How to improve communication at work

Here’s how you can build better communication skills that help you deal with day to day workplace issues.

Effective communication is essential to understand another person/situation resolve conflict, and create an environment of trust, ideation and good relationships. Here are some ways to help you improve your communication skills and connect better with co-workers.

Know the audience:

Observe and understand your co-workers communication style to be communicated with them better. For example, a business-like, to the point communication worker. A, but the same might be considered rude and brusque by co-worker B who prefers a little conversation before getting down to business.

We are not saying that you change in order to be like those you work, but a broader understanding of those you work with will greatly help you connect and relate with them.

Be Clear in Communication:

The information you want to convey to a co-worker must be complete, must be complete, accurate and clear. The purpose of communication between colleagues is to allow work to progress smoothly. Clarity is important, weather it is written or spoken; the message you need to convey must be specific and not leave any ambiguity.

Choose the correct medium:

While and email would be sufficient when delivering a short, quick message, subjects that require detailed discussion should be thrashed over a meeting or a telephonic conversation. Further, crucial communication points like terms and agreement of a contract or action points for a project must always be followed by written communication, lest there is any loss of information.

Lend your ears, but watch what you do:

Pay attention to non-verbal cues you may be sending out. Making eye contact when speaking or listening, nodding occasionally to acknowledge what is being said, maintaining a steady body posture so as not to cause distraction shows respect towards the person with whom you are speaking to.

Re-read emails before hitting the ‘Send’ button to ensure you haven’t missed out anything. Avoid multitasking when on the phone. Even though the person on the other end cannot see you, any distraction can be misinterpreted as being disrespectful.

Yours is not the only point of view-listen:

To be able to truly have a good communication channel requires active listening skills. If you are only thinking about what/how to respond before you have even heard what is being said, you are limiting the discussion to your zone. You might have a great idea, but it may not be the right one for the situation at hand. Keeping an open mind will allow you to grasp thing better, and you wouldn’t come across as a person who is not interested in what others have to say. Listen, observe and see how the discussion evolves.

Communicate frequently:

It is easy to lose perspective when working on large scale or multiple projects that are not due for completion until months. Schedule daily, weekly, or monthly summaries of work in progress in order to keep superiors, co-workers, and subordinates up-to-date and aware of changes that may affect them.

This step can help you convey you point of view to others as well as understand clearly what others have to say. It might take you out of your comfort zone, but with some effort, you will find positive results emerging out of how you interact with others at work.