We could all be better communicators. Even if you think you are pretty good at getting your ideas across, how can you improve? Do you listen well? How about your writing? Is it clear? Communication involves more than you think.
Here’s how you can start to make improvements with your workplace communication.
Listen better
Being a better communicator all starts with firstly becoming a better listener. Have you really heard what people are saying to you, or are you choosing to hear what you want to hear?
We are all guilty of that sometimes, so start by truly listening to what other people have to say. If you are being charged with a task, listen very carefully to the brief: what exactly do you have to do? Or if someone asks you a question, mull the question over in your mind for a few second before launching into a response. Certainly, don’t respond with a pre-prepared answer that sounds overly rehearsed: that will only give the impression that you were not really listening in the first place.
While listening, use active listening skills and responses to show that you are engaged with what the other person is saying. Half the battle is convincing the other person that you are truly listening, and that their words are being heard. That starts you off on the right foot immediately.
To be a better listening, employ some of these strategies:
· Don’t remain silent, but use responses to show you are listening
· Ask questions to show that you are seeking clarification
· Make everything a conversation, not a challenge or competition.
· Use the correct body language. Look at the person when they are speaking to you and have an open body shape.
Think about your audience
Who are you communicating with? That is the first question you must ask yourself. Why? Because no two people are the same, and audiences differ and respond to varying approaches.
There are so many variables when it comes to audience. Age, culture, language, seniority, and more besides. Learn to tailor your communication skills to the audience at hand. For example, some cultures tend to be more direct than others, so what may be deemed as perfectly normal and polite in Spanish may not wash in Japanese.
It all boils down to educating yourself and paying attention to how good communicators work, taking note from them. If you are doing business internationally, read up on the culture and ask a guide to assist you in navigating any communication faux pas that are unlikely to unfold.
Less is more
And remember than too much can certainly confuse the matters. Keep messages as simple as they can be. Do not overly complicate things, and allow time for questions.
Always check your understanding of what the other person is saying, clarify accordingly, and move on from there. Keep it simple, in other words.
Use tools and educate yourself to be a better communicator
There are many tools you can use to be a better communicator, and we can all educate ourselves by reading more, listening to those who are deemed good communicators and taking tips from what they do.
There are also a number on online tools and apps which can be availed of to help with that all-important communication at work.
One such tool is Linguix, which is an AI-powered writing assistant. Not only will it help in penning anything from content articles to work emails, but also gives you word prompts and synonyms, which helps you build your passive and active vocabulary. Active vocabulary is the vocabulary that you actually use – when speaking or writing – to communicate. What better way to become a better communicator than to have the right word available for that very situation or feeling you wish to express?
Linguix also gives you a readability score in the web app, so you are able to gage how well your writing reads to your audience. It’s a great way to become a better written communicator in English.
P.S. In the meantime, use our unique 30% off discount offer on a yearly Premium subscription to unlock the full power of our AI-based grammar-checking engine.
