12/07/2018
Effective Communication in the Workplace
While most jobs require you to work alone at your desk, there will be many instances where you have to talk to colleagues or your bosses face-to-face. While it might seem like second nature to talk to someone, these are a few tips to assist you in making your day-to-day communication with your co-workers effective and smooth.
Body Language
Experts say that communication is 10% verbal. This means that the remaining 90% comes from non-verbal expressions – body posture, hand gestures and facial expression.
Avoid defensive stances with your arms such as keeping your arms crossed if you are listening to someone. When speaking, avoid finger-pointing at your listeners to avoid appearing as authoritative and imposing. Be alert and avoid slouching as well when talking to people else you might appear as being uninterested in the conversation.
Facial expression is important when talking to people as well. Opt for a more neutral expression when speaking to a superior.
Listening
Being an active listener is important in effective communication. You show interest in what is being said with occasional nods and smiles, reacting to the speaker’s words where appropriate. However, you should avoid passing immediate judgement be it mentally or verbally when communicating with someone as this might discourage any further conversation.
The most important thing in listening of course is to focus on the speaker. You should avoid multitasking when speaking to someone as your attention becomes divided and thus your listening ability becomes less effective. It also gives other people the impression that you are not interested in what they are saying.
Confidence
Be confident in yourself if you have a message to get across. Speak in a clear tone and avoid speaking too fast when talking to people.
Eye contact is extremely important in conversations as well to demonstrate confidence. People who avoid eye contact during conversations by looking away on the floor or elsewhere can be perceived as insincere or insecure about themselves. This might put people off when you are talking to them. Have a habit of maintaining eye contact with the people you are talking to.
Reading the weather
Understand the rough emotional state or temperament of people before deciding what kind of tone you should use on them. Depending on their personality and temperament, you should adjust your volume, tone, and word choice. While these might seem as subtle differences, they will make a very huge impact on the person’s disposition towards you.
Summary
Communication has little to do with what you say but how you say it. You do not have to be a word smith or a linguist to master the art of communication; you just simply need to be empathetic to the other person’s temperaments! Remember, a conversation is a two-way street and it requires both participants to understand each other in the easiest possible manner. A successful conversation is when the listener understands what the speaker was trying to convey. Practice the above steps to become an effective communicator in your office today!
