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Effective Communication: The Key to Building Strong Connections

• Categories: Connection Effective Communication

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Words: 791 |

Published: Sep 12, 2023

Words: 791 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The importance of effective communication, key elements of effective communication, barriers to effective communication, strategies for improving communication, 1. building relationships:, 2. resolving conflicts:, 3. achieving goals:, 4. personal development:, 5. success in the workplace:, 1. clarity:, 2. active listening:, 3. empathy:, 4. nonverbal communication:, 5. respect:, 1. misunderstandings:, 2. lack of active listening:, 3. emotional barriers:, 4. assumptions and stereotypes:, 5. lack of feedback:, 1. practice active listening:, 2. foster empathy:, 3. be mindful of nonverbal cues:, 4. seek feedback:, 5. adapt to your audience: h3>, 6. practice constructive communication:, 7. educate yourself:.

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Essay on Communication Skills 500+ Words

Communication skills are like a superpower that anyone can develop. They are the tools that help us express our thoughts, ideas, and feelings to others effectively. Imagine a world where no one could understand each other; it would be chaotic and confusing. In this essay, we will explore why communication skills are essential and how they can benefit us in various aspects of our lives.

Building Relationships

One of the most crucial reasons for developing good communication skills is to build strong and healthy relationships with others. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, people who communicate well are more likely to have successful personal and professional relationships. When we can express ourselves clearly and listen actively, we can understand others better and create deeper connections.

Academic Success

Communication skills are vital for academic success. In fact, research from the National Communication Association shows that students who communicate effectively tend to get better grades. When we can express our ideas clearly in class discussions, write persuasive essays, and ask questions when we don’t understand something, we are more likely to excel in school.

Career Advancement

As we grow up, communication skills become even more critical for our careers. According to a report by Forbes, effective communication is one of the top skills that employers look for in their employees. Whether it’s giving a presentation, working in a team, or negotiating with clients, strong communication skills can open doors to career advancement and success.

Solving Problems

Good communication skills are essential for solving problems. When we can communicate our concerns and ideas clearly, we can work together with others to find solutions. For instance, in a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, teams that communicated well were found to be more innovative and better at resolving conflicts.

Confidence Boost

Developing communication skills can boost our confidence. When we know that we can express ourselves effectively, we feel more self-assured in social situations. This can lead to increased self-esteem and a positive self-image, which are essential for a happy and successful life.

Global Perspective

In our increasingly globalized world, communication skills are essential for understanding and appreciating different cultures. By learning how to communicate respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds, we can foster cultural sensitivity and promote harmony in our communities and beyond.

Conclusion of Essay on Communication Skills

In conclusion, communication skills are like a superpower that can benefit us in many ways. They help us build strong relationships, excel academically, advance in our careers, solve problems, boost our confidence, and embrace a global perspective. Developing these skills is not only crucial but also achievable with practice and dedication. So, let’s embrace the power of communication skills and use them to navigate through life’s challenges and opportunities successfully.

Also Check: The Essay on Essay: All you need to know

Essays About Communication: Top 5 Examples and Prompts

Are you writing essays about communication ? Check out our top essay examples and writing prompts to help you get started.

Communication is power and is critical to building a well- connected society . Communicating well is vital in working with people and shedding light on problems and solutions. Practical communication skills can help build relationships . 

If you’re writing an essay on communication and are having a hard time choosing a topic to focus on, here is our round-up of the best essay examples to get you started:  

1. The Benefits of Communication and Teamwork by Karenina Loayza

2. it’s time to tune in: why listening is the real key to communication by kate murphy, 3. a love language spoken with hands by ross showalter, 4. the role of body language in communication by ashley tulio, 5. the power of storytelling in marketing by dylan jacob, 1. how-to develop communication skills, 2. how-to write an inspiring speech, 3. should all leaders be good communicators, 4. theories of mass communication, 5. how are schools developing children’s communication skills, 6. communicating face-to-face vs. online , 7. marketing communications: what are they, 8. is communicating on social media effective, 9. is it possible to communicate effectively on virtual workplace platforms, 10. how-to communicate in the workplace.

“In one task, we were blindfolded and had to describe a set of irregular pieces. With varying degrees of English and different experiences of the world, it was like explaining an elephant to an alien.” 

Loayza narrates an exercise in class where they have to describe surrounding objects as accurately as possible to keep others from stumbling on them. The writer said the exercise demonstrated effectively the need for good communication skills for teams to succeed.

“Schools and universities have courses in debate, rhetoric and elocution, but rarely classes that teach listening. You can get a doctorate in speech communication and join Toastmasters International to perfect your speaking skills, but who strives for excellence in listening?”

Murphy muses on a world that glorifies the speakers but leaves no room for the listeners like her. She points out how social media has created a generation that prefers interacting behind the screen and filtering out opinions that do not resonate with theirs. Instead, Murphy emphasizes listening as a foundation for better human relations and offers solutions for how others can develop their listening for successful communication . 

“Will showed me that not everyone makes promises they don’t intend to fulfil. I don’t have to invest in someone who promises an action they’ll never do. Relationships only move forward once the work of communication begins.”

Showalter, a deaf man, laments how non-deaf ex-lovers have promised to learn sign language to better communicate with him – only to see these promises broken. Then, one morning, a remarkable man in his life sends a video message reviving hopes for Showalter and redefines his standard in relationships for the better. 

“Non-verbal communication can affect our words as it can reiterate our message, contradict our words, reinforce our statement, substitute the meaning of what we are trying to say, and complement what we are trying to say. Body language is something that is usually natural and is often done instinctively rather than consciously.”

Tulio, a communications specialist, stresses the importance of using body language for expression. She provides tips on maximizing gestures and body movement to convey emotions in person and through videoconferencing. 

“In marketing, storytelling provides an avenue to connect to consumers unlike any other. Brands are empowered to share and sell their values and personality in a form that feels less like advertising and more like a concerted effort to strengthen relationships with customers.

The author cites the viewpoints of a business school professor who explains how storytelling can shape the world’s perception of a brand. Finally, the author outlines the vital elements that make an exciting story capable of connecting with an audience and effecting action among consumers.

10 Writing Prompts On essays about communication

To further expand your horizon on the subject, you can work around our list of prompts that are interesting and relevant to date:

You can narrow down this essay to target employees, students, aspiring leaders, or those who want to improve their conversation skills. First, list down recommendations such as expanding their vocabulary and listening. Then, explain how they can incorporate this into their daily routine. 

Writing a speech that strikes a chord requires extra work in developing empathy and understanding the audience. Next, you can focus on providing recommendations for your essay, such as putting in a personal touch and linking this story to the broader subject. Make sure you also offer simple writing tips such as using the active voice as much as possible, keeping sentences short, and keeping the tone conversational. 

Cite research studies that detail why effective communication is a critical skill that makes a leader. Then, write about the organizational pitfalls of poor communication . Later, leaders who can speak engagingly and listen attentively to their team members can address these pitfalls. 

Communication theory is the study of processes in sending and receiving information. Discuss the four main theories of mass communication : the Authoritarian Theory, the Libertarian Theory, the Soviet-Communist Theory, and the Social-Responsibility Theory. Explain each one. Explain how each remains relevant in understanding modern communication processes. 

Interview schools within your community and learn about their language curriculum and other efforts to empower children to communicate well. You can also interview child development experts. Find out the biggest challenges in helping children improve how they express their thoughts and ideas. Then, find out what schools and parents are doing to address them. 

While you’d hear many people expressing a preference for face-to-face meetings, there are undoubtedly benefits to online meetings, which some usually dismiss. Weigh in on the pros and cons of in-person and online meetings, especially in the current scenario of an ongoing pandemic. 

What are the new marketing channels marketers are leveraging to reach their audience? Several surveys and studies show where most marketing campaigns allocate their budgets. One example is video content. 

An interesting angle would also involve looking at epic brand fails. Cite two or more cases, find a communication mishap common between them and provide what lessons can today’s brands learn from these epic fails. 

From interacting with loved ones and finding someone to date and love, social media has dramatically changed our ways of communication . It might be great to interview the elders who have experienced communicating through snail mail. Dive into their nostalgia and discover how they compare the experience of letter writing against instant chatting through mobile apps. 

Several apps today aim to transform workplaces to be more connected for interaction and communication . First, list down the top apps most used in the corporate world and discuss why these communication forms are preferred over email. Then, delve into the drawbacks and aspects of the apps that need improvements according to what business users say. 

Recent studies show that employees quit their jobs when they feel unable to talk about their needs in the workplace. Research the communication culture in the top companies in a specific field. How are they engaging with their employees? How are they driving conversations toward critical concerns?

TIP: You don’t have to write an extended essay. Here is a guide to writing a concise and organized five-paragraph essay.

For more help with writing, check out our best essay writing tips for a stress-free writing process. 

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18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills

Communication skills are some of the most utilized and the most sought after in the workplace. They’re essential for leaders and individual contributors to hone. Looking at our largely remot and hybrid work environments, great communication skills make the difference between connected, agile teams, and teams who fail to collaborate, stay aligned, and achieve common goals. 

The good news is that improving communication skills is easier than you might imagine. Here are some basic principles worth following in order to communicate better.

5 types of communication to develop

You and members of your team may have been working remotely for some time now. Whether you are in an office daily, at home managing from afar, or in a hybrid workplace between the two, you’ve likely leveraged more than one communication type.

For businesses to thrive long-term, it is important to develop communication skills that span each type. Here are the five most common communication types to focus on improving.

• Oral communication: Thoughts are shared through speech. Examples include presentations, one-on-one meetings, and virtual calls.
• Written communication: Thoughts and ideas are shared via the written word. This can be with emails, hand-written notes, or signage.
• Non-verbal communication : Information is shared without the use of written or spoken words. Examples include facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and gestures.
• Active listening: Unlike the examples above, active listening is about receiving information. When someone is listening actively, they might ask questions to understand the information better, but refrain from focusing on their response so much that they fail to hear the speaker.
• Contextual communication: Information i s s hared with mutual, potentially un s poken, under s t anding s of variou s factor s s uch a s interper s onal relation s hip s and the environment.

What is effective communication?

The most effective communicators clearly inform others and actively listen to them at the same time. They can accept input – both verbal and non-verbal – while also expressing their thoughts and opinions in an inclusive way.

Regardless of the communication style , effective communication involves a connection with others. It is a dance with a partner that moves, at times, in ways we did not predict. This means the most powerful skill you can leverage is being in sync with your audience. It involves understanding and speaking to its needs, and then responding to real-time feedback. It means having the conversation that your audience wants to have.

But achieving all of that can take some practice.

Below are some effective communication strategies to help you listen and communicate better.

How to improve communication skills

The best messages are often simple.

There’s no value in delivering any kind of communication, whether written, verbal, formal, or casual, if the message doesn’t come across clearly.

Communicating concisely — while maintaining interest and including everything your team needs to know — is a high-level communication skill.

Here are some ways to communicate better.

1. Keep your audience in mind

Your audience will naturally be more interested and engaged when you tailor your communications to their interests. Piquing their interest by speaking directly to what matters to them will naturally engage their desire to understand and interact with the information.

2. Don’t use 10 words when one will do

Even the most engaged and committed audience will eventually get bored. Keeping your message simple and concise will make it easier to understand and retain. Remember, you already know what you’re going to say, but they’re hearing it for the first time. Keep it simple.

3. Consider the best method to deliver your message

If the information you’re conveying isn’t urgent, consider sending an email or a memo. This is especially important when communicating expectations . Written communication will give your audience more time to review it, think it over, and follow up with questions. It will also give them a handy record to refer back to.

4. Get them involved

If you’ve ever worked as an instructor, manager, trainer, or coach, you’ll know that there are few better ways to learn new information than to teach it. Ask them for their input or to take a role in explaining new concepts and policies to their colleagues.  

5. Leverage face-to-face communication when possible

Communicating face-to-face adds multiple layers of information to an exchange, whether between two people or two hundred. Often, there’s a synergy created with in-person communication that’s difficult to replicate elsewhere. Here are some tips to make the most of face time with your team:

6. Make eye contact

If you’re wondering whether or not your message is getting across, few metrics provide as much feedback as eye contact . You can easily tell if the person you’re speaking to is understanding you, is distracted, worried, or confused — much of which is lost in digital communication.

