Three Tips That Will Help You Communicate More Effectively
This blog was written by Lena who shares her workplace wisdom after a recent career change.
In order to be successful, it’s important to develop your communication skills. Not only will being a great communicator make you more influential in your work life, but it will also help to maintain your personal relationships as well. Here are a few tips on how you can learn to be a better and more effective communicator.
Listen More Carefully
Firstly, it’s important to learn to be a better listener. A lot of people think that communication is only about how you put your own thoughts across, but it’s also to do with the way that you listen to other people and interpret the points that they are making. Don’t interrupt, and make sure that you focus on the person who is speaking. When they’ve finished, ask relevant questions to demonstrate firstly that you were listening, and secondly that you were interested in what they were saying and that you want to know more. Being a good listener is about showing respect to other people and actively taking in what they are saying instead of simply waiting for your turn to speak. Keep your body language open – if you fold your arms over your chest you might look sulky and as though you don’t want to be there.
Learn How To Be Assertive
Learning to communicate is also about making sure that you know how to express yourself well. In order to do this, you need to take in as much verbal and written language as you can – read and write as much as possible, and if you need to make a speech, why not watch successful speeches on YouTube to discover exactly how people put their points across? You need to learn to communicate your thoughts and your feelings in a way that’s firm and assertive but not aggressive: have your values in mind, and what you want from the conversation, and don’t let yourself be swayed if someone is trying to persuade you to do something that you don’t want to. A simple smile and an “I’m afraid that won’t be possible” is much more effective than giving extensive reasoning.
What About Digital Communication?
These days, we’re communicating more and more through digital means rather than in person: for work, we often work from home or freelance, and thanks to social media we often have friends spread across the world who we communicate with online. Many people think that looking down at your phone is antisocial, when actually it’s often the absolute opposite! When it comes to digital communication, remember who you’re speaking to at all times. With your friends, use appropriate slang – check out the emoji keyboard on Mac for more ways to convey what you’re feeling. For work, a friendly but professional approach is always best. Use correct grammar and punctuation at all times.
Communication can be stressful, and it can feel like a minefield, but these tips should ensure that your pathway through socializing both at work and at home is easy.
