15 Dec Improving your Communication Skills
Proper communication with others in the workplace can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and help everyone be able to accomplish their goals. Their are various skills that people can do to improve their communication.
Indeed.com recently published an article called “10 Communication Skills for Career Success”. Below are the 10 communication skills that Indeed highlighted that may help to increase your sucess in your career. Check out the full article here: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/communication-skills
1. Active listening
Active listening means paying attention to the person who is communicating with you. People who are active listeners are well-regarded by their coworkers because of the respect they pay to those around them. While it seems simple, this is a skill that can be challenging to develop and improve. You can be an active listener by focusing on the speaker, avoiding distractions like cell phones, laptops or other projects, and by preparing questions, comments or ideas to thoughtfully respond.
One great way to be a better listener is to focus on what people you’re interacting with are actually saying. In addition to the content of their communications, you should also pay attention to their facial expressions, body language and tone. Instead of preparing what you will say next, simply take in what they are saying. If you need a moment to digest what they’ve communicated, simply ask them for a moment to think and prepare a thoughtful response.
2. Adapting your communication style to your audience
Different styles of communication are appropriate in different situations. To make the best use of your communication skills, it’s important to consider your audience and the most effective format to communicate with them in.
For example, if you are communicating with a potential employer, it may be better to send a formal email or call them on the phone. Depending on the situation, you may even need to send a formal, typed letter over other forms of communication. In the workplace, you may find it’s easier to communicate complex information in person or via a video conference than in a long, dense email.
3. Friendliness
Friendly characteristics such as honesty and kindness can help foster trust and understanding. The same characteristics are important in workplace relationships. When you’re working with others, approach your interactions with a positive attitude, keep an open mind and ask questions to help you understand where they’re coming from. Small gestures such as asking someone how they’re doing, smiling as they speak or offering praise for work well done can help you foster productive relationships with both colleagues and managers.
It is also a friendly gesture to remember details about conversations you’ve had with colleagues. For example, if a colleague tells you their child’s birthday is soon and you connect with them again later, you might ask them how their child’s birthday celebrations went.
4. Confidence
In the workplace, people are more likely to respond to ideas that are presented with confidence. There are many ways to appear confident, including by making eye contact when you’re addressing someone, sitting up straight with your shoulders open and preparing ahead of time so your thoughts are polished and you’re able to answer any questions. Confident communication comes in handy not just on the job but also during the job interview process.
5. Giving and receiving feedback
Strong communicators are able to accept critical feedback and provide constructive input to others. Feedback should answer questions, provide solutions or help strengthen the project or topic at hand. Providing and accepting feedback is an essential workplace skill, as it can help both you and the people around you make meaningful improvements to their work and their professional development.
A great way to learn how to give feedback is to take notes from others on the feedback they offer you. When you come across a well-explained piece of feedback, take some time to observe and analyze why it was good, why it resonated with you and how you might apply those skills in the future.
6. Volume and clarity
When you’re speaking, it’s important to be clear and audible. Adjusting your speaking voice so you can be heard in a variety of settings is a skill, and it’s critical to communicating effectively. Speaking too loudly may be disrespectful or awkward in certain settings. If you’re unsure, read the room to see how others are communicating.
Another aspect of verbal communication is vocalics and tonality. This involves the way in which your tone moves up and down, your pitch, your accent pattern and the spaces you place between phrases. Such details can be effective in communicating emotions and offer your audience insights into how your message should be interpreted (whether you realize it or not).
7. Empathy
Having empathy means that you can not only understand, but also share in the emotions of others. This communication skill is important in both team and one-on-one settings. In both cases, you will need to understand other people’s emotions and select an appropriate response. For example, if someone is expressing anger or frustration, empathy can help you acknowledge and diffuse their emotion. At the same time, being able to understand when someone is feeling positive and enthusiastic can help you get support for your ideas and projects.
8. Respect
A key aspect of respect is knowing when to initiate communication and respond. In a team or group setting, allowing others to speak without interruption is seen as a necessary communication skill tied to respectfulness. Respectfully communicating also means using your time with someone else wisely—staying on topic, asking clear questions and responding fully to any questions you’ve been asked.
9. Understanding nonverbal cues
A great deal of communication happens through nonverbal cues such as body language, facial expressions and eye contact. When you’re listening to someone, you should be paying attention to what they’re saying as well as their nonverbal language. By the same measure, you should be conscious of your own body language when you’re communicating to ensure you’re sending appropriate cues to others.
10. Responsiveness
Whether you’re returning a phone call or sending a reply to an email, fast communicators are viewed as more effective than those who are slow to respond. One method is to consider how long your response will take: is this a request or question you can answer in the next five minutes? If so, it may be a good idea to address it as soon as you see it. If it’s a more complex request or question, you can still acknowledge that you’ve received the message and let the other person know you will respond in full later.