7. Ask for feedback 

Not sure they got it? Ask! A powerful technique is to ask people to repeat back their version of what you just said. Often, this can improve retention, immediate understanding, and minimize misunderstandings later on. You can also ask them to reach out to you with helpful ways that you can improve your delivery in presentations and other forms of communication.

8. Read non-verbal cues

There are various types of nonverbal-cues . Yawns, fidgeting, and looking around the room are usually clear signs that your audience is thinking about something other than what you’re trying to convey. If you notice this, don’t take it personally. Try asking them to share what’s on their mind, recap previous points they may have missed, or adjourn for a later time.

9. Minimize distractions

If you’re chatting with someone (or a group) face-to-face, keep distractions at bay by leaving unnecessary electronic devices out of the space. Keep the attendance limited to just those who need to be there, and avoid scheduling at a time when people are likely to focus on something else (like just before the end of the day or right before lunch).

How to improve online communication:

Online communication is rapidly replacing office spaces as the primary location of doing business. Especially if you’re used to working with in-person teams, it may be challenging to adjust to having meetings, conversations, and even people that collaborate with you or report to you digitally . Since online communication presents a unique way to interact, here are some things to keep in mind: 

1. Stick to a time limit

Online meetings can be even more difficult to focus on, since they incorporate the distractions of a nearly-unlimited number of settings. Keep the meetings short and to the point, and be especially vigilant about minimizing (potentially) marathon Q&A sessions. If needed, follow up through asynchronous communication methods to protect everyone's time.

2. Be mindful of the other person

Generally, the person presenting is the only one who can give the meeting their full attention. Especially when working from home, assume that participants have multiple demands for their attention and structure the content accordingly.

3. Recap important details

A lot of nonverbal and interpersonal cues can be lost over a digital connection. Ensure understanding by recapping the key points. You can either do a quick review in an online meeting or a brief summary at the end of a lengthy email.

4. Don’t forget to respond

Be sure to respond to each communication with a quick acknowledgment, even if it’s an informal one. Although you may have received the message, it’s likely that the person on the other end will have no way of knowing unless you let them know. A couple words or even a “like” will usually do the trick.

5 extra tips to sharpen your communication skills

In general, if you’re looking to strengthen your communication skills , the following tips will help you succeed no matter the situation you find yourself in (or the audience you find yourself with):

• Be approachable. If your teammates feel intimidated or worried that you may not respond well, they’re less likely to come to you with information.
• Be patient. Not everyone communicates the same way. Taking the time to be sure you’ve understood the other person and communicated clearly can pay dividends.
• Be self-aware. It’s okay if you’re still developing your communication skills, nervous, or having a bad day. It takes time — and practice — to become a skilled communicator.
• Check for understanding. Don’t be afraid to invite feedback or ask questions to ensure that everyone’s on the same page.
• Switch out the messenger. Allow other team members or leaders to develop their communication skills by empowering them to lead discussions and meetings.

How to be a better active listener

There is much talk about the beauty of active listening , but many people aren’t sure how it translates into actual behaviors. One of the main challenges to active listening is the preoccupation with a response. Many people are busy formulating a perfect answer, which leaves no bandwidth to engage with the input. To get out of this habit, which is not really in service of the speaker, consider the following steps.

Rethink how to add value

You may think that adding value to an exchange is mostly about what you say. But that is not always how others perceive it. Most of us value responses that help us think through our own ideas, that clarify our assumptions or point out possible blind spots. We often don’t need a listener to be brilliant or impress us with their own data. Instead, we may value most how they helped us sharpen our thoughts.

Paraphrase without judgment

If you find yourself preoccupied with responding, try changing the focus of your response. Instead of aiming to add your own thoughts, task yourself with giving a summary that withholds your opinion or judgment. As you listen, make it your goal to give a concise summary, perhaps clarifying the speaker’s initial language.

Bonus points for repeating sticky language that the speaker recognizes as their own (“so you were frustrated with the project because the deadline was an uncomfortable high ?”)

Ask questions that help speakers think

The next step from paraphrasing is to ask questions that move the needle. Much like the way a coach listens, these questions push speakers to go deeper into their own thinking, to clarify their expression or consider possible concerns. You can play devil’s advocate by pointing out inconsistencies or language that seems unclear. All of these are true gifts to a speaker and help you stay focused on listening.

Interrupt politely

Active listening isn’t mindless indulgence, and not all interruption is rude. Sometimes speakers get lost in the weeds, providing depths of detail you don’t need. Interruption can help them stay relevant – and be rewarded with more engagement.

Most speakers don’t mind being cut off by a question that lets them keep talking. Much harder, especially for introverts, is to interrupt someone in a meeting and end their floor time. Be sure to:

• Validate the speaker (“Thank you for bringing that up.”)
• Use a warm and polite tone. Get feedback from others on how you sound and come across.
• Refer to shared interest (“I’d just like to make sure we get to hear from everyone about the project.”)

Tips to keep audiences engaged when you speak

Be relevant.

As we are flooded with information, many audiences will not be impressed by data. In fact, the desire to cover all bases or anticipate all possible questions is a common reason for wordiness.

To keep listeners engaged, especially in virtual meetings, you should carefully curate content for relevance. Ask yourself: How does this information affect my audience? How may it help them with their work? Is this level of detail helpful to understand my main message?

If you have no clear answers to these questions, consider cutting the content.

A hallmark of executive presence, concision is the ability to express your ideas in as few words as possible. Listeners appreciate this, as it shows your preparation and respect for your listeners’ time. In addition, concision signals confidence: the confidence to do less, to say something once, and trust that it lands.

Especially in virtual meetings, where the feedback loop can be flat, many speakers struggle with being concise. They may repeat themselves “just to make sure” or use more examples to make a point clear. But this kind of “more” can often be less, as audiences disengage, having gotten the point the first time.

Concision is a leap of faith. The faith in your own preparation and that your delivery is clear. In virtual meetings with cameras turned off, it becomes harder to keep this faith. For your own self-care as a speaker, you may want to ask your audience to be fully present and turn cameras on — and then reward them with your confident delivery.

Leave spaces for the audience to fill

One way to slow yourself down and check in with audiences is to pause after making a point. Not just a second to catch your breath, but an actual space for silence. Both virtual and in-person, it leaves an opening for your listeners to fill, providing you with real-time feedback as to what they need next. How granular do they want you to get? Do they actually have the questions you were going to answer? Or are they taking your ideas in a whole new direction?

We often feel wary about silence, as if it means that something is wrong. But things happen in silence, and you may be surprised what your listeners offer when given the chance to jump in. However they fill the space, you may get valuable hints as to how to sync and proceed. And that is when communication becomes dancing.

Treat pushback as openings, not obstacles

You may believe that by making a compelling case, you should be rewarded with instant buy-in. Which of course, almost never happens. As your proposals are challenged you get frustrated, perhaps even defensive, as you try to explain why you are right. Soon lines are drawn and both sides double down, and you find yourself stuck in a rut.

To avoid such a shutdown of your ideas, you may want to rethink how you experience pushback. Most new ideas aren’t embraced the way they are initially proposed, and your audience may not need you to have ready-made answers to all their questions. Try to view your pitch as an opening volley, and the pushback as guidance to have the talk that you need to have. Instead of reflexive defense, ask follow-questions to validate and explore the concern.

Final thoughts on effective communication strategies

As a leader and manager, you have tremendous power to set the tone for how your team communicates. While it can be easy to fall into bad communication habits, especially when transitioning to an increasingly digital interface, a shift in the way one individual communicates can open the doors for a radical shift throughout an entire workplace. Building effective communication skills takes time, but the effects are worth the effort at every level of your organization.

Enhance your communication skills

Discover tailored coaching to master effective communication for professional growth.

Nicolas Gattig

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Feedback in communication: 5 areas to become a better communicator

Foster strong communication skills to enjoy professional success, upward communication: what is it 5 examples, the 5 business communication skills worth perfecting, member story: developing communication skills and owning the spotlight, improve your interpersonal communication skills with these 6 tips, communication is key in the workplace. here's how to improve, we need to talk (about communication styles in the workplace), how to improve your listening skills for better communication, similar articles, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, effective communication in relationships: 10 tips to improve it, your guide to what storytelling is and how to be a good storyteller, empathic listening: what it is and how to use it, 5 zoom etiquette tips for employees, 6 presentation skills and how to improve them, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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8 Ways You Can Improve Your Communication Skills

Your guide to establishing better communication habits for success in the workplace.

Mary Sharp Emerson

A leader’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively with employees, within teams, and across the organization is one of the foundations of a successful business.

And in today’s complex and quickly evolving business environment, with hundreds of different communication tools, fully or partially remote teams, and even multicultural teams spanning multiple time zones, effective communication has never been more important — or more challenging.

Thus, the ability to communicate might be a manager’s most critical skill. 

The good news is that these skills can be learned and even mastered. 

These eight tips can help you maximize your communication skills for the success of your organization and your career.

1. Be clear and concise

Communication is primarily about word choice. And when it comes to word choice, less is more.

The key to powerful and persuasive communication — whether written or spoken — is clarity and, when possible, brevity. 

Before engaging in any form of communication, define your goals and your audience. 

Outlining carefully and explicitly what you want to convey and why will help ensure that you include all necessary information. It will also help you eliminate irrelevant details. 

Avoid unnecessary words and overly flowery language, which can distract from your message.

And while repetition may be necessary in some cases, be sure to use it carefully and sparingly. Repeating your message can ensure that your audience receives it, but too much repetition can cause them to tune you out entirely. 

2. Prepare ahead of time

Know what you are going to say and how you are going to say before you begin any type of communication.

However, being prepared means more than just practicing a presentation. 

Preparation also involves thinking about the entirety of the communication, from start to finish. Research the information you may need to support your message. Consider how you will respond to questions and criticisms. Try to anticipate the unexpected.

Before a performance review, for instance, prepare a list of concrete examples of your employee’s behavior to support your evaluation.

Before engaging in a salary or promotion negotiation, know exactly what you want. Be ready to discuss ranges and potential compromises; know what you are willing to accept and what you aren’t. And have on hand specific details to support your case, such as relevant salaries for your position and your location (but be sure that your research is based on publicly available information, not company gossip or anecdotal evidence). 

Before entering into any conversation, brainstorm potential questions, requests for additional information or clarification, and disagreements so you are ready to address them calmly and clearly.

3. Be mindful of nonverbal communication

Our facial expressions, gestures, and body language can, and often do, say more than our words. 

Nonverbal cues can have between 65 and 93 percent more impact than the spoken word. And we are more likely to believe the nonverbal signals over spoken words if the two are in disagreement. 

Leaders must be especially adept at reading nonverbal cues. 

Employees who may be unwilling to voice disagreements or concerns, for instance, may show their discomfort through crossed arms or an unwillingness to make eye contact. If you are aware of others’ body language, you may be able to adjust your communication tactics appropriately.

At the same time, leaders must also be able to control their own nonverbal communications. 

Your nonverbal cues must, at all times, support your message. At best, conflicting verbal and nonverbal communication can cause confusion. At worst, it can undermine your message and your team’s confidence in you, your organization, and even in themselves. 

4. Watch your tone

How you say something can be just as important as what you say. As with other nonverbal cues, your tone can add power and emphasis to your message, or it can undermine it entirely.

Tone can be an especially important factor in workplace disagreements and conflict. A well-chosen word with a positive connotation creates good will and trust. A poorly chosen word with unclear or negative connotations can quickly lead to misunderstanding. 

When speaking, tone includes volume, projection, and intonation as well as word choice. In real time, it can be challenging to control tone to ensure that it matches your intent. But being mindful of your tone will enable you to alter it appropriately if a communication seems to be going in the wrong direction.

Tone can be easier to control when writing. Be sure to read your communication once, even twice, while thinking about tone as well as message. You may even want to read it out loud or ask a trusted colleague to read it over, if doing so does not breach confidentiality. 

And when engaging in a heated dialogue over email or other written medium, don’t be too hasty in your replies. 

If at all possible, write out your response but then wait for a day or two to send it. In many cases, re-reading your message after your emotions have cooled allows you to moderate your tone in a way that is less likely to escalate the conflict.

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5. Practice active listening

Communication nearly always involves two or more individuals.

Therefore, listening is just as important as speaking when it comes to communicating successfully. But listening can be more challenging than we realize. 

In her blog post Mastering the Basics of Communication , communication expert Marjorie North notes that we only hear about half of what the other person says during any given conversation. 

