged, and aligned with big-picture goals. And that’s where the need for communication training is a must-have, not a nice-to-have.

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Communication training matters

There is clear value in effective communication. According to Grammarly’s 2024 State of Business Communication Report, business leaders state that effective communication leads to:

  • 64% increased productivity
  • 58% increased work satisfaction
  • 51% boosted customer satisfaction
  • 49% raised employee confidence

Meanwhile, poor communication leads to:

  • 51% increased stress
  • 40% decreased productivity
  • 37% extended timelines
  • 32% increased costs

It’s clear that the impact of communication in and outside of your organization extends far beyond the initial interaction itself.

So, what exactly does communication training do?

Communication training provides the tools to be clear, confident, and impactful in every interaction. Communication training isn’t about learning to craft a polished email or lead a team meeting. It’s about learning how to:

  • Give effective feedback that motivates and improves performance.
  • Present ideas to senior leadership with clarity, brevity, and impact.
  • Resolve conflicts constructively, preventing small issues from escalating into major problems.
  • Foster a culture of trust and collaboration by keeping lines of communication open and transparent.
  • Enter every interaction with executive presence and confidence by mastering the art of communication delivery and public speaking.

Why focus on communication training for managers?

Managers are like the glue holding organizations together. They translate top-level strategies into actionable tasks for their teams while keeping leadership informed about ground-level progress and concerns. The magic of communication training for managers is that it doesn’t just improve the individual — it creates a ripple effect that transforms the communication culture of the entire company. Teams become more productive, morale skyrockets, and strategic goals become easier to hit.

Here’s why communication training for leaders is especially crucial:

1. They’re the link between leadership and employees

Managers need to know how to present information up and down the chain, using different tones, content, presentations, and mediums depending on the audience. And if they’re unable to effectively communicate top-down messages from execs to employees, there’s bound to be roadblocks.

2. They handle the hard stuff

From managing internal change to navigating employee resistance and mental health, managers need to communicate difficult decisions, create a safe space for emotional conversations, and keep everyone moving in the right direction.

3. They set the tone for team culture

A manager’s communication style directly impacts the atmosphere of the team — whether it’s one of openness and trust, or inefficiency and uncertainty.

Effective communication at the managerial level doesn’t just help smooth day-to-day operations. It actively boosts productivity, increases retention, lowers costs, and aligns teams around shared goals

What to look for in communication training for managers

When it comes to communication training for managers, one size doesn’t fit all. There are programs that focus on presence, presentation skills, feedback techniques, or emotional intelligence in leadership. Others might zero in on crisis communication or managing difficult conversations.

So, how do you choose the right program to get the most out of your investment, you ask? The key is to match the communication training for leaders to your organizational needs.

Are your managers struggling to present complex data to senior leadership? Look for programs that teach data storytelling. Or, if interpersonal team dynamics are a challenge, consider training that focuses on giving feedback and listening. Ultimately, you want a program that not only addresses immediate pain points, but also develops skills that foster long-term growth.

In our experience, some of the best communication training for managers includes topics like:

  • Data storytelling: On any given day, managers may need to present insights that motivate employees, impress executives, or persuade customers. It’s essential for managers to possess data storytelling skills so they can transform complex data points into compelling narratives that move people to action.
  • Handling resistance: It’s especially important for managers to address pushback with grace. Good communication training teaches managers how to anticipate potential objections and prepare to counter them with aplomb.
  • Listening skills: Effective communication and company culture require effective listening. Managers can learn how to cultivate trust and gain traction by adapting how they listen to avoid, or reduce, workplace friction.

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  • Change communication: Managers are typically on the front lines of organizational change. Communication training helps them address change clearly, manage expectations, and be empathetic enough to maintain team morale through it all. But also, communication training for executives here is imperative, too. From talking to shareholders or a press conference, confidently and eloquently discussing change communications is a skill, too. (And here’s what it looks like when executives communicate wrong!)
  • Public speaking/Presence: It’s never a bad idea to polish up on presence and public speaking practice. Managers present a lot, so they’re often unphased by sharing. Regardless of comfort level, an outside perspective often sheds light on growth areas that take managers’ delivery skills to the next level.

At Duarte, we’ve mastered the art of transforming managers into persuasive communicators who can motivate, inspire, and lead with confidence. Check out our case study with Cloudflare, where we transformed the communication skills of their managers with measurable results and high satisfaction scores. Our workshops and trainings ensure that your managers don’t just talk — they connect, inspire, and drive results.

“A leader spoke to me about someone who was part of the Duarte cohort. She saw him present and said he’s so different. It’s amazing that in just three-months’ time, an executive noticed a difference in how this person came across and how they present…observing this person, [she said] ‘what have you done to him?’”

Smriti Sharma, Partner & Technical Enablement Leader, Cloudflare

Ready to get your hands on proven communication training for leaders?

Effective communication training for managers isn’t just a perk or a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have for organizations looking to stay successful and connected in an increasingly competitive, disconnected world. Whether you’re training new managers or giving seasoned leaders the tools they need to lead change, we’ve got you covered with various communication training options:

  • Custom training programs: Want to design a bespoke training program tailored to your managers? Contact a Solution Architect to discuss building your own communication learning journey.
  • Captivate™: A scalable training course, perfect for upskilling large groups of managers in the art of presence and delivery.
  • Illuminate™: Need to inspire a bold new vision across varying levels? Illuminate helps leaders craft the narratives that drive lasting change.
  • Duarte DataStory®: A favorite of clients like Microsoft and Nestlé Purina PetCare, this top selling communication course is great for data-heavy teams like finance, engineering, data analysts, scientists, and more to learn how to communicate their insights in a concise and cohesive way to aid in leadership decision making.
  • Adaptive Listening™: In this workshop, you’ll learn the benefits of Adaptive Listening™ so you can adapt the way you communicate to build better relationships and resolve workplace conflict.
  • Speaker Coaching: Managers and executives can even work one-on-one with expert Duarte Speaker Coaches to prepare for a major event or develop their public speaking skills over time.

When managers communicate with clarity and confidence, it creates a stronger, more cohesive workplace. By investing in communication training, you’re not just upskilling your leaders — you’re fostering a culture where understanding and collaboration can thrive, and business goals can finally be met more often than not.

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