What is Effective Communication and Why is it Important?
Article Content
Overview
Ask a leader or a professional life coach – what is that one skill you need to excel in life? The common answer would be good and effective communication skills. Communication is a life skill and is the basic prerequisite to achieving success. When you know what to speak, how to speak, and when to speak, it adds to your personality.
Importance of Effective Communication
There is no right or wrong communication, and rather, we should know it is all about acceptable communication. When communication is effective, it encourages better motivation, boosts employee morale, and increases performance as well. Employees tend to feel more connected to their jobs and understand the importance of accountability as well.
The importance of communication is reflected in every little thing you do. That’s why it is essential that the soul of the conversation doesn’t get lost. One of the first steps that you need to work on when thinking about improving your communication skills is effective listening.
Another important part of effective communication is feedback. Without feedback, the communication cycle is considered incomplete. It is best that you share feedback at regular intervals and make sure it is constructive feedback. Even when you have something negative to say, put it in a way that the other person doesn’t feel offended. Communication is more than just conveying your message. It is a two-way process, and industry experts say that Effective Communication Skills is more about listening and less about talking.
Barriers to Communication
Discussed below are some of the main barriers that can hamper a robust communication process.
• Stress
Stress is one of the main barriers that makes communication almost impossible. When you’re under stress or are going through an overtly emotional phase, understanding the right meaning of the conversation becomes slightly difficult.
• Assumptions
Having pre-set assumptions about a person or situation can become a hindrance in the communication process. You might assume that the person will not be right or will react in a certain way and be all defensive about it. That’s why it is best to keep assumptions aside.
• Negative Body Language
Having the right body language and non-verbal cues can be a great help in conveying your message. If you have negative body language like – not making eye contact, slouching, not being interested, facial gestures, etc., it has a negative impact on the communication process.
• Lack of Focus
If you’re not focused on the conversation, it will be difficult to understand what the other person is saying. Keep distractions at bay, like don’t be hooked to your phone, don’t let your mind wander, and keep your attention on the conversation.
Effective communication is always about putting your point in an appropriate manner and listening to the other person without bias. Don’t just have the conversation to win an argument or prove yourself. Be respectful and empathetic!
How Do You Improve Your Effective Communication Skills?
Whenever you want to improve a skill, it needs to be done over time. You need to invest time and effort to ensure that you learn something new every day and implement it. Here are some tips that’ll help you improve your communication skills.
• Avoid multitasking and focus on the conversation itself
• Clarify the message and reflect on the meaning
• Ask sensible and open-ended questions to clear your doubts (if any)
• Even when you don’t agree with a person, there is a proper way of expressing disagreement
• Always take care of non-verbal cues, as they can make or break a conversation
• When talking to a large section of people, keep in mind cultural differences and geographical differences
• Summarize what you said and conclude it in a crisp and concise manner
• Ask follow-up questions to encourage a better understanding
• Encourage people to participate in the discussion to get new perspectives
Workplace Benefits of Verbal Skills
The workplaces of today comprise diverse people, and it is important to have communication on point to make a strong impact. When you constantly work on your communication skills, it helps in leadership skills; you can get more work done, resolve conflicts, and build strong relationships. Now that you know the benefits of effective communication, it is time to start working on them.pulvinar dapibus leo.
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