The goal of active listening is to ensure that you hear not just the words the person is saying, but the entire message. Some tips for active listening include:

• Giving the speaker your full and undivided attention
• Clearing your mind of distractions, judgements, and counter-arguments. 
• Avoiding the temptation to interrupt with your own thoughts.
• Showing open, positive body language to keep your mind focused and to show the speaker that you are really listening
• Rephrase or paraphrase what you’ve heard when making your reply
• Ask open ended questions designed to elicit additional information

6. Build your emotional intelligence

Communication is built upon a foundation of emotional intelligence. Simply put, you cannot communicate effectively with others until you can assess and understand your own feelings. 

“If you’re aware of your own emotions and the behaviors they trigger, you can begin to manage these emotions and behaviors,” says Margaret Andrews in her post, How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence .

Leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence will naturally find it easier to engage in active listening, maintain appropriate tone, and use positive body language, for example.  

Understanding and managing your own emotions is only part of emotional intelligence. The other part — equally important for effective communication — is empathy for others.

Empathizing with an employee can, for example, make a difficult conversation easier. 

You may still have to deliver bad news, but (actively) listening to their perspective and showing that you understand their feelings can go a long way toward smoothing hurt feelings or avoiding misunderstandings.

7. Develop a workplace communication strategy

Today’s workplace is a constant flow of information across a wide variety of formats. Every single communication must be understood in the context of that larger flow of information.

Even the most effective communicator may find it difficult to get their message across without a workplace communication strategy.

A communication strategy is the framework within which your business conveys and receives information. It can — and should — outline how and what you communicate to customers and clients, stakeholders, and managers and employees. 

Starting most broadly, your strategy should incorporate who gets what message and when. This ensures that everyone receives the correct information at the right time. 

It can be as detailed as how you communicate, including defining the type of tools you use for which information. For example, you may define when it’s appropriate to use a group chat for the entire team or organization or when a meeting should have been summarized in an email instead. 

Creating basic guidelines like this can streamline the flow of information. It will help ensure that everyone gets the details they need and that important knowledge isn’t overwhelmed by extraneous minutia. 

8. Create a positive organizational culture

The corporate culture in which you are communicating also plays a vital role in effective communication. 

In a positive work environment — one founded on transparency, trust, empathy, and open dialogue — communication in general will be easier and more effective. 

Employees will be more receptive to hearing their manager’s message if they trust that manager. And managers will find it easier to create buy-in and even offer constructive criticism if they encourage their employees to speak up, offer suggestions, and even offer constructive criticisms of their own. 

“The most dangerous organization is a silent one,” says Lorne Rubis in a blog post, Six Tips for Building a Better Workplace Culture . Communication, in both directions, can only be effective in a culture that is built on trust and a foundation of psychological safety.

Authoritative managers who refuse to share information, aren’t open to suggestions, and refuse to admit mistakes and accept criticism are likely to find their suggestions and criticisms met with defensiveness or even ignored altogether. 

Without that foundation of trust and transparency, even the smallest communication can be misconstrued and lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict.

Communicating with co-workers and employees is always going to present challenges. There will always be misunderstandings and miscommunications that must be resolved and unfortunately, corporate messages aren’t always what we want to hear, especially during difficult times.

But building and mastering effective communication skills will make your job easier as a leader, even during difficult conversations. Taking the time to build these skills will certainly be time well-spent. 

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About the Author

Digital Content Producer

Emerson is a Digital Content Producer at Harvard DCE. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale University and started her career as an international affairs analyst. She is an avid triathlete and has completed three Ironman triathlons, as well as the Boston Marathon.

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The future of effective communication

Guest Matt Abrahams is a master communicator who helps others overcome their fear of speaking — before live audiences, in small groups, or even one-on-one.

His catchphrase, “Think fast, talk smart,” describes a mindset that, he says, is key to speaking well. Thinking fast is the ability to recognize and respond to patterns in order to talk smart — becoming more salient, relevant, and concise in the process. Abrahams coaches host Russ Altman on how to talk smart on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

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Related : Matt Abrahams , lecturer, organizational behavior

[00:00:00] Matt Abrahams: You can get better at speaking spontaneously. Many of us feel like I'm either born with the gift of gab or I'm not. And in fact, everybody can improve and hone those skills. I've seen it in my own life, the people I coach, uh, the people I teach. You can definitely get better at it. 

[00:00:21] Russ Altman: This is Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything, and I'm your host, Russ Altman. If you enjoy The Future of Everything, please hit follow in the app that you're listening in. This will guarantee that you never miss an episode. 

[00:00:32] Today, Matt Abrahams from Stanford University will tell us about communication, speaking, how can you do it effectively, how can you be confident, calm, get rid of anxiety, and get your message across. It's the future of effective communication. 

[00:00:47] Before we get started, please remember to follow the show to ensure that you get alerted to all of our new episodes and never miss an episode on the future of anything.

[00:01:04] Public speaking is an important part of both your professional and your personal life. In your professional life, you might have to do a job interview. You might have to make a pitch to your boss. You might have to present the results of a big project. But in personal life, you have to talk to your family, your friends, you have to go to parties, chit chat, small talk. All of that doesn't have to be anxiety provoking. For some people, it seems to be natural, but others really struggle. 

[00:01:29] Well, Matt Abrahams is a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in the Department of Organizational Behavior, and he's an expert at communication, especially speaking. He'll tell us that you can be confident, calm, you can get rid of your anxiety and it's a matter of practice. 

[00:01:48] He'll tell us that LLMs can help us become better speakers. And he'll give us a bunch of tips about how to think about speaking, to make sure you structure your communications well, and get your point across. Thanks so much, Matt. And it's great to see you.

[00:02:03] Matt Abrahams: Russ, it's great to be with you. 

[00:02:04] Russ Altman: Let me start out with your catchphrase. It really is yours. Uh, it's the name of your podcast, Think Fast, Talk Smart. It's also basically the name of a recent book you wrote, Think Faster and Talk Smarter. So help us understand, what are you trying to capture with that catchphrase?

[00:02:21] Matt Abrahams: Yeah, well, clearly you can, you see, I'm not that creative with titling. So Think Fast, Talk Smart is really all about how can we hone and develop our communication skills. Think fast refers to the ability to recognize patterns and as a response to those patterns, give our communication, hone our communication, develop our communication, to hit the mark, to be salient, to be relevant, to be concise, and that's the talking smarter part. So it's about recognizing what needs to be done. And then structuring and focusing that message to be effective. 

[00:02:53] Russ Altman: So I'm very interested in this catchphrase more than you might even expect. Because in my family, we have recognized that there's a subset of us who seem to think fast and respond quickly, and it comes out when we're doing board games and we're playing charades.

[00:03:09] And then there's another part of my family that is, they think of themselves as not thinking fast. And they think of themselves as having to really mull over something and formulate what they would argue, and this is like, you know, family dynamics, are much deeper, more profound responses than those of us who they qualify, who they characterize as the fast thinkers, um, they would also say superficial.

[00:03:33] So talk to me a little bit about this thinking fast and the range of ways that people kind of approach cognitive tasks. 

[00:03:41] Matt Abrahams: Certainly, and I'll be very curious to know which camp you see yourself in and which camp your family sees you in, uh, 

[00:03:46] Russ Altman: We can talk about that.

[00:03:47] Matt Abrahams: Which might be different, right? So just thinking fast doesn't mean you talk fast and it doesn't mean that you respond immediately.

[00:03:57] Thinking fast is all about assessment of the situation so that you can better respond. Sometimes the best thing you can do is think for a moment, and pause, structure, and develop your content. Other times responding immediately is what's needed. 

[00:04:13] We all vary in our ability to process information, as well as to formulate structured thoughts. We need to though, develop those skills so that we can be more agile. Just like an athlete would practice drills for their sport, we can practice the pattern recognition that will help us to better communicate. I had the pleasure of interviewing somebody who was a visual note taker. You've seen those people who draw the notes? I always find it fascinating. 

[00:04:43] Russ Altman: Yes, yes. And it's spectacularly beautiful sometimes. 

[00:04:46] Matt Abrahams: And incredibly helpful at getting information across. And I asked her, I said, how are you able to do that in real time? I mean, I can't draw with all the time in the world. You're doing it in real time. And she said, she trains herself to look for different patterns.

[00:05:00] So before she does an event, she spends time talking about what's the goal. She interviews some of the people. So she goes in with this cognitive frame that allows her to distill things very quickly. And we can all develop that skill. The deployment of it is up to us based on what is required in the situation.

[00:05:19] So if I'm in a meeting that's getting hot and heavy and lots of people are contributing, I'm processing, I'm doing my thinking fast part, but I might wait until the appropriate moment to contribute my part. So people do vary, uh, the value of it. So it sounds like in your family. It's binary. It's like one good, one bad. I actually think it's a sliding continuum where depending on the circumstance and context, you want to be able to do both. So it's about that agility that Think Fast, Talk Smart is all about. 

[00:05:45] Russ Altman: And what I really like about your implied statements just now is this is a learned and a honed skill. So nobody should kind of put them in a box, put themselves in a box right away and think that they're stuck there.

[00:05:57] Matt Abrahams: Absolutely. Many people, you know, my book is full of counterintuitive ideas. The first is that you can get better at speaking spontaneously. Many of us feel like I'm either born with the gift of gab or I'm not. And in fact, everybody can improve and hone those skills. I've seen it in my own life. The people I coach, uh, the people I teach, you can definitely get better at it.

[00:06:17] Russ Altman: Great. Okay. So now we're going to actually start at the beginning. We just jumped in and thank you for that. 

[00:06:22] Matt Abrahams: Yeah. 

[00:06:22] Russ Altman: Um, one of the premises of your work is that there's a ton of anxiety in the world about speaking, speaking in professional situations, job interviews. You have a great list in your work of all the places where people can get anxiety.

[00:06:37] So where are we with respect to, um, the prevalence of speaking anxiety? Is the world getting better? Is the world getting worse? What are you seeing in your practice, so to speak? Tell me about people and their anxiety about speaking. 

[00:06:51] Matt Abrahams: So it's ubiquitous. And those of us who study it believe it's innate to being human. We see it across cultures. We see it tend to develop and spike at different times in people's growth, especially moving from childhood into early teen years. We see a lot of anxiety around speaking start. Uh, so it's just part of being human. Now, your question of, is it getting worse? It's changing. So we, as our modes of communication change, so does our anxiety around it.

[00:07:19] I'm old enough to remember where we used to say, wouldn't it be great if I could give a presentation and just not be in the room with the people? It would be so much easier and I wouldn't be nervous at all. Well, lo and behold, what happened? And now we're communicating a lot, if not almost exclusively, virtually, and people are as nervous, if not more. Why? Because we don't have those reactions. I don't know if I'm speaking into the abyss or are people getting what I'm saying. So things are changing. So too are the ways that we can learn to manage it. So there are things that we can do differently. To manage anxiety, we have to address both symptoms and sources.

[00:07:54] The symptoms are the things that we physiologically experience, and the sources are the things that initiate and exacerbate. So when I'm virtual, one of the things that exacerbates the anxiety is I don't know if my message is landing. So what do I have to do? I have to build in a whole bunch of engagement techniques to assess if you're following along.

[00:08:12] Maybe I have you give me a thumbs up, or I have you type in the chat, or I make it more dialogic versus me just talking. So, there are tools that we can invoke to help us feel more comfortable and confident, but anxiety around speaking, because we believe it's evolutionary, has been around for a long time and how it manifests changes with how communication tools and techniques change, but it's still there. 

[00:08:37] Russ Altman: Now, uh, another thing, uh, that I wanted to hit upon and well, there's so much that I wanna hit on. Let's just acknowledge that we're having an amuse bouche today. 

[00:08:45] Matt Abrahams: Yes. 

[00:08:46] Russ Altman: Um, is the difference between written and oral communication. I know you think about, I know you think a lot about oral, but I know that you think about written communication as well. And they're different. And that difference is especially highlighted these days because of the availability of ChatGPT and tools like it, which we know our students, our colleagues, and pretty much anybody who's tried it out, is figuring out how to use that to improve, augment, replace their efforts in writing.

[00:09:17] Uh, but you know, so far, I'm not sure what the role of LLMs or ChatGPT is for speaking. I'm sure you've thought about this. What has been the impact or what do you see as the impact? Is this a good thing? Bad thing? Neutral? 

