How to Increase Your Communication Effectiveness
Effective communication is the key to building any good relationship, whether professional or personal. Fortunately, being an effective communicator is a skill that can be developed if you haven’t been born with it as a natural talent. Here are some quick tips on how to increase your overall communication skills in your professional relationships.
1. Communication should be viewed as a two-way effort. It’s not just about putting forth your thoughts and ideas, it’s also about receiving information and ideas. First and foremost, become a good listener. We were made with two ears and only one mouth, implying that we need to listen twice as much as talk. By taking the time to listen and comprehend what others are saying, you can then respond in a more intelligent and appropriate manner.
2. Consider body language and other non-verbal clues. Be aware of not only your body language, but that of the other person(s) you’re engaging in conversation. Again, this is reflected in your behavior when listening, as well as speaking. If you’re in listening mode, be open and receptive to the conversation, giving your undivided attention. Sitting with arms crossed in front of you or checking emails while having a face-to-face conversation says that you have other things that you’d rather be doing or that you consider more important than your current conversation. Focus on what is being said and then paraphrase the conversation to confirm that you’ve comprehended everything correctly. On the other hand, if your talking points put your audience to sleep, perhaps you need to work on being more concise.
3. Consider the timing and setting of the conversation. Too often these elements are ignored when planning a meeting, presentation or one-on-one conversation. Are you at your best first thing in the morning, if so, perhaps that’s the best time to conduct the talk. You should also keep in mind your audience. If you have more energy at 8am, but the people you are engaging in conversation seem to operate at peak performance after 3 cups of coffee, perhaps the conversation should be scheduled at 10am. The room or facility’s environment also has a great impact on how well your message is received. Consider the lighting, room temperature, and even travel distance when selecting a forum. You want the focus to be on the information being shared, not how warm or cool the room is or how inconvenient the location of the meeting.
These three tips can assist you in more effectively communicating, whether it’s a conversation with one other person, or a room full of colleagues. It’s been said that how you are perceived as a communicator is only dependent on 50% of what you say – the actual facts and figures. The other 50% is based on how you say it, the feelings behind what is said and how the recipient feels when hearing the message. If the conversation takes place over the telephone, the facts represent only 17%, while 83% of the message is dependent upon how it is communicated. So always say it with a smile – in your words and actions. 
