“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” - Brian Tracy
Begin this lesson by watching the video below. Then consider the following questions:
- Have you ever talked with a family member or friend about a problem or a situation, only to realize that they just don’t seem to grasp why the issue is so important to you?
- Have you ever presented an idea to a group, and it’s met with confusion?
- Think about a time when communications broke down and the person you were talking with misunderstood you. Explain what you learned.
The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly, and as intended, is an essential life skill. Effective communication skills allow us to provide information to other people, and to be able to understand what is said to us. It’s never too late to work on your communication skills.
What is Communication?
Communication is the act of transferring information from one place to another. It may be done:
- verbally (speaking or sign language) often used during one-on-one conversations, phone calls, meetings, presentations, and video conferences
- non-verbally (using body language, gestures, and facial expressions) to express information to others
- visually (using logos, maps, charts, or graphs) to convey information
- written (using printed or digital media such as books, pamphlets, blogs, letters, magazines, websites, or emails),
What is effective communication?
Effective communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, or data between two or more people, which results in mutual understanding.
The ability to communicate effectively is a skill that requires continuous practice and honing — but it brings a lot of benefits. In this activity, you will explore the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that contribute to effective communication skills.
Verbal Communication Skills
Strong communication skills are essential in both your personal and professional life. When you speak clearly, confidently, and with a proper vocal tone, you are much more likely to earn the respect of others and build rapport with your colleagues. Here are some tips:
- think before you speak - take a minute to organize your thoughts before you begin to speak.
- speak with confidence - use a strong, confident speaking voice and pay attention to your word choice, tone of your voice, body language, and make eye contact with your audience
- vary your vocal tone - changing the sound and tone of your voice will impact how you come across, engage your audience, and add interest to your conversations.
- use active listening - make a conscious effort to hear, understand, and retain information that’s being relayed to you.
- avoid filler words - avoid overusing the “um,” “so,” and “like” words. Talk at a comfortable pace. When you speak slowly, you’re able to articulate your thoughts more clearly.
- avoid industry jargon when appropriate
Watch the video provided below. Consider the following questions:
- What are the six common barriers to effective listening?
- What strategies will you use to remove them?
Active Listening
“There's a lot of difference between listening and hearing.” ― G. K. Chesterton
What is Active Listening? Active listening is the ability to focus completely on a speaker, understand their message, comprehend the information and respond thoughtfully.
Active listening builds strong relationships and, while it may not come naturally to many of us, it's an invaluable communication skill.
Examples of Good and Bad Listening Skills
Watch the videos provided below to see examples of good and bad listening skills.
Non-verbal communication
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines nonverbal communication as "the act of conveying information without the use of words.
Importance of Non-Verbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is important because it gives us valuable information about a situation, including how a person might be feeling, how someone receives information, and how to approach a person or group of people.
Your nonverbal communication cues—the way you listen, look, move, and react—tell the person you are communicating with whether or not you care, if you're being truthful, and how well you're listening. When your nonverbal cues match up with the words you're saying, they increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they don't, they can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion.
If you want to become a better non-verbal communicator, it is important to become more aware of the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also of your own.
Body Language
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication that people use to express their feelings through posture, gestures, facial expressions, or other movements and mannerisms.
Watch the Body Language Do's and Don'ts video below.
Watch the 7 Body Language Tips for Your Next Job Interview video provided below.
Think about it
Think of all the ways you communicate nonverbally in your own life. Make a list of examples of nonverbal communication at home, at work, and in other situations.
Written Communication
Written communication is the ability to convey ideas and information through the use of written language. It is the most common form of business communication and has become increasingly important throughout the information age.
Written communications can take place on paper or on an electronic device, such as by email or electronic memo. Here are some examples of the different types of written communication:
- Letters
- Brochures
- Reports
- Memos
- News or press releases
- Emails
- Instant messages
- and more!
For written communication to be effective, ensure it is clear, concise, complete, and courteous. If you want to develop your written communication skills, you need to practice writing and give attention to details.
Indeed.com notes a few steps you can follow to develop your written communication skills:
- Strive for simplicity - ask yourself, are you including too many or too few details? If it doesn't contribute to your message, take it out.
- Don't rely on tone - be careful when you are trying to communicate a joke, sarcasm, or excitement because it may be interpreted differently depending on the audience. Keep it simple.
- Take time to review your written communications - re-read your letters, reports, or emails to identify any mistakes, revise your work, or opportunities to say something differently.
- Keep a file of writing you find effective or enjoyable - if you find a particular type of written communication particularly helpful or interesting, save it for reference. Incorporating styles you like can help you improve your writing over time.
Watch the videos provided below to learn more useful tips and strategies that you can use to help you relay written information more effectively. Take notes of what you find to be most useful.
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Credits:
Created with images by Prostock-studio - "Global connection. Different people using mobile phones for communication, collage with digital network virtual icons" • You X Ventures - "untitled image" • Vitalii Vodolazskyi - "Colorful quote bubbles. Linguistic diversity and multi language concept." • Krakenimages.com - "Collage of group of young and middle age people wearing white t-shirt over color isolated background smiling with hand over ear listening an hearing to rumor or gossip. Deafness concept." • jirsak - "Conductor" • Wasan - "Brainstorming and teamwork concepts of people in business organizations."