[00:09:29] Matt Abrahams: So I think the jury is still out. Uh, I am an optimistic person and I think AI can be very helpful to us in our communication, written and spoken.

[00:09:38] Uh, let me give you some examples of how I am asking my students to use LLMs to help them. For example, if you are preparing for a spontaneous situation, let's say a job interview, go to your LLM of choice, say interviewing at this company for this role with somebody in this position. Generate five questions for me that help me demonstrate my whatever ability.

[00:10:03] And it'll generate questions. And then you can practice answering them. Just like if you're an athlete training in a sport where you might have somebody play defense and you practice offense, or you switch that around. I think an LLM can help us. The goal isn't to memorize your answer to the question it generated. The goal is just to practice. So I think that can be very useful. 

[00:10:21] Another thing that I think could be helpful is to use a conversation with an LLM to help you bring out examples, anecdotes, stories, testimonials about yourself. So it can actually serve as an interviewer that helps you then stockpile some of these stories that are true for you, that you can then invoke in an interview, in a small talk conversation that can help.

[00:10:44] So, uh, I certainly think it can be a useful tool. And that's not even to say the value that they can provide for non-native speakers. A non-native speaker can leverage an LLM to help them just understand more colloquial ways of saying things. Again, not to memorize what was said, but to look for patterns and ways that can help them feel more comfortable.

[00:11:05] Russ Altman: Yeah, that's fantastic. And that makes perfect sense. And it's in the background. And I think there's a level of comfort that people may have where it's not even another human. Like this can be your pre, when we develop drugs, we have the prehuman phase where we do animal testing. And I think of LLMs can be a little bit like the animal testing before you go big time to actually deliver to humans.

[00:11:26] Matt Abrahams: Right. It's a way of desensitizing yourself that feels more comfortable. And I think that's very helpful. 

[00:11:33] Russ Altman: Do you find that going back to your, the things you said about, uh, the virtual, you know, the perils and, uh, and, uh, and challenges of virtual presentations, is it a different skill set? Are people who are very confident in a, like, an in-person environment, do they sometimes struggle? Because, like, maybe they've had a couple of their hands tied behind their backs. Like, tricks that they used that were very effective in a room, they can't use and conversely, are you finding that some people are well suited to these milleu.

[00:12:01] Matt Abrahams: I do think there are some different skills required and some people might have a better fit with one modality versus the other, but I do firmly believe people can learn those skills. So, for example, somebody who has high emotional intelligence can read a room well in person. That becomes very challenging virtually. It also, being virtual also requires you to multitask in a way that you don't have to, when you're physically present.

[00:12:28] Russ Altman: If I could just interrupt, I must, I'm going to agree with you so vociferously, cause I've taught classes with a hundred, two-hundred students, and I don't think the students understand how I can very quickly assess almost every one of them and whether they're listening and whether they're looking at me or whether they're, and I think they think that with two-hundred, they're anonymous.

[00:12:48] And I just want to say to them, dudes, you are not even close to anonymous. I can tell you exactly what you did for most of this lecture, for most of you in this room. 

[00:12:58] Matt Abrahams: Right. Absolutely. And you've developed that skill over time. Not most people can't do that right away. But certainly there is a connection that happens and you can observe things.

[00:13:10] I would argue that for those of us who've done a lot of virtual work, we can get some semblance of that where we can tell, uh, you can tell how quickly somebody responds. You can tell the depth of the content they enter, but the multitasking function of virtual communication can be very off putting to people.

[00:13:28] You know, I see a comment coming in, I've got a little ticker that's running there, I mean, there's just a lot to pay attention to. But some people are good at multitasking. I find my kids who play way too many video games, they actually are really good at navigating a zoom session in a way that I'm not.

[00:13:45] And I think they've just developed skills of multitasking with technology that I just don't have. So I think I can learn it. I'm certainly better than I was when the pandemic started, but I do think people lean one way or the other, but we can get better at both. 

[00:13:59] Russ Altman: So you have written a book, you've given talks and written papers about a bunch of things that I just have to ask you about, uh, kind of like, answering questions that you can't answer. In other words, when you get a question and you either, you have no idea what the answer is, or it's ill formed, tell me about that 'cause that does happen. And it is, 

[00:14:17] Matt Abrahams: Right.

[00:14:17] Russ Altman: It really can bring the whole show to a standstill if, um, if you don't have these skills. 

[00:14:23] Matt Abrahams: So I want to talk about two different types of questions you can't answer. The first is you don't know the answer. And when you don't know the answer, all the research and my practical experience says, say I don't know the answer. Just admit it. Don't make it up. Don't hem and haw. Just say, I don't know, but immediately follow it up with what you're going to do. I don't happen to know the answer, but I'm going to follow up with Russ, who I think does, and I'm going to get back to you within twenty-four hours.

[00:14:48] Now, if you have an inkling or a hunch, then say that. Say, I don't know the answer. I'm going to follow up with Russ. I'll get back to you in twenty-four hours. My hunch is the answer will be this. And we fear that when we do that, that we lose credibility. But in fact, I believe, and I know that there's some people studying this who have found preliminary results that suggest that if you actually follow up and get the person the answer, your credibility stays at the same level, or in some cases might even go higher, because you're demonstrating tenacity, grit, and the willingness to really find the answer for the person.

[00:15:18] So, saying I don't know, especially if it happens just once or twice, I don't think is the end of the world. Obviously, if you're saying I don't know to all the questions, there's some kind of mismatch.

[00:15:26] Russ Altman: Right, maybe we had a mismatch in the invite. 

[00:15:27] Matt Abrahams: Now the other set, the other set of the questions that we can't answer isn't because we don't know, it's because they're the reasons we can't answer the question. Imagine a CFO who's taking her company public and people want to know when are you going public? Well, you can't say that legally. You can't say that. So you have to give an answer and you can do, I've wrote an article on three things you can do, you can blame, explain, and reframe. 

[00:15:54] So blame is where you simply say, I can't answer because of this regulate, regulations or our company's policy. So you blame something that, why you can't answer. You can then explain, the second way to handle it is to explain the circumstances under which things would happen.

[00:16:11] So you're not answering the question. So the CFO might say, I can't tell you when we're going public. But these macroeconomic conditions would have to exist before we would ever consider it. So I'm explaining what my answer might be without actually answering the question. And then finally, the third thing to do is to take the question and reframe it slightly so you can answer it, so you can feel comfortable answering it.

[00:16:34] I'll give you an example. Let's say you are a company that's releasing a product that has lots of features. Somebody asks a question about a feature that you know is not coming out in the product. You don't want to say that because that might look bad in this circumstance. So you might take the question about when is feature X coming out in the product and say, our feature prioritization process is this.

[00:16:55] So I've reframed the question, not about that feature, but about our feature process, uh, how we prioritize. And then at the end, I would simply say that particular feature was not prioritized as high. So I actually answer the question or come back to it, but I've reframed it slightly to make it easier. So through blaming, explaining, and reframing, we can get out of those situations where we can't answer the question. 

[00:17:18] Russ Altman: This is The Future of Everything with Russ Altman. More with Matt Abrahams next.

[00:17:34] Welcome back to The Future of Everything and I'm your host, Russ Altman. I'm speaking with Matt Abrahams from the Stanford Graduate School of Business on communicating and speaking effectively. In the last segment, Matt told us about how people are anxious about speaking and he started to give us some tips about how to improve our speaking and how to think about presentations, speaking, and interactions.

[00:17:56] In this segment, he's going to tell us about how to structure your communication. It should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. But there's more to it than that. He'll also tell us that listening is an important part of speaking. And finally, he'll tell us what we all want to know. What does he think of PowerPoint and presentations on slides?

[00:18:16] So Matt, I wanted to talk about thinking about your presentation and like, how are you going to structure the communication so that it makes sense? You know, you might have ten points you want to get across, but it might not be the best thing to just say, I'm going to tell you ten things here they are. I mean, it might be because people love numbered lists.

[00:18:34] That's a whole ’nother discussion. But how do you recommend people think about structuring their communications for like maximum impact? 

[00:18:42] Matt Abrahams: Really important question. And in fact, when I teach people the process for becoming a more comfortable and confident spontaneous speaker, Q and A, feedback, small talk, introducing yourselves, I walk through a six-step process and structure is an important part of that.

[00:18:58] The methodology itself has six steps divided into two categories. The first is mindset and approach. We have to get our mindset right, and then we have to message. So it's about mindset and messaging. From a mindset perspective, to help you communicate better in general, and I'll get to structure in a second, you have to first manage anxiety. Most people are nervous. We talked about that already. 

[00:19:21] The second step is, we have to remove the pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect. When we communicate, we want to give the best answer, the right feedback. We want to give, be the most interesting in small talk. Striving for perfection gets in the way.

[00:19:36] And by the way, Russ, there is no perfect way to communicate. There're better and worse ways, but no right way. So when we focus on connection, actually getting our point across, rather than saying it the right way, which doesn't exist, we actually do better. 

[00:19:50] The third step is to see these situations as opportunities, not threats. Many of us, when we walk into small talk, we feel like I've got to do this right and we get very intimidated. When somebody asks us a question, we feel like we have to defend ourselves. All of these situations are actually opportunities for us to connect, to expand, to collaborate. And then the final step in messaging is actually listening. And many people think, what is listening got to do with communication? It is foundational. 

[00:20:17] Russ Altman: It's approximately half of it. 

[00:20:19] Matt Abrahams: You're right. If not more, right? We, if we don't listen, well, we can't respond appropriately. Most of us listen just to the top line. So when I teach people listening skills, which by the way, my wife still says I need practice on. We have to really focus on the bottom line, really, what are they saying? And then notice how they're saying it. 

[00:20:37] So that's about approach and mindset. Once we have our approach right, we then have to actually structure our messages. Lists are hard for people to process and remember. If we package information up in a logical way, and that's all I mean by a structure or framework, there's a beginning, a middle, and an end, we remember it better.

[00:20:56] Our brains are wired for structure. And if we provide that structure for people, it can really help. Let me give you an example of what I mean by a structure. If you've ever watched a television advertisement, you've seen the structure, Problem, Solution, Benefit. Here's a problem, issue, challenge, or opportunity. Our product or service helps you with that. And here's the benefit to you. That's a logical connection. 

[00:21:18] What it does for me as the communicator is it helps me prioritize and connect my ideas together. What it does for you as the recipient, be it a reader or a listener, is it packages it up in a way that's digestible for you. And repeatable. Often when I communicate, I want you to take my message and cascade it. If it's packaged well, you can do that. The final step of the methodology, which goes hand in hand with structure, is focus. Many of us say much more than we need to when we communicate. We take the audience on a discovery of our thoughts as we're having them and we say way more than we need to.

[00:21:52] Structure helps you focus. My mother has this wonderful saying, tell the time, don't build the clock. Many of us, many of us are clock builders. So structure helps us just tell the time. So that's a long-winded answer to the structure question, but you have to understand where structure fits in the overall methodology.

[00:22:10] Russ Altman: That is fantastic. And, so many thoughts about this. And obviously, as a fellow educator, I think about this quite a bit. What about, so let me just ask, one thing is about, um, cultural differences and communication styles. I've been married happily for forty years, but I grew up in New York and my wife grew up in California. Whenever I interrupt her, that is taken as an insult, an affront and a sign of disrespect. Whereas I am positive that in New York, that was a sign of I'm listening and I'm excited about what you're saying, and I'm going to chime in. So talk to me about that because I know you know, you're at a graduate school of business. And so there's a certain culture there, but what do we do about these cultural differences? 

[00:22:55] Matt Abrahams: So it's so funny the story you told about your wife, 'cause I had exactly the same experience. My wife is from the Midwest. I am from California. When my wife met my family, she's like, do you guys even like each other?

[00:23:05] Because in my family, everybody talks louder and longer than anybody else. Her family, they actually listened to each other. The woman who became my mother-in-law said something to me that no one in my family has ever said, Russ. When I was done talking, she paused, looked at me and said, tell me more. No one in my family has ever said that.

[00:23:22] And what that highlights is you're right. There are different cultures around communication. And when we hear the word culture, we usually think country of origin. And certainly different people from different countries have different ways of communicating. And we have to be sensitive to that. But we have cultures within our own society.

[00:23:38] You have it within your family and within mine. My department, my school is different than your school. Uh, my kids have a different culture and way of communicating than I do. We have to be sensitive to this. 

