Chair’s Corner – Mastering Essential Communication Skills
From Denise Fast
Here are some tips from an article from the Indeed Editorial Team
Communication skills are the abilities you use to exchange information, ideas, and feelings. They include listening, speaking, observing, and empathizing.
· Clarity: Make it easy for others to understand your main ideas
· Concision: Get to the point without using extra words
· Concreteness: Use specific examples or explanations
· Correctness: Use the right information, grammar, and word choice
· Coherence: Present information in a logical order
Other communication skills:
· Active listening: Pay attention to what others are saying, beyond just hearing the words
· Empathy: Try to understand and share the emotions of others
· Nonverbal communication: Use body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to enhance your spoken message
· Oral communication: Speak clearly, concisely, and without being misunderstood
· Written communication: Exchange information through written language, such as in emails or texts
· Confidence: Speak clearly, listen well, and get your message across
How To Improve Your Communication Skills?
With experience and practice, you can learn and improve communication skills. Start by identifying your strengths and then practice and develop those areas.
· Ask a close friend or colleague for constructive criticism. It can be hard to know how you are perceived as a communicator. To get an objective opinion, ask a trusted friend for their honest feedback. Understanding your areas of improvement for communication can help you identify what to focus on.
· Practice improving communication habits. Many communication skills are habits you have developed over time. You can improve those skills by practicing new habits that make you a better communicator. That might include being more responsive to communications when they are sent, reminding yourself to make eye contact, practicing giving positive feedback and asking questions in conversations.
· Attend communication skills workshops or classes. There are several online and offline seminars, workshops and classes that can help you become a better communicator. These classes may include instruction, role play, written assignments and open discussions.
· Seek opportunities to communicate. Seek opportunities, on and off the job, that require you to use communication skills. This will help you improve existing skills and allow you to practice new ones.