It happens all the time. Someone’s brilliant at their job — reliable, driven, great at solving problems — so they get promoted into a management role. But not long after the promotion, they find themselves in conversations they don’t quite know how to handle.

How do they raise a team member’s underperformance without demotivating them? Someone keeps interrupting meetings — do they address it privately or hope it stops? They’re expected to give feedback, run one-to-ones, manage upwards, keep morale high and handle tricky dynamics, all while trying to prove they deserve the title.

The uncomfortable truth is this: new managers are often given responsibility, but not the tools. And the one tool that underpins everything else? Effective communication.

It’s More Than Just Talking

When people hear the word “communication,” they often think of being articulate or delivering a slick presentation. But it goes far deeper.

Effective communication is about listening — properly listening. It’s about reading the room, delivering honest feedback in a way that lands and adapting your tone and message depending on who you’re speaking to.

It’s also about staying calm under pressure, saying the hard thing when it needs to be said. And knowing when to stay silent.

What Happens When Communication Fails?

When a manager struggles to communicate, the effects show up quickly. Entire teams begin to feel the strain. There’s tension, confusion, mixed messages or total silence. Expectations aren’t clear. Feedback is either vague, harsh or avoided altogether. People feel unsure, underappreciated or quietly resentful.

It’s often said that people don’t leave jobs — they leave managers. And in many cases, what they’re actually leaving is a lack of effective communication.

Communication Is a Skill — Not a Personality Trait

There’s a myth that some people are just “natural” leaders or born communicators. In reality, most of the communication skills that good leaders use — presence, clarity, empathy, feedback delivery — are things they’ve learned over time.

Actors, lawyers, therapists and coaches all train in communication. Yet in many organisations, managers are expected to lead without any formal support in how to do it.

Would anyone be expected to handle finances without training? Probably not. So why are people expected to lead teams without being taught how to talk to them?

The Good News? It’s Learnable

Effective communication isn’t magic — it’s learnable. New managers don’t need to already have the answers; they need the willingness to learn.

Workshops, coaching, mentorship or even a good book can help someone develop the confidence and self-awareness to lead conversations better. It starts with noticing how they currently communicate: do people leave conversations clearer or more confused? Do they feel heard? Are difficult topics avoided or tackled head-on?

With the right tools and support, any manager can become a better communicator — and in turn, a better leader.

A Word to Organisations

If manager and leadership training is on the agenda, communication training needs to be part of the foundation. Not as a nice-to-have, but as a must.

Effective communication is not a soft skill, it’s a core leadership capability. And when it’s missing, even the most strategic vision will fall flat.

Final Thought

The step up to management is a big one. It takes more than competence — it takes connection. And connection is built, day by day, through how managers communicate.

With the right training and mindset, every new manager can learn to lead not just by title, but through the conversations that matter most.

By Simon Coleman | 1948 Co-Founder | Actor | Leadership Communication Specialist

To find out about 1948’s manager training programmes, get in touch here.