[00:23:50] First and foremost, we have to realize that ours is not the right way. It is a way. And if the true goal of communication is to make common, which is the origin of the word communication, comes from the idea of to make common, then we have to accept, expect, and adjust two different ways of saying things. How do we learn those? Well, we observe, we watch, we take feedback. So if your wife says, stop interrupting me, you have to respect that.

[00:24:19] And maybe what you do is you still interrupt, but you paraphrase first. So you demonstrate, I heard you, because many people who get interrupted and are offended by that, they feel like you're not listening. But if I paraphrase and say, and demonstrate, I heard you. And then I insert my thoughts. That might be a way to mitigate in that cultural clash that's happening in your communication. So it's about awareness. It's about sensitivity and realizing our approach is not necessarily the only, or even the right approach. 

[00:24:47] Russ Altman: That is great. And as obviously, well, maybe not, obviously I have gotten better over forty years, but there are still, including last night, times where it raises its ugly head and I'm like damn, we still have this issue despite my best efforts. 

[00:25:01] Matt Abrahams: Oh, I, your wife might say you still have this issue. 

[00:25:04] Russ Altman: Right, exactly. I mean, don't even let's so much to say there, uh, off camera. 

[00:25:11] Matt Abrahams: Right. 

[00:25:11] Russ Altman: Uh, so let me, I have to ask you about PowerPoint and Keynote and these pres, and their roles in the professional world, especially, um, I'll just tell a story. 

[00:25:20] Matt Abrahams: Sure.

[00:25:20] Russ Altman: And this will betray a lot of bias. I, um, as a young faculty member, I had a set of PowerPoints for my key class, the one that I taught in the major and required of all the graduate students. Uh, and it was doing perfectly well. We had a new faculty member come and I said, I'd love, and he was teaching a class as well. I said, I'd love to see your slides.

[00:25:38] He said, Russ, I don't have any slides. I do it all at the board. And that blew my mind. And I thought, and I said, you know what? I'm going to try that. And this was fifteen years ago and I was already getting pretty good avows, I was a pretty good teacher. And by going, by eschewing all these slides and going to a whiteboard, and this is in an area where people would say, no, no, no, you have to show these pictures, you have to show this.

[00:26:01] And I just said, no. And so I literally draw cartoons. I do whatever it takes, but there is no ever in this class, there is never a projected image. As I said, I'm betraying my bias, but I would love to hear your thoughts about PowerPoints, their appropriate role, and when they're just not the right thing to do.

[00:26:21] Matt Abrahams: So I think any kind of visual that helps reinforce the points that we're making can be helpful if they follow some specific rules. Before I get into those, I will say I love the real time use of a whiteboard or some other tool. There are lots of really cool tools that you can now use that aren't slides that serve to meet or fulfill these four bits of advice I'm going to give.

[00:26:48] I have seen it done very well whiteboarding. I have seen it done incredibly poorly. I have seen people who talk to the whiteboard as they're drawing things, they stand in front of them. People are like, the person's back has turned to me and I can't see what they're doing. 

[00:27:01] Russ Altman: And there's projection issues in terms of the voice and everything.

[00:27:04] Matt Abrahams: Right. And I, and I've seen, I've seen you teach and you're an, uh, a master teacher and I can imagine how you could use that very well. When it comes to using aids in your communication, be that in technological slides or whiteboards, four rules. First, it is for your audience, not for you. Many people create slides as teleprompters for themselves. It is for your audience. That rule number one, it is for your audience. 

[00:27:31] Second, you have to have a structure or a logical narrative arc, not just going from one visual to the next. There has to be a story first, a structure first, and the visuals, whatever those are, support it. Third, if you can use images, even cartoons like you said you did, charts, etcetera, they're much more helpful than words. 

[00:27:53] When I put words up, I don't care if you're writing the words, putting 'em on a slide, I am overtaxing the verbal part of your brain because you're having to read and listen to me at the same time. I'm asking you to multitask. We are not good at multitasking. And then the final thing is less is more.

[00:28:09] The less information you put on the whiteboard, on the slide, the more it helps. So, if you are using some tool, some modality, to help your audience learn and you follow those four rules, that is, it's for your audience, it's in service of a story or a structure, it's visual mostly, not just verbal, and it's not a lot, then I think anything you use will be very helpful to your audience.

[00:28:34] Russ Altman: Fantastic. And it's exactly, as you said, in terms of focus, when I stopped using slides and I was writing things on the board, and as you said, it's less writing and it forced me to decide what's really important so my message got better and this was all kind of for free. And so I've loved it.

[00:28:51] And I am now a huge fan of colored markers. But I must say, I love blackboards still. And I, if it was up to me, there would be no whiteboards. They would still be blackboards because I feel like I can get line variation from chalk that improves the quality of my communication. 

[00:29:07] Matt Abrahams: You are showing your vintage, Russ. I feel the same way. There's a feeling to chalk that, that, you know, those of us who grew up doing that. Uh, no, I don't miss the acetate slides, but I do miss the chalk. 

[00:29:21] Russ Altman: Thanks to Matt Abrahams. That was The Future of Effective Communication. Thanks for tuning into this episode. We have over 250 episodes in the archive, so you can spend many days binge listening to our discussions.

[00:29:34] But you can also just listen to a couple here and there if you're looking for really good conversations that last for about half an hour on a wide variety of topics. If you're enjoying the show, or if it's helped you in any way, please consider rating and reviewing it to share your thoughts. You can connect with me on X or Twitter, @RBAltman, and you can connect with Stanford Engineering @StanfordENG.

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• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Communication Skills

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Interpersonal Skills:

• A - Z List of Interpersonal Skills
• Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment
• What is Communication?

Interpersonal Communication Skills

• Tips for Effective Interpersonal Communication
• Principles of Communication
• Barriers to Effective Communication
• Avoiding Common Communication Mistakes
• Social Skills
• Getting Social Online
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Improving Communication
• Interview Skills
• Telephone Interviews
• Interviewing Skills
• Business Language Skills
• The Ladder of Inference
• Listening Skills
• Top Tips for Effective Listening
• The 10 Principles of Listening
• Effective Listening Skills
• Barriers to Effective Listening
• Types of Listening
• Active Listening
• Mindful Listening
• Empathic Listening
• Listening Misconceptions
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Personal Appearance
• Body Language
• Non-Verbal Communication: Face and Voice

Verbal Communication

• Effective Speaking
• Conversational Skills
• How to Keep a Conversation Flowing
• Conversation Tips for Getting What You Want
• Giving a Speech
• Questioning Skills and Techniques
• Types of Question
• Clarification
• Emotional Intelligence
• Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Team-Working, Groups and Meetings
• Decision-Making and Problem-Solving
• Negotiation and Persuasion Skills

The SkillsYouNeed Guide to Interpersonal Skills

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Being able to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important of all life skills. It is what enables us to pass information to other people, and to understand what is said to us. You only have to watch a baby listening intently to its mother and trying to repeat the sounds that she makes to understand how fundamental is the urge to communicate.

Communication, at its simplest, is the act of transferring information from one place to another. It may be vocally (using voice), written (using printed or digital media such as books, magazines, websites or emails), visually (using logos, maps, charts or graphs) or non-verbally (using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice). In practice, it is often a combination of several of these.

Communication skills may take a lifetime to master—if indeed anyone can ever claim to have mastered them. There are, however, many things that you can do fairly easily to improve your communication skills and ensure that you are able to transmit and receive information effectively.

The Importance of Good Communication Skills

Developing your communication skills can help all aspects of your life, from your professional life to social gatherings and everything in between.

The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly and as intended, is a vital life skill and something that should not be overlooked. It’s never too late to work on your communication skills and by doing so, you may well find that you improve your quality of life.

Communication skills are needed in almost all aspects of life:

Professionally, if you are applying for jobs or looking for a promotion with your current employer, you will almost certainly need to demonstrate good communication skills.

Communication skills are needed to speak appropriately with a wide variety of people whilst maintaining good eye contact, demonstrate a varied vocabulary and tailor your language to your audience, listen effectively, present your ideas appropriately, write clearly and concisely, and work well in a group. Many of these are essential skills that most employers seek.

Verbal communication skills are ranked first among a job candidate’s ‘must have’ skills and qualities. According to a 2018 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

As your career progresses, the importance of communication skills increases; the ability to speak, listen, question and write with clarity and conciseness are essential for most managers and leaders.

In your personal life, good communication skills can improve your personal relationships by helping you to understand others, and to be understood.

It is almost a cliché that personal relationships need communication. Failure to talk has been blamed for the breakdown of any number of partnerships and relationships—but the ability to listen is also an important element. Communication is also vital in wider family relationships, whether you want to discuss arrangements for holidays, or ensure that your teenage children are well and happy.

If this area is of particular interest, you may want to read our pages on Communicating with Teenagers , Talking to Teenagers about Contraception, Pornography and Consent , and Talking to Teenagers about Sex and Relationships . Our pages on Personal and Romantic Relationship Skills also contain a number of pages touching on communication.

Communication skills can also ensure that you are able to manage interactions with businesses and organisations

Over the course of your lifetime, you are likely to have to interact with a wide range of organisations and institutions, including shops, businesses, government offices, and schools. Good communication skills can ease these interactions, and ensure that you are able to get your point across calmly and clearly, and also take on board the responses.

Being able to complain effectively is an important skill, for example, as is handling criticism yourself.

Communication is a two-way process

Communication is not the same as broadcasting, or simply sending out information.

It is a two-way process. In other words, it involves both the sending and receiving of information.

It therefore requires both speaking and listening, but also—and perhaps more crucially—developing a shared understanding of the information being transmitted and received.

• If you are the ‘sender’ of information , this means communicating it clearly to start with (whether in writing or face-to-face), then asking questions to check your listeners’ understanding. You must also then listen to their replies, and if necessary, clarify further.
• If you are the recipient , it means listening carefully to the information, then checking that you have understood by reflecting back, or asking questions to ensure that you both have the same understanding of the situation.

It is, therefore an active process. There is nothing passive about communication, in either direction.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

Our Communication Skills eBooks

Learn more about the key communication skills you need to be an effective communicator.

Our eBooks are ideal for anyone who wants to learn about or develop their communication skills, and are full of easy-to-follow practical information and exercises.

Developing Communication Skills

Good communication skills can improve the way that you operate through life, smoothing your way in your relationships with others.

Poor communication skills, on the other hand, can sour relationships from business to personal, and make your life significantly harder.

Some people seem to understand how to communicate without even trying. They are able to tailor their language, tone and message to their audience, and get their point across quickly and succinctly, in a way that is heard. They are also able to pick up the messages sent to them rapidly, understanding both what is said, and what has not been said.

This may seem effortless, but the chances are that they have spent plenty of time honing their skills.

Along the way, they have probably also developed a good understanding of themselves (called self-awareness ) and habits of reflecting on success and failure, and the actions that have led to one or the other.

A Long-Term Project

Developing excellent communication skills is probably best thought of as a long-term project.

The chances are that you will continue to learn about communication throughout your life. Few, if any, of us would ever say that we had nothing left to learn on the subject.

That is not, however, to say that it is not worth starting the journey.

There are many small, easy things that you can do immediately that will help you to communicate more effectively.

Communication Skills on SkillsYouNeed

Here at SkillsYouNeed, you’ll find lots of pages and articles to help you understand and improve your communication skills.

You’ll find sections on:

Interpersonal skills are the skills we use when engaged in face-to-face communication with one or more other people.

For a good general introduction to the topic of interpersonal communication skills, you may like to read our pages on Interpersonal Communication Skills , What is Communication? and Principles of Communication . They will help you to understand the basics and start to be aware of what you might need to improve.

Our pages on Barriers to Communication and The Ladder of Inference give you some ideas about what may be going wrong in your personal communication processes. Improving Communication provides information about how you might start to address those issues. There may, in particular, be issues relating to Intercultural communication, especially if you work or interact with people from other cultures on a regular basis.

Our more specific pages on interpersonal communication skills are divided broadly into Verbal Communication , Non-Verbal Communication and Listening .

Verbal communication is all about what we say, which is an important way of getting our message across.

Verbal communication can be both written and spoken, but these pages focus mainly on spoken communication.

