Develop Your Communication Skills
Effective communication is a building block for success
Communication is an important aspect of our lives – be it in our personal life, professional life or social life. In all spheres of existence, we are constantly communicating with people – both verbally and non-verbally. Therefore, it becomes vital to build up effective communication skills. Not only do we build better relationships with people, we also climb the corporate ladder much faster.
Ultimately, we all want better relationships. We want to interact pleasantly with our colleagues, have plenty of friends, and most important of all, have harmonious relationships with our loved ones be it our children, parents or life partner.
Did you know that people in organizations spend over 75% of their time in interpersonal situations? No wonder then that poor communications is at the root of many organizational problems. Effective communication becomes a significant tool in building up organizational success.
On a day-to-day basis, apart from communicating with your boss, your subordinates and your secretary, you also communicate with clients and suppliers. You communicate through speech – both face to face and on the telephone, through memos, on email, through business correspondence, etc.
Surprisingly, although we have been communicating from the time we are born, the process of transmitting information from one individual to another is quite complex and in many situations, a significant part of the true message is lost and the message that is heard is often far different from the one intended. It is also very vital to understand that a great part of communication is non-verbal, which includes such things as body language and tone.
Here’s how to develop your communication skills:
- Organize your thoughts clearly and lucidly. Be very sure of what you want to communicate.
- Always state your position specifically, not generally.
- Stick to the point. In business correspondence, meetings or presentations, keep it concise and clear. When having a discussion with your spouse or children, focus clearly on the issue at hand.
- In face-to-face communication, be aware of your body language. For example, if you are listening to a presentation in a slouched position, the signal you are sending out is that you are bored.
- In a meeting or discussion, be courteous and avoid interrupting the other person. Develop listening skills.
- Try to avoid controlling conversations. Acknowledge other peoples’ points of view.
- Communicate your feelings but don’t act them out. For example, you can tell a person that you are unhappy about his/her behavior but getting angry and throwing tantrums is not acceptable.
It isn’t difficult to develop good communication skills. Always remember to focus on the main points you wish to communicate and everything will fall into place. Obviously, courtesy and politeness must always be top-of-mind!
