And with hundreds of communication platforms, entirely or partially remote teams, and even multicultural teams spanning many time zones that are complicated and rapidly developing corporate environments, efficient communication has never been more critical or challenging.
It’s great that these abilities can be taught and mastered.
These seven suggestions will help you improve your communication abilities to benefit your business and career.
#1 Be clear and precise.
The most crucial aspect of communication is word choice. When it comes to vocabulary, less is more.
Clarity and, where feasible, simplicity are the keys to strong and convincing communication, whether written or spoken.
Define your goals and your audience before participating in any communication.
Outlining what you want to express and why can assist you and guarantee that you include all critical information. It will also help you eliminate extraneous elements.
Avoid superfluous words and flowery language, which might detract from your point.
And while repetition may be necessary for some circumstances, do it with caution and sparingly. Repeating your message ensures that it is received, but too much repetition might cause them to shut you out completely.
#2 Prepare Yourself in advance.
Before you start any form of conversation, plan what you’re going to say and how you will say it.
Being prepared, however, requires more than just practicing a presentation.
Preparation also includes considering the complete dialogue from beginning to end.
Examine the facts you may require to back up your message. Consider your response to inquiries and criticism. Try to plan for the unexpected.
Before you start a conversation, think about potential questions, requests for more information or clarification, and arguments so you can answer them calmly and effectively.
Take online evaluations and tests to grade your performance by experts at IXL Answers at ease.
#3 Be sensitive to nonverbal communication.
Our facial expressions, gestures, and body language may and frequently do convey more information than our words.
Nonverbal cues can have up to 93 percent greater influence than spoken words. If the two are in dispute, we are more prone to believe nonverbal signs than verbal statements.
Your nonverbal clues should always support your message. Conflicting verbal and nonverbal communication can be confusing at best.
At worst, it may derail your message and damage your team’s trust in you, your business, and even yourself.
#4 Keep your tone in check.
What you say isn’t always as essential as how you say things. Like other nonverbal indicators, your tone may either add strength and emphasis to your message or destroy it.
In workplace conflicts and confrontations, tone can be highly critical. A carefully chosen term with a favorable meaning fosters goodwill and trust. A poorly selected term with ambiguous or negative meanings can easily confuse.
Tone involves volume, and word choice and projection are important considerations when speaking.
When writing, the tone may be easier to control. Remember to read your communication once, if not twice, while keeping style and message in mind. If doing so does not violate confidentiality, you may wish to read it aloud or have a trusted colleague read it over.
And, if you’re having a heated debate over email or another textual medium, don’t be too quick to respond.
If at all feasible, draft your response but wait a day or two before sending it. Re-reading your communication after your emotions have calmed down often helps you adjust your tone in a less likely way to escalate the dispute.
#5 Be Short and Crisp
Nobody enjoys having lengthy and thorough talks while being addressed officially. You should be able to present your dialogues clearly and concisely.
Reducing the conversation can save both your and others’ time.
Include the specific questions you need to ask and the answers you seek. This will help you in remaining precise and formal.
Writing down what you want to say and then concluding it might help you shorten your lengthy conversation. If you can’t finish your lengthy statements, conclusion paragraph starters will significantly help.
#6 Engage in active listening.
Communication almost usually includes two or more people.
When communicating effectively, listening is just as crucial as speaking. However, listening might be more complicated than we think.
In her blog article Mastering the Basics of Communication, Communication expert Marjorie North explains that we only hear half of what the other person says during any given interaction.
The purpose of active listening is to guarantee that you receive the complete message, not just the words the speaker is speaking.
Some tips for active listening include:
- Giving your complete and undivided attention to the speaker
- Getting rid of distractions, judgments, and counterarguments in your thoughts.
- Avoiding the need to interject your own opinions.
- Maintaining open, pleasant body language to keep your mind focused and to demonstrate to the speaker that you are genuinely listening
- When responding, repeat or paraphrase what you’ve heard.
- Ask open-ended queries to extract further information.
#7 Using Humor and a Positive Attitude
Laughter produces endorphins, which can help ease tension and anxiety. Most individuals enjoy laughing and will draw toward someone who can make them laugh.
Don’t be afraid to be smart or humorous, but make sure your humor is suitable for the setting. Use your sense of humor to break the ice, remove barriers, and win others’ hearts.
Maintain a positive, upbeat outlook on life, even when things don’t go as planned, keep optimistic and learn from your failures. People are likely to respond positively if you smile frequently and remain cheerful.
A lifelong learning experience
Most of us are constantly working to improve our communication abilities. There will almost certainly never be a day when we can honestly say that we have learned everything there is to know about communication and have never made a mistake.
However, just because we will never be ‘experts’ does not imply we should not begin the process of improvement.
Improving your communication skills will almost likely make all of your interpersonal connections at home and work easier and more enjoyable. It is a time investment that will undoubtedly pay off.