Learn the Secrets to Being an Effective Communicator
Discover what is effective communication and learn why is it important. And find out the necessary speaking skills to get desired results.
Humans are drawn to each other in a variety of ways. Each day we fill several roles depending on the context of our interactions. But the one common thread across every interaction is the need for clear and effective communication.
Communication, which comes in many forms, is one of the essential skills we all need to survive. Like most things, it has transformed across the ages. All too often, it is understood as simply providing information. Unfortunately, most people don’t typically ask, “What is effective communication?” Nor do they realize the depth to the answer. What is key to understand, but often isn’t, is that effective business communication is as much about understanding the emotions and intentions behind the messages, as the actual content being delivered. Communication is meant to be a two-way street of exchange—a message being communicated by the sender and understood by the receiver.
While this seems straightforward and instinctive, often we try to communicate, and something goes wrong—much like playing “telephone” as a kid. We initiate by saying one message, the recipient hears something different or misconstrues the intention and passes the misinterpretation along. Though funny when playing a game of telephone, we know that in real life, this can cause problems, personally and professionally.
So, what does all this mean? From a professional perspective, it simply means everyone should see the importance of being an effective communicator as a necessary career skill. However, it’s important to recognize that being a clear, effective communicator requires learning and practicing some important skills. Whether you are trying to improve communication with your team, kids, boss, or spouse, honing these basic principles will improve your results and deepen your connections. Learning the small, simple tips and tricks goes a long way and helps develop impressionable characteristics.
The Keys to Effective Communication
By correctly using the following key elements daily and recognizing your skill gaps related to effective communication, you will begin to see improvement in the quality of your interactions, as well as confidence when engaging with your audience.
Send clear, concise messages with integrity and a tone and volume that match the context of your message.
Whether you are receiving or sending the message, be attentive to the other party and aware of your verbal and non-verbal signals. How are is your audience responding to you? How are you responding to the audience?
When listening to someone communicate, receive it with purpose. Instead of focusing on how to respond, focus on the content of the message and how you can use it.
Consider the context of the interaction you want and how that should be perceived from across the table. If you want to come across as an assertive speaker, but your hands are shaking, you won’t get your point across—no matter the context of the message.
Ask for honest feedback and receive it openly and positively. Without feedback, there may be barriers or ways you can further improve that you are unaware of.
Common Barriers to Effective Communication
There are several reasons why communications fail. Most often, your message isn’t being received the way you intended. This is where honest feedback makes a major impact—it will help you remove the common barriers so you can become a more effective communicator:
Stress and Emotions – Remaining calm while delivering your message benefits you and your audience. Sometimes, listeners will struggle to focus on the message when the emotions behind it are overwhelming or exaggerated.
Lack of Focus – It is easy to formulate a reply while the other person is still talking. But when this happens, the message being communicated isn’t the primary focus, so it will get lost in translation. The result is that assumptions are made, or incorrect conclusions are reached about the speaker’s intended meaning. This can lead to misunderstandings or a breakdown in communication.
Body Language and Non-Verbal Cues – Non-verbal cues such as gestures, posture, and general body language impact the effectiveness of your communication. Unfortunately, today, a lot of communication is done via technology, which limits these cues. Therefore, it’s critical to take the time to carefully write and review your messages before distributing.
Use of Jargon or Slang – Keep the words you are using simple and familiar to your audience. Don’t assume your audience knows what an industry term or acronym means – spell it out for them.
A skilled communicator should be aware of these barriers and work to reduce them and their negative impact. By doing this and rehearsing the various elements of communication daily, you will be on your way to building stronger relationships, connections and sending more impactful messages.
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