The words that we choose can make a big difference to whether other people understand us. Consider for example, communicating with a young child, or with someone who does not speak our own language very well. Under those circumstances, you need to use simple language, short sentences, and check understanding regularly. It is quite different from a conversation with an old friend whom you have known for years, and with whom you may not even need to finish your sentences. Equally, a conversation with a friend is very different from a business discussion, and the words that you choose might be considerably more technical when talking to a colleague.

See our pages on Verbal Communication and Effective Speaking .

Reflection and clarification are both common techniques used in verbal communication to ensure that what you have heard and understood is what was intended. Reflection is the process of paraphrasing and restating what the other person has just said, to check that you have understood. Clarification is the process of seeking more information to inform your understanding, for example, by asking questions. You can find out more on our pages on Reflecting and Clarification .

Questioning skills are one very important area of verbal communication, often used in clarification, but also to extract more information, and as a way to maintain a conversation. Find out more in our pages on Questioning Skills and Types of Questions .

Finally, two specific areas where you will need verbal communication skills, and which are worth considering separately are making a speech , and in conversation .

Non-verbal Communication

Using our voice is only the tip of the iceberg.

We actually communicate far more information using Non-verbal Communication . This includes non-verbal signals, gestures, facial expression, body language, tone of voice, and even our appearance. These can serve to either reinforce or undermine the message of our spoken words, so are worth considering carefully.

If you want to say something outrageous, wear a suit.

The late Dr Joe Jaina, Organisational Psychologist at Cranfield School of Management.

You can find more about this on our pages on Body Language, Face and Voice , Personal Presentation and Personal Appearance .

Listening is also a vital interpersonal communication skill.

As we said above, communication is a two-way process. Listening is an essential part of receiving information. When we communicate, we spend 45% of our time listening. Most people take listening for granted, but it is not the same as hearing and should be thought of as a skill.

Our Listening Skills page acts as an introduction to the subject and you may also be interested in the Ten Principles of Listening .

Our page on Active Listening provides a lot more information about how to listen effectively and can also help you to avoid misunderstandings, while Types of Listening explains more about the theory of listening.

We also have pages on Ineffective Listening and Listening Misconceptions . It is always worth thinking about what you should not do, as well as what you should do, when trying to develop your skills. You may find that you recognise some of the bad habits you or other people have picked up when listening.

Using Communication Skills

Interpersonal communication skills are important in a wide range of circumstances and environments: probably, in fact, anywhere where we may meet and interact with other people.

We have a number of pages on how to use communication skills. For example, they are essential for starting to build relationships, both professionally and at home. You may find our page on Building Rapport helpful, and also advice on being interviewed ( Interview Skills ) and interviewing others ( Interviewing Skills ).

Good communication skills can also help you to provide feedback effectively , and in a way that will not cause offence: a vital skill throughout life.

Good interpersonal communication skills enable us to work more effectively in groups and teams, which may be either formal or informal. Our pages on Groups and Teams explain more about working in groups, and the skills required.

Other Communication Skills

Communication skills encompass far more than simple verbal and non-verbal communication, even in a wide range of circumstances. SkillsYouNeed also includes pages on some more specific forms of communication skills, such as:

Presentation Skills

Many of us only use presentation skills infrequently. However, there will probably be times in your life when you need to present information to a group of people, either in a formal or informal setting.

Presentations are far more than simply standing up in front of a screen and talking your way through a set of slides. They also include the ability to get your point across in meetings, both small and large, and even pitching your business idea to a potential investor .

Start your journey on our Presentation Skills main page.

Writing Skills

Communication skills are not limited to direct interaction with other people and the spoken word.

The ability to write clearly and effectively is also key to communication.

This set of skills should not be limited to journalists or professional authors. Poor written communication can be frustrating for the reader and potentially damaging for the author – would you buy a product from a website peppered with spelling mistakes, or full of incomplete or unclear sentences?

Browse our pages on Writing Skills to help you to understand and overcome common mistakes, and improve how you communicate using the written word.

You may also be interested in our pages on Study Skills . Not just for students, these are the skills you need to enable you to learn, communicate your ideas and understand the ideas of others more effectively. They can, in particular, help you to read more critically, and retain more information by making notes: improving the process of receiving written communication.

Personal Skills

Personal Skills are the skills that we use to maintain a healthy body and mind. But they can also enhance communication.

For example, Improving Your Self-Esteem and Building Your Confidence can help you to feel more positive about yourself and your abilities - including your ability to communicate. And feeling positive is the first step to acting more positively, and therefore effectively.

By having a deeper understanding of yourself and a more relaxed and positive outlook on life you are more likely to be charismatic, a trait that can further aid the communication process. Our page What is Charisma? explains this in more detail. Good communication is also linked to assertiveness, or standing up for what you believe. Our section on Assertiveness explains more.

During times of stress, or when we are angry, we may communicate less effectively. Learn more about these emotions and how to control, reduce and manage them in our pages What is Stress? and What is Anger? You may also be interested in Avoiding and Managing Stress and Tips for Dealing with Stress , as well as Anger Management .

We even have pages to help you deal with more difficult situations such as Dealing with Aggression and Communicating in Difficult Situations .

Communication is a complex subject with many areas and skills to consider.

Being able to communicate effectively is also a skill like any other. It too can be learned, given time. Anyone can make a start on improving their communication skills at any time, and the investment of time and effort is likely to pay off rapidly.

Continue to: Avoiding Common Communication Mistakes Parent's Guide to Communicating with Teenagers

See also: Transferable Skills Principles of Communication

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Developing Effective Communication Skills

A practicing oncologist likely uses just about every medium to communicate. They talk on the phone, send e-mail messages, converse one-on-one, participate in meetings, and give verbal and written orders. And they communicate with many audiences—patients and their families, referring physicians, and office staff.

But are you communicating effectively? How do you handle differing or challenging perspectives? Are you hesitant to disagree with others, especially those in authority? Do you find meetings are a waste of time? What impression does your communication style make on the members of your group?

Be an Active Listener

The starting place for effective communication is effective listening. “Active listening is listening with all of one's senses,” says physician communication expert Kenneth H. Cohn, MD, MBA, FACS. “It's listening with one's eyes as well as one's years. Only 8% of communication is related to content—the rest pertains to body language and tone of voice.” A practicing surgeon as well as a consultant, Cohn is the author of Better Communication for Better Care and Collaborate for Success!

Kenneth H. Cohn, MD, MBA, FACS

Cohn suggests creating a setting in which “listening can be accommodating.” For example, don't have a conversation when one person is standing and one person is sitting—make sure your eyes are at the same level. Eliminate physical barriers, such as a desk, between you and the other party. Acknowledge the speaker with your own body language: lean forward slightly and maintain eye contact. Avoid crossing your arms, which conveys a guarded stance and may suggest arrogance, dislike, or disagreement.

When someone is speaking, put a premium on “being present.” Take a deep breath (or drink some water to keep from speaking) and create a mental and emotional connection between you and the speaker. “This is not a time for multitasking, but to devote all the time to that one person,” Cohn advises. “If you are thinking about the next thing you have to do or, worse, the next thing you plan to say, you aren't actively listening.”

Suspending judgment is also part of active listening, according to Cohn. Encourage the speaker to fully express herself or himself—free of interruption, criticism, or direction. Show your interest by inviting the speaker to say more with expressions such as “Can you tell me more about it?” or “I'd like to hear about that.”

Finally, reflect back to the speaker your understanding of what has been said, and invite elaboration and clarification. Responding is an integral part of active listening and is especially important in situations involving conflict.

In active listening, through both words and nonverbal behavior, you convey these messages to the speaker:

• I understand your problem
• I know how you feel about it
• I am interested in what you are saying
• I am not judging you

Communication Is a Process

Effective communication requires paying attention to an entire process, not just the content of the message. When you are the messenger in this process, you should consider potential barriers at several stages that can keep your intended audience from receiving your message.

Be aware of how your own attitudes, emotions, knowledge, and credibility with the receiver might impede or alter whether and how your message is received. Be aware of your own body language when speaking. Consider the attitudes and knowledge of your intended audience as well. Diversity in age, sex, and ethnicity or race adds to the communication challenges, as do different training backgrounds.

Individuals from different cultures may assign very different meanings to facial expressions, use of space, and, especially, gestures. For example, in some Asian cultures women learn that it is disrespectful to look people in the eye and so they tend to have downcast eyes during a conversation. But in the United States, this body language could be misinterpreted as a lack of interest or a lack of attention.

Choose the right medium for the message you want to communicate. E-mail or phone call? Personal visit? Group discussion at a meeting? Notes in the margin or a typed review? Sometimes more than one medium is appropriate, such as when you give the patient written material to reinforce what you have said, or when you follow-up a telephone conversation with an e-mail beginning, “As we discussed.…”

For one-on-one communication, the setting and timing can be critical to communicating effectively. Is a chat in the corridor OK, or should this be a closed-door discussion? In your office or over lunch? Consider the mindset and milieu of the communication receiver. Defer giving complex information on someone's first day back from vacation or if you are aware of situations that may be anxiety-producing for that individual. Similarly, when calling someone on the phone, ask initially if this is a convenient time to talk. Offer to set a specific time to call back later.

Finally, organize content of the message you want to communicate. Make sure the information you are trying to convey is not too complex or lengthy for either the medium you are using or the audience. Use language appropriate for the audience. With patients, avoid medical jargon.

Be Attuned to Body Language—Your Own and Others

Many nonverbal cues such as laughing, gasping, shoulder shrugging, and scowling have meanings that are well understood in our culture. But the meaning of some of these other more subtle behaviors may not be as well known. 1

Hand movements. Our hands are our most expressive body parts, conveying even more than our faces. In a conversation, moving your hand behind your head usually reflects negative thoughts, feelings, and moods. It may be a sign of uncertainty, conflict, disagreement, frustration, anger, or dislike. Leaning back and clasping both hands behind the neck is often a sign of dominance.

Blank face. Though theoretically expressionless, a blank face sends a strong do not disturb message and is a subtle sign to others to keep a distance. Moreover, many faces have naturally down turned lips and creases of frown lines, making an otherwise blank face appear angry or disapproving.

Smiling. Although a smile may show happiness, it is subject to conscious control. In the United States and other societies, for example, we are taught to smile whether or not we actually feel happy, such as in giving a courteous greeting.

Tilting the head back. Lifting the chin and looking down the nose are used throughout the world as nonverbal signs of superiority, arrogance, and disdain.

Parting the lips. Suddenly parting one's lips signals mild surprise, uncertainty, or unvoiced disagreement.

Lip compression. Pressing the lips together into a thin line may signal the onset of anger, dislike, grief, sadness, or uncertainty.

Build a Team Culture

In oncology, as in most medical practices, much of the work is done by teams. Communication within a team calls for clarifying goals, structuring responsibilities, and giving and receiving credible feedback.

“Physicians in general are at a disadvantage because we haven't been trained in team communication,” says Cohn. He points out that when he was in business school, as much as 30% to 50% of a grade came from team projects. “But how much of my grade in medical school was from team projects? Zero.”

The lack of systematic education about how teams work is the biggest hurdle for physicians in building a team culture, according to Cohn. “We've learned team behaviors from our clinical mentors, who also had no formal team training. The styles we learn most in residency training are ‘command and control’ and the ‘pace setting approach,’ in which the leader doesn't specify what the expectations are, but just expects people to follow his or her example.”

Cohn says that both of those styles limit team cohesion. “Recognizing one's lack of training is the first step [in overcoming the hurdle], then understanding that one can learn these skills. Listening, showing sincere empathy, and being willing to experiment with new leadership styles, such as coaching and developing a shared vision for the future are key.”

Stated goals and team values. An effective team is one in which everyone works toward a common goal. This goal should be clearly articulated. In patient care, of course, the goal is the best patient outcomes. But a team approach is also highly effective in reaching other goals in a physician practice, such as decreasing patient waiting times, recruiting patients for a clinical trial, or developing a community education program. Every member of the team must be committed to the team's goal and objectives.

Effective teams have explicit and appropriate norms, such as when meetings will be held and keeping information confidential. Keep in mind that it takes time for teams to mature and develop a climate of trust and mutual respect. Groups do not progress from forming to performing without going through a storming phase in which team members negotiate assumptions and expectations for behavior. 2

Clear individual expectations. All the team members must be clear about what is expected of them individually and accept their responsibility for achieving the goal. They should also understand the roles of others. Some expectations may relate to their regular job duties; others may be one-time assignments specific to the team goal. Leadership of the team may rotate on the basis of expertise.

