Anjali
Posts : 111
Join date : 2013-07-08
 |  Subject: 8 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills  Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:23 pm | |
| . 8 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Everyone communicates but only few connect every time.
‘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.
You Communicate All the Time
It is said that next to breathing, the most done activity by human beings is communicating. Be it a conversation with your neighbour, peers, relatives, spouse, children or boss, we are communicating almost all parts of the day.
Wikipedia defines Communication as, 'the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behaviour. The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the message of the sender.'
The second part of the definition is very important, for any communication to be effective. But contrary to it, I see many people communicating their point without giving a thought as to whether the message they intended to convey, got received accurately.
Tip 1:
Seeing things from someone else's viewpoint creates a positive impact in communication.
Do you often wonder why no one understands what you say?
You work hard at work but often people don’t seem to appreciate your work. You want to build great relationships with people around you, but they don’t seem to be interested. In spite of being a very talented person, you seem to fail to get the right projects at work.
Well, if you said yes to all the questions above, do not worry, you just to need to focus on your people skill.
Tip 2:
To develop a strong bond with people and to succeed, you should develop your ability to connect with people.
Good communicators make good leaders. Let me ask you to list down the top two women communicators that come to your mind. Often you will find the reason behind their greatness to be able to create a spark in you, is not that their message is different, but the way it is conveyed, makes it a memorable experience.
I am fortunate, to have read the biographies of some of the great women communicators like Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi. A key theme that cuts across their communication skills is that they were not born with the gift of communication, but mastered the art by content learning, practice and most importantly by making a strong connection with people.
Tip 3:
Your words must match your gestures. This helps in developing a great bond with people around you.
Five more communication mantras can help you to communicate perfectly every time. They are -
Tip 4:
Focus on the audience
‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’. Prepare well by knowing the cultural background, faith and beliefs of the people you communicate with. You can use this knowledge to adapt your style and create a better connect. Also choose the right channel that will work best for that audience, written or face to face.
Tip 5:
Empathize with your listeners
Show your respect for people. Check to see if they understood what you said. You should try to paraphrase after a long sentence. Use phrases like, ‘so in summary’, ‘I would like you to', ‘if I understand correctly, is this what you want?’ Paraphrasing shows your concern and respect towards others viewpoints. Ask questions to know your listeners better.
Tip 6:
Use feelings and emotions effectively to communicate better
It is said emotion is the fastest lane to human brain. It's when you like and put yourself totally into what you want to communicate with right feelings and emotions, than you are able to connect with the people deep within.
Tip 7:
Use correct tone of voice
Take an example of a sentence ‘Where you going?’ Stress on each word conveys a different message and may change the meaning all together. Always emphasize on the correct word, so that you give the right message.
Tip 8:
Dress the part
As per Mehrabian model of communication, what we say accounts for 7% of what we communicate, while 38% of our communication depends on how we say it, and a huge 55% of our communication is dependent on what others see when we talk.
Remember always to dress the part to create a lasting impression, even when you are communicating outside your work environment.
‘You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people, than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you’- Dale Carnegie | |
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