Communications Skills
Effective Communication Skils
1. Active Listening
If you genuinely want to be a good communicator, then you have to be a good
listener. No one wants to interact with someone who keeps on interrupting the
conversation and only cares about what he or she has to say without taking a
break to listen to what the other person is saying first.
If you are a poor listener, you are going to have a hard time to understand what
you are being directed to do. Always take time to practice being an active listener.
Being an active listener means that you are going to pay close attention to what
the other person is saying, ask relevant questions for clarification and rephrasing
what they are saying (with a phrase such as, “So, what you are saying is that…”)
to show understanding and concern. You will be able to easily understand what
the other person is saying and respond appropriately through active listening.
2. Providing Timely Feedback
Feedback appropriately is an essential communication skill that Giving and
receiving you need to be successful in your career, and that holds true for
any level in the organization be it assistant or top management.
Supervisors and managers should always look for efficient ways to give
employees or clients constructive feedback, be it through weekly status
updates, phone calls, or emails. Providing timely feedback can significantly
increase motivation, and it involves appreciating or giving praise with
simple words like “thank you for taking the time to…” or “good job.” Also, it
is important for you to encourage and accept feedback from other people.
Listen to the feedback, ask relevant questions to clarify any unsure issue
and make an effort to implement the feedback.
3. Speaking clearly and concisely
Effective verbal communication means that you don’t talk too
little or too much; you say just enough.
Try to convey your message in as clear and concise as
possible. Whether you are talking to someone through email,
on the phone, or in person, say what you want directly and
clearly. The one you are communicating with will either be
unsure of what you want or will tune you out if you ramble on.
Before you even say it, think about what you want to say to
avoid confusing your audience and talking too much.
4. Be Friendly
You will encourage your employees, coworkers, or
employer to engage with you in an honest and open
communication through a friendly tone, a smile or a
personal question. It is essential to be polite and courteous
in all your workplace communications, whether written or
face-to-face communication.
To ensure that the recipient of your message feels
appreciated, you can personalize your emails with a short
quote such as, “I hope you enjoyed your weekend.”
5. Have Empathy
Even if you are not on the same page with your employee,
coworker or an employer, it is crucial for you to respect and
understand their point of view. Using a phrase such as, “I
understand what you mean” will show that you have been
listening to what they were saying and you respect their
opinion. This will ensure that the disagreement will not
interrupt the workflow and performance of the daily
business.
6. Pay attention to non-verbal communication
Your tone of voice, hand gestures, eye contact, and body
language shows the message you are trying to put across.
When you are relaxed with legs relaxed, arms open and
have a friendly tone, you reveal yourself as approachable
and encourage others to speak with you openly. Eye
contact is crucial (but don’t stare because you can make
the other person uncomfortable) since you show that you
are focused on the conversation and the person as well.
7. Be open-minded
You should be flexible and open-minded if you are a good
communicator. Instead of just getting your message across,
be open to listen and understand the other person’s point of
view. You will have more productive and honest
conversations by being willing to have a dialogue even with
people whom you are not on the same page.
8. Be confident
It is essential to be confident while interacting with others. It
may sound like this point does not belong to a list of
communication skills, however, if you look at it from the right
angle, it may just make sense to you.
Confidence demonstrates that you believe in what you are
saying to your employee, coworker or an employer and you
will follow through. Be careful not to sound aggressive or
arrogant and always listen actively to the other person.
9. Pick the appropriate medium
Knowing what form of communication to use is one of the
most important and effective communication skills you can
master early on. For instance, if the person you want to
speak to is very busy, you should convey your message
through an email but if you’re going to have a conversation
like changes in salary; it will be best to do it in person
10. Respect others
Other people will communicate with you openly if you show
respect for them and the ideas that they put across. You will
make one feel appreciated when you listen actively when
they speak, make eye contact, and use their name when
addressing them. Stay focused and avoid continually
distracting the conversation while on the phone.
By taking your time to edit your emails, you will be
demonstrating respect since the recipient might think
otherwise if you send a confusing and sloppily written email.