Members must have resources available to accomplish their tasks, including time, education and equipment needed to reach the goal. Openly discuss what is required to get the job done and find solutions together as a team.

Empowerment. Everyone on the team should be empowered to work toward the goal in his or her own job, in addition to contributing ideas for the team as a whole. Physicians' instinct and training have geared them to solve problems and give orders—so they often try to have all the answers. But in an effective team, each team member feels ownership in the outcome and has a sense of shared accountability. Cohn notes, “You get a tremendous amount of energy and buy-in when you ask ‘What do you think?’”

Team members must trust each other with important tasks. This requires accepting others for who they are, being creative, and taking prudent risks. Invite team members to indicate areas in which they would like to take initiative. Empower them by giving them the freedom to exercise their own discretion.

Feedback. Providing feedback on performance is a basic tenet of motivation. For some goals, daily or weekly results are wanted, while for others, such as a report of the number of medical records converted to a new system or the average patient waiting times, a monthly report might be appropriate. Decide together as a team what outcomes should be reported and how often.

Positive reinforcement. Team members should encourage one another. Take the lead and set an example by encouraging others when they are down and praising them when they do well. Thank individuals for their contributions, both one on one and with the team as a whole. Celebrate milestones as a way to sustain team communication and cohesion.

Effective E-mail

E-mail has numerous features that make it a wonderful tool for communicating with a team: it is immediate; it is automatically time-stamped; and filing and organizing are easy. (E-mail with patients is a more complex topic and is not addressed herein.)

The e-mail subject line is an especially useful feature that is typically underused. Make it your best friend. Use it like a newspaper headline, to draw the reader in and convey your main point or alert the reader to a deadline. In the examples given below, the person receiving an e-mail headed “HCC” is likely to scroll past it—planning to read it on the weekend. The more helpful subject line alerts the reader to be prepared to discuss the topic at an upcoming meeting:

•      Vague Subject Line: HCC
•      More Helpful Subject Line: HCC Plan to discuss the SHARP trial this Friday—Your comments due December 5 on attached new policies

As with all written communication, the most important aspect to consider is the audience. Consider the knowledge and biases of the person/people you are e-mailing. Where will the reader be when he or she receives your message? How important is your message to the reader?

The purpose of writing is to engage the reader. You want the reader to do something, to know something, or to feel something. Write it in a way that helps the reader. Put the most important information—the purpose of the email—in the first paragraph.

Except among friends who know you well, stay away from sarcasm in e-mail messages. The receiver does not have the benefit of your tone of voice and body language to help interpret your communication. When delivering comments that are even slightly critical, it's better to communicate in person or in a phone call than to do so in an e-mail. Something you wrote with good intentions and an open mind or even with humor can be interpreted as nitpicky, negative, and destructive, and can be forwarded to others.

Because we use e-mail for its speed, it's easy to get in the habit of dashing off a message and hitting the “send” button. We count on the automatic spell-check (and you should have it turned on as your default option) to catch your errors. But spelling typos are the least of the problems in communicating effectively.

Take the time to read through your message. Is it clear? Is it organized? Is it concise? See if there is anything that could be misinterpreted or raises unanswered questions. The very speed with which we dash off e-mail messages makes e-mail the place in which we are most likely to communicate poorly.

Finally, don't forget to supply appropriate contact information, including phone numbers or alternative e-mail addresses, for responses or questions.

Conflict is inevitable in times of rapid change. Effective communication helps one avoid conflict and minimize its adverse consequences when it does occur. The next issue of Strategies for Career Success will cover conflict management.

What Not to Do When Listening:

• Allow distractions
• Use clichéd phrases such as “I know exactly how you feel,” “It's not that bad,” or “You'll feel better tomorrow”
• Get pulled into responding emotionally
• Change the subject or move in a new direction
• Rehearse in your head what you plan to say next
• Give advice

Make Meetings Work for Your Team

A good meeting is one in which team goals are introduced or reinforced and solutions are generated. The first rule—meet in person only if it's the best format to accomplish what you want. You don't need a meeting just to report information. Here are tips for facilitating an effective meeting:

Don't meet just because it's scheduled. If there are no issues to discuss, don't hold the meeting just because it's Tuesday and that's when you always meet.

Use an agenda. Circulate a timed agenda beforehand and append useful background information. Participants should know what to expect. If it's a short meeting or quickly called, put the agenda on a flipchart or board before people arrive.

Structure input. Promote the team culture by making different individuals responsible for specific agenda items. Follow-up on previous task assignments as the first agenda item to hold group members accountable for the team's success.

Limit the meeting time. Use the timed agenda to stay on track. If the discussion goes off on a tangent, bring the group back to the objective of the topic at hand. If it becomes clear that a topic needs more time, delineate the issues and the involved parties and schedule a separate meeting.

Facilitate discussion. Be sure everyone's ideas are heard and that no one dominates the discussion. If two people seem to talk only to each other and not to the group as a whole, invite others to comment. If only two individuals need to pursue a topic, suggest that they continue to work on that topic outside the meeting.

Set ground rules up front. Keep meetings constructive, not a gripe session. Do not issue reprimands, and make it clear that the meeting is to be positive and intended for updates, analysis, problem solving, and decision making. Create an environment in which disagreement and offering alternative perspectives are acceptable. When individuals do offer opposing opinions, facilitate open discussion that focuses on issues and not personalities.

Circulate a meeting summary before the next meeting. Formal minutes are appropriate for some meetings. But in the very least, a brief summary of actions should be prepared. Include decisions reached and assignments made, with deadlines for follow-up at the next meeting.

Kenneth H. Cohn: Better Communication for Better Care: Mastering Physician-Administrator Collaboration. Chicago, IL, Health Administration Press, 2005, www.ache.org/pubs/redesign/productcatalog.cfm?pc=WWW1-2038

Kenneth H. Cohn: Collaborate for Success! Breakthrough Strategies for Engaging Physicians, Nurses, and Hospital Executives. Chicago, IL, Health Administration Press, 2006, www.ache.org/hap.cfm

Suzette Haden Elgin: Genderspeak: Men, Women, and the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley, 1993

Jon R. Katzenbach, Douglas K. Smith: The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High Performance Organization. New York, NY, Harper Business, 1994

Sharon Lippincott: Meetings: Do's, Don'ts, and Donuts. Pittsburgh, PA, Lighthouse Point Press, 1994

Kenneth W. Thomas: Intrinsic Motivation at Work: Building Energy and Commitment. San Francisco, CA, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2000

More Strategies for Career Success!

Deciding About Practice Options—J Oncol Pract 2:187-190, 2006

The Interview: Make it Work for You—J Oncol Pract 2:252-254, 2006

Employment Contracts: What to Look for—J Oncol Pract 2:308-311, 2006

Principles and Tactics of Negotiation—J Oncol Pract 3:102-105, 2007

Professional Advisors: They're Worth It—J Oncol Pract 3:162-166, 2007

Building and Maintaining a Referral Base—J Oncol Pract 3:227-230, 2007

Malpractice Insurance: What You Need to Know—J Oncol Pract 3:274-277, 2007

Joining a Practice As a Shareholder—J Oncol Pract 3:41-44, 2007.

How Does Communication Help in Improving Your Personality?

Communication is an essential skill that everyone needs to develop and master to get ahead in life. Sometimes we assume that other people know how we feel or interpret our non-verbal cues, but this isn’t always the case.

Taking the time to communicate your feelings and your thoughts can save you from unnecessary conflict and help you build stronger relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. Here are seven reasons why communication is important.

Why Communication is Important

Helps build and maintain relationships.

Communication is an important part of the human experience. It helps us build and maintain relationships with others. We can share our thoughts, ideas, and feelings to better understand how we relate to each other.

It's also important because it allows people who may not be able to hear or speak, a chance to feel like they are a part of society.

We are also able to develop new skills by communicating with others and understanding what they say in return. Effective communication is something that can help us grow as individuals, help us make decisions more quickly, and allow us to explore our creativity more fully.

Aids in Problem-Solving

Communication is important in a business for several reasons. One reason is that it aids in problem-solving. When there are problems, the best way to solve them can be to communicate with people and let them know what the problem is and what the possible solutions could be.

This way, everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinions on how they feel should be done and if they have any ideas or thoughts. It also helps when employees are on break or late coming into work because they can then let someone know what has happened so that others can take over their responsibilities while they get back on track or get started with their day.

Increases Understanding

Communication is important because it helps us understand each other. It provides a way for us to express our thoughts and feelings, and to be sure that the person listening understands what we are saying. For example, when we try to get someone's attention in a crowded room, we might say excuse me or hey.

This tells the person that they should listen to us now because we have something important to say. Similarly, if someone asks us for help and we don't answer, then they may not feel comfortable asking again.

Finally, if one of our friends needs something from us but it takes too long for them to get in touch with us, then they may become angry or frustrated with what feels like a lack of concern from their end.

Prevents Misunderstandings

How to  improve my personality and communication skills ? Communication is key in any relationship. This includes friendships, romantic relationships, and business partnerships. Without communication, misunderstandings can happen. When there are misunderstandings, people may feel hurt or misunderstood and may not be able to move past them.

People will also tend to lose respect for one another when there are misunderstandings because they will think that the other person does not care enough about them to communicate properly.

If you communicate properly with your partner, friend, or business partner, it will help them trust you more because they know that you care enough about them to take the time to talk things through when issues arise. There's nothing worse than having a misunderstanding that can't be resolved so make sure to have an open dialogue with anyone who means something to you.

Creates Clarity

Communication skills in personality development might be one of the most important factors in your relationships, but it's often overlooked. There are many ways you can   improve your communication skills and make your relationships better. Here are some tips to help you:

• Be more expressive in what you say - use more words to explain yourself and show how you feel. 
• Listen actively - don't interrupt or advise unless it's asked for and take the time to hear what they're saying before responding. 
• Ask questions - get their perspective on things by asking them about their thoughts and feelings on an issue, rather than assuming you know what they're feeling. 
• Practice active listening - repeat back to them what they said so that they know you heard what they were saying.

Encourages openness

When communication breaks down, there are a variety of ways that it can affect your business. For example, if you have a team and someone isn't providing input or feedback to the project, then the progress will be slowed.

If you're on a customer service line and no one answers the phone, then people will be unhappy with your service. The list goes on and on.

It's the key to a successful relationship

Communication skills in personality development are vital to any relationship but are especially important in a marriage. You're going to have disagreements and arguments, which can be frustrating and hurtful, but if you don't communicate those feelings then your partner will never know how you feel.

And when it comes to something as important as your marriage, it's best not to keep things bottled up. Not only does communicating your feelings make for an emotionally healthier marriage, but it also makes for a more fulfilling one.

So, take the time to talk about your worries and concerns with your spouse, and let them know what they mean to you.

Communication skills in personality development are the most important skill that you need to have to interact with your colleagues and friends, from conversation starters to goodbyes, communication plays a very important role in our daily lives and also helps in improving our personality as well. Communication helps us to develop relationships with people and also play an important role in shaping our personality, so today we are going to discuss 10 ways how does communication help in improving your personality? Let’s take a look!

1) Helps You Connect With Others

When you communicate with others, you can get your thoughts and feelings out in the open. This will allow you to have a better understanding of yourself and those around you. As you do this, you will likely see things in a different light and find new ways of looking at them.

Communication skills in personality development also help you build relationships with people and learn more about who they are. People need to be able to form connections with others so that they can learn more about themselves. With all of these benefits, it is easy to see why communication is so important for improving your personality.

2) Develops Your Listening Skills

Listening is an important skill that can help you in your personal and professional life. When you are listening to someone, it is a sign that you care about them and want to know what they have to say. If you are not listening, it can make the speaker feel undervalued or unimportant. It also means that they might not be able to communicate effectively with you if they can't get your attention.

Listening is more than just hearing the words that are said; it means paying attention to what's being communicated through body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions too. This helps people feel heard and understood on a deeper level which can lead to a greater rapport between two people.

3) Helps You Understand Yourself Better

Communication and personality development is a two-way streets. When you share your thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, they are allowed to understand you better. It also allows you to gain more insight into yourself by observing how others react to your words.

You may be tempted to think that people who don't react positively are wrong or that they just don't get you, but the truth is that there's always something good in what other people say because they see something in you that you might not see in yourself.

