Effective leadership cannot be realized without strong communication skills. While this holds true in the private sector, it takes on an extra measure of importance in the public sector. The reason comes down to the intended audience.
Private sector leaders typically build communication strategies around the concepts of business success and profitability. Public sector leaders, on the other hand, approach communication from a different perspective. They build their strategies around a wide range of topics and concepts that can directly impact communities and their residents on scales ranging from local to nationwide. Without effective communication coming from leadership, an organization — especially in the public sector — runs the risk of not fully achieving its goals.
An online Master of Public Administration program can provide communication skills for leaders and prepare graduates for careers in public administration.
Essential Communication Skills
For leaders, essential communication skills in the public sector help ensure a message or program is understood and gets through to the target audience with as much clarity and conciseness as possible. These skills can directly impact different elements of a program’s success and operation, making them vital to develop as best as possible.
1. Create Public Policy
Effective public policy stems from policymakers addressing the public’s needs and concerns. Since public leaders are liaisons between the public and their organizations, it is important for them to communicate in a way that ensures both parties understand each other. This means public leaders must communicate the concerns, needs, and goals of all constituents, even those who may not embrace a certain program or initiative. Public policy leaders can construct effective policies by building this mutual path of understanding through strong communication.
This form of communication isn’t just about stating facts. Public sector communication should be conveyed in a manner that fosters a sense of trust and responsibility to the public, so it doesn’t come off as a manipulative spin. Conversely, it’s important for public leaders to shape their communication style to best reach their intended audience. A public leader who uses communication skills to execute these tactics can help policies proceed smoothly.
2. Engage with Citizens
Public policy leaders should also be able to engage with and inform, the public about the ongoing activities in their organizations. This should involve transparency and collaboration, so communities can know that they are part of a clear two-way relationship.
Having an effective engagement strategy can also yield several benefits.
- Proper representation: Direct engagement with a diverse range of people within a community can ensure policies are shaped holistically and not geared toward a smaller but vocal communal segment.
- A better understanding of needs: Public leaders can more effectively dive into the minutiae of public policy issues based on hearing how they specifically impact people within a community.
- Community ownership: More engagement with a community can allow its members to provide a deeper insight into a proposed policy based on a community’s historical and cultural context.
Informed and engaged citizens are better partners. Strong communication skills for leaders can help foster this relationship and increase the successful impacts of policies.
3. Ensure Public Safety
Public leaders must be prepared to keep individuals clearly apprised of issues that directly impact their health and well-being. This not only involves getting the word out at the earliest possible outset of a crisis but also constantly and clearly communicating data to the public as the crisis evolves.
The level of communication here may differ. For example, informing the public about a project to improve their water or food supply will most likely not need as constant a communication flow as reporting on a pandemic, an act of terrorism, or a natural disaster. Effective public leaders will fully understand how to adjust their communication strategies to directly address different situations.
Regardless of the goal or situation, good public leaders have the leadership and critical thinking skills to build a strategy that optimizes information. Typically, this strategy involves gathering data from individuals or groups directly involved with the crisis at hand, such as scientists or law enforcement agencies. In some cases, it can also involve directing staff to gather this critical information.
Once this crucial data is gathered, leaders need to pare it down in a way that conveys the most essential information to the public in a clear, unambiguous manner. Doing so gives the public its best chance of fully grasping the information that can impact them the most.
4. Communicate to the Media
Public leaders may be faced with dispensing key information to the public through the media. As such, they should have polished public speaking skills to communicate clearly and effectively. The Institute of Crisis Management outlines some of the tactics associated with these polished skills.
- Avoid the phrase “no comment” because people think it means the organization may be guilty and trying to hide something.
- Present information clearly by avoiding jargon or technical terms. Lack of clarity makes people think the organization is purposefully being confusing in order to hide something.
- Appear pleasant on camera by avoiding nervous habits that people may interpret as conveying deception. A spokesperson needs to have strong eye contact, limited disfluencies such as “uhms” or “uhs,” and avoid nervous gestures such as fidgeting or pacing.
Being proactive with this aspect of communication can prepare public leaders to exhibit strong, leadership-fueled communication in the face of a crisis or a public safety issue. This can also reinforce a leader’s reputation as being a respected authority.
5. Solve Problems and Make Decisions
Communication skills for leaders often coincide with strong, proactive problem-solving and decision-making skills. A public leader who conveys information and expectations clearly can prevent problems due to communication breakdowns. This allows an agency to run more efficiently and complete more projects. Public leaders can also use communication skills to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
Alternatively, poor communication skills can cause misunderstandings, leading to issues that can reduce an organization’s efficiency and ultimately, its effectiveness. Without a transparent approach to communication, the public may suspect a leader may be hiding something. This could not only cause problems even if no problems are afoot, but it could undermine the confidence the public may have in a leader. However, a leader that engages in clear, transparent communication on a consistent basis can foster trust, instill positivity, and ultimately help an organization builds its reputation and achieve its goals
The Path to Becoming a Trusted Leader
The ability to communicate effectively can be the fine line that separates a policy that works and an idea that falls flat. Public leaders who have strong communication skills can become trusted developers of people and policies with the ability to foster a strong sense of collaboration. This feeling, once it’s been established, can make it easier for projects great and small to be accomplished with optimal efficiency.
Ohio University’s online Master of Public Administration program can help you pursue an exciting career in the public sector with the utmost confidence. With its concentrations in Public Leadership and Management, Non-Profit Management, Crisis and Emergency Management, and State and Local Government Management — the program is built to help you gain expertise in key public administration concepts while also helping you further cultivate the skills to turn strategies into effective, actionable plans.
Learn how Ohio University can help prepare you to pursue a career that can make a dynamic difference in the lives of others.
Recommended Readings
Innovative Tips For Coordinating Nonprofit Organizations
Public Policy vs. Public Administration: How Do Public Organizations Get Things Done?
10 Traits of a Successful Public Administrator
Sources:
Center for Creative Leadership, “Comparing Leadership Challenges: Civil Service vs. Private Sector”
Institute for Public Relations, “Public Safety and Media Appearances”
International Monetary Fund, “Communications as a Policy Tool”
Investopedia, Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Minc Law, “How to Speak to the Media: Tips & Best Practices”
Partnership for Public Service, “Three Tips Government Leaders Can Use to Communicate Effectively”
Public Agenda, Public Engagement
Social Pinpoint, “6 Reasons Why Public Participation and Community Engagement is Important”
Volcker Alliance, “Preparing Tomorrow’s Public Service: What the Next Generation Needs”