- Randee Lehrer, Energrowth Coaching - Leadership Coach
- randee@energrowthcoaching.com
Communication skills are absolutely crucial regardless of what occupation you are in. It determines whether you will rise or fall in the workplace. So how can you improve your communication skills? Review this list of 9 ways to improve.
Over communicate. The truth is that people generally listen less than they should. Over communicating ensures that your message has been heard and enables questions to be asked about the fine points.
Think first, speak second, and always filter what you are about to say. This ensures that your first unfiltered and potentially misunderstood thought does not come out in an insulting way.
Listen intently with a sharp focus on what is being said. Forget about what is going on in your head or the next question you would like to ask. Good listening requires a blank mind with a full presence and focus on whoever is speaking. This is not the time to dual task or send an email.
Know your audience before you use acronyms or abbreviations. Will they know what you are saying or will the abbreviations be too informal? Too often we take for granted that those external to our organization know what our internal abbreviations mean. Most of the time they have no idea or think it has a different meaning. Good communicators know their audience and craft their message specific to that audience even if it means using different language.
Body language is part of your overall communication when you are in face to face meetings. Your words tell one story but what does your body language say? Keeping your arms open and maintaining eye contact signifies to the other person(s) that you are present and listening to them.
Reread your email to ensure that your language is appropriate (and not offensive) before hitting send. Sometimes due to time pressures (or an angry moment), we prematurely let an email go that in retrospect we know we should not have sent. My rule of thumb is to review each email from the point of view of how it would be perceived if it was forwarded to my boss or client. Once you look at it from this point of view you are more likely to stay out of trouble and be more concise.
Always be concise and specific enough so the other person has the best idea of what you are saying. It is usually a balance between saying enough to convey your idea and not saying too much to lose the audience altogether. The key is to speak clearly and concisely. The best communicators are humorous in an appropriate way and have perfected the art of storytelling which results in the best recall by others.
Consider picking up the phone instead of sending a long convoluted email. Sometimes the most complicated of situations are better explained live over the phone which also gives the other person an opportunity to ask questions.
Take notes on what is being said in a meeting. While we want to believe we can remember everything, the truth is we are lucky to recall only a portion of what was discussed. Taking notes ensures you will not forget key points and reminds you of any follow ups you committed to.
Leadership skills
Leadership qualities
It requires work life balance, courage, and surrounding yourself with other inspirational people. Fitness, nutrition, sleep, and sex are the keys to life balance. Courage is the ability to follow your passion/beliefs and stay the course regardless of what comes your way because you believe in yourself. It is a matter of being authentic, true to yourself, willing to explore what/why crosses your path, and staying the course because you deserve to achieve your dreams and none of them are impossible.
Communication skills
It requires losing the fear to regain the power you once had (when you were younger) to truly choose the professional life you desire. Finding the balance (or calibrating the imbalance among the pillars of life), aligning your passion/purpose to determine if corporate life is right for you or perhaps an entrepreneurial one. Regardless of your choice, how can you become the best possible mindful leader with a good Leadership qualities that others will want to work for or do business with. Power is becoming that mindful leader. And it also overlaps into your personal and family life.