One of the best things about  communication and personality development is being able to hear new perspectives on an issue from someone else.

4) Makes You More Confident

Communication and personality development is one of the most important aspects of any relationship. It can make you more confident, as well as understanding, and compassionate.

When you listen to other people and share your thoughts and ideas, it's a way of showing them that you care about what they have to say. This will make them feel valued and respected which in turn will boost their self-esteem.

Not only will this improve the quality of their life, but it will also help them see things from a different perspective.

If they're angry or frustrated with something, having someone who understands them might just be enough to show that person another side of the story. And not just because someone is giving advice, but because the act of communication shows an interest in what the person has to say.

A good example of  communication and personality development would be when someone tells you about how something makes them feel and then ask for feedback on whether or not it made sense (whether or not it was accurate). If you validate their feelings by saying yes and agreeing with them, then this creates a feeling of trust between both parties.

5) Helps You Handle Criticism Better

When people criticize you, it's natural to get defensive. But there are many ways to respond to criticism that can help you become a better person:

• Listen and think before responding. If the criticism is valid, thank the other person for their input. 
• Ask questions if you want more detail on what they're saying or why they see it that way. 
• Remember that nobody has all the answers and we all have different perspectives on things. 
• Admit when you're wrong and apologize if necessary. 
• Look at your mistakes with a sense of humor - it'll make them easier to deal with in the future! 
• Learn from your mistakes and find ways to avoid them in the future by reflecting on what happened.

6) Makes You A Better Leader

A person's communication skills help them become a better leader. For example, if you are in a leadership position and need to share information, you should always start by sharing what you know and focusing on the facts.

You want to be able to go into detail about the situation that is happening but make sure not to share too much information so that others are not overwhelmed with data they do not need to know.

When communicating with your team members, it is important that everyone feels heard and valued. It may take some time for people to get used to this new way of communication, but once they do it will pay off in the long run. People will feel more comfortable coming up to you when there is an issue because they know that their voice matters.

7) Makes You More Creative

There are many ways that communication can help you to improve your personality. One of the benefits is that it can make you more creative. This is because communication helps to develop your imagination and creativity skills. It also opens up new opportunities for you to learn about different cultures and things that you may never have heard of before.

This will expand the way that you see the world, which in turn makes it easier for you to use your creativity in a new way, as well as be more imaginative and creative in general. Another way that communicating with other people has helped me with my personality is by boosting my self-confidence. Because when I communicate with people I am opening myself up to them and telling them things about myself or getting them to open themselves up to me so I feel like we connect on some level.

That way when I talk to people, they are not just strangers anymore; they are friends to me who know something about me and vice versa.

8) Helps You Handle Conflict Better

Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. It has two functions. One is to share thoughts, feelings, and emotions with others to make them understand what you are feeling or thinking about.

The other function is to convey messages and instructions for actions. Communication can be verbal or non-verbal. Verbal communication includes speaking, listening, and writing whereas non-verbal communication includes gestures, facial expressions, and body language.

Communication and personality development helps in improving your personality because it helps you handle conflicts better in society. You can communicate with other people without any fear or anxiety which will help you feel good about yourself as well.

9) Teaches You Empathy

Communication is a key to success in many aspects of life. It can make or break relationships, and it can change the dynamics at work. But there's another benefit of communication that you may not have considered: improving your personality.

Many different elements contribute to our personalities, but communication is a large part of how we express ourselves. Whether you're sharing your thoughts on something or expressing your opinion, it affects how other people see us and judge us. The way we communicate conveys information about our attitudes and personality traits, so it shapes how others see us as well as what they think of us.

If you want to improve your personality in any way, start by paying attention to how you communicate with others and what you say when you talk.

10) Encourages Lifelong Learning

Communication is often seen as one of the most important skills in life and it's not hard to see why. Learning how to communicate effectively means learning how to listen, debate and talk with people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. It means being able to express your thoughts and feelings clearly so that you can be understood by others.

How to  improve my personality and communication skills ? By learning how to communicate, we also learn how to make ourselves vulnerable without fear of judgment or rejection. We learn that communication is a two-way street where both parties have the opportunity for expression.

But what does this have anything to do with improving your personality? Surprisingly, communication can help you improve your personality because it helps you understand yourself more deeply and lets you know what you need for you to feel better about yourself.

We deliver a cutting-edge curriculum based on field research and scientific methodologies that focus on providing participants with practical solutions that they can apply immediately in their careers or personal lives. Our programs are designed to empower people to overcome their fears around talking in front of others, expressing their ideas clearly, dealing with difficult people or conversations skillfully, resolving conflict productively, being more persuasive when needed, etc.

We believe we have something valuable to offer everyone; whether you're just starting in your career or looking for a fresh perspective on how you approach communication at work then we've got something for you! If you want to improve your ability to talk to other people then we can help! If you want more confidence when giving presentations then let us teach you how! We've got what it takes to make your next event or conference a success; contact us today!

Interpersonal communication plays an essential role in enhancing your personality because it helps you build your reputation. Communication skills help you achieve success at work and in your personal life, which ultimately improves the quality of your life. If you communicate effectively with others, they trust and respect you more, and they may ask you to take on additional projects that lead to further opportunities for growth and development.

Our School of Meaningful Experiences (SoME) has created and delivered communication programs to meet the demands of the modern-day workplace. Effective communication is an essential skill for today's modern professionals and leaders. With it, you can confidently manage conflict, collaborate with others and successfully develop yourself.

Why is personality development important in communication?

Personality development is important for communication because it helps you understand how you are perceived by others. It can also help you set boundaries and expectations so that people know what to expect from you. The more knowledge about your personality, the easier it is to communicate with others.

What is the importance of personality development?

Personality development is important because it helps you understand yourself better. The goal of personality development is to help create a more well-rounded, self-aware person. It's also a way to improve your communication skills and manage your emotions more effectively.

What is the main goal of personal development?

Personal development is a process that allows us to improve our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The goal of personal development is to become the best possible version of ourselves. Through self-reflection and changing habits, we can learn more about who we are and what we want in life. This process helps us achieve both emotional growths as well as intellectual growth.

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Essay on Importance of Communication for Students and Children

500+ words essay on importance of communication:.

Communication is one of the important tools that aid us to connect with people. Either you are a student or a working professional, good communication is something that will connect you far ahead. Proper communication can help you to solve a number of issues and resolve problems. This is the reason that one must know how to communicate well. The skills of communication essential to be developed so that you are able to interact with people. And able to share your thoughts and reach out to them. All this needs the correct guidance and self-analysis as well.

Meaning of Communication

The word communication is basically a process of interaction with the people and their environment . Through such type of interactions, two or more individuals influence the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes of each other.

Such interactions happen through the exchange of information through words, gestures, signs, symbols, and expressions. In organizations, communication is an endless process of giving and receiving information and to build social relationships.

Importance of Communication

Communication is not merely essential but the need of the hour. It allows you to get the trust of the people and at the same time carry better opportunities before you. Some important points are as follows –

Help to Build Relationships 

No matter either you are studying or working, communication can aid you to build a relationship with the people. If you are studying you communicate with classmates and teachers to build a relationship with them. Likewise in offices and organizations too, you make relationships with the staff, your boss and other people around.

Improve the Working Environment 

There are a number of issues which can be handled through the right and effective communication. Even planning needs communication both written as well as verbal. Hence it is essential to be good in them so as to fill in the communication gap.

Foster strong team

Communication helps to build a strong team environment in the office and other places. Any work which requires to be done in a team. It is only possible if the head communicates everything well and in the right direction.

Find the right solutions

Through communication, anyone can find solutions to even serious problems. When we talk, we get ideas from people that aid us to solve the issues. This is where communication comes into play. Powerful communication is the strength of any organization and can help it in many ways.

Earns more respect

If your communication skills are admirable, people will love and give you respect. If there is any problem, you will be the first person to be contacted. Thus it will increase your importance. Hence you can say that communications skills can make a big change to your reputation in society.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Don’t Go Overboard With Your Point

The conversation is about to express your thoughts. And to let the other person know what you feel. It is not mean to prove that your point is correct and the other person is wrong. Don’t Overboard other With Your Point.

Watch Your Words

Before you say something to Watch Your Words. At times, out of anger or anxiousness, we say somethings that we must not say. Whenever you are in a professional meeting or in some formal place, where there is a necessity of communicating about your product or work then it is advised to practice the same beforehand

Communication is the greatest importance. It is important to sharing out one’s thoughts and feelings to live a fuller and happier life. The more we communicate the less we suffer and the better we feel about everything around. However, it is all the more necessary to learn the art of effective communication to put across ones point well.

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Communication skills are all around us, from the day we are born until the rest of our lives. How many times have you seen communication skills required for a job in the classifieds and wonder what it actually means. A communication skill is some type of skill used in communication, From talking, body language to even listening. Many things can effect the way one can convey his or her communication skills to others. All of these skills are very personnel to one another. Everyone has different ways of expressing some kind of communication skill within them. One communication skill is speaking, by far one of the most important skill we posses. To be a good speaker one must be able to convey ideas clearly and briefly. One must also have a clear and pleasant tone to his or her voice. This makes the person you are talking to more attentive, thus, more interested. The speaker must also be aware of his environment and the people he is speaking to. Environment plays a lot with what you say and try to convey to people. If you hear a bird chirping, you might incorporate it to what you where just about to say. This makes the person you’re talking to even more comfortable with what you are trying to convey with your thoughts and ideas. This is how different things can effect one’s communication skill, speaking. A second communication skill is body language, a very personal way of expressing yourself without words. One’s body language can carry a whole conversation without even saying a word. Sign language is an excellent example of this, one can spend there whole life communicating only with there body. Still one can be able to understand exactly how a person is trying to express themselves. Speaking and body language goes hand to hand, without gestures when talking one cannot truly explain certain things to someone. Also there is no visual effect for the person listening. When there is sound as well as some kind of visual movement one is more interested in what someone is trying to say. Through body language one can tell if a person is sad or happy, glad or mad. Body language conveys a lot of expression to are inner feelings and thoughts. Body language can show many things about you and the way you think. It can also show the way a person reacts to what you try to convey to them. If the listener isn’t responding one must try and change the topic without losing the listeners focus. One can only know this threw the listener’s body language. Body language is essential to a good way of showing and conveying ones’ ideas. A third and final major communication skill is listening, one of the most useful communication skills. A good listener is someone who can concentrate and not loose focus on a subject. When someone listens to someone sometimes they might start daydreaming or think of something else and loose focus on a speaker’s subject. Listening is what connects people together. One “cannot speak if no one is listening,” without a listener there would be no need for a speaker. Listening is a skill that takes a long time to develop and to really understand how to listen. One can hear but are they really listening to what is said?. One way to make a listener’s job easier is to have a speaker who is clear and brief. This way the listener won’t drift away and the speaker has stated his or her point. This way the listener has understood what has been said and can make his or her own interpretations. An active listener is a listener who is involved with what the speaker is trying to say. He or She for example may nod, lean forward or make eye contact and Also may take notes. This shows that the speaker has done his job successfully and the listener is responding and being active to what has been said. A listener can be biased and not even listen this does not effect the speaker cause he or she maybe responding to others. These effects show how important listening is to everyone and what an important communication skill it really is. Communication skills will be around us forever and will continue to thrive and develop as time goes by. These effects on communication skills showed that one can interpret different things through one’s communication skills. As one improves their communication skills it shows us how to talk, listen and communicate better with one another. As the world progresses we will see more people taking more time to develop this skill to there fullest. One will understand to control the effect’s communication skills causes and how to handle them.

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Five steps for effective communication

Communication can be a challenge for leaders at any level, but it doesn’t have to be. Follow this simple five-step process for clear messaging success.

Communication is an essential skill for leaders. It’s a key ingredient to building trust, fostering teamwork and clarifying direction. 

Unfortunately, many leaders don’t do it well. Why not? Part of the challenge is that managers communicate so often (and so informally) they forget to focus on the needs of the audience and employ the basic principles that foster overall effectiveness in leadership communication. 

The good news is with a little effort and a smidgen of structure, leaders can significantly ‘punch up’ their messaging in ways that will improve overall receptivity and understanding. To do that, follow these five simple (and sequential) steps:

Step 1: Clarify

The first, and arguably most important, element of effective communication is clarifying why you’re sending the message you're planning in the first place. 

Are you trying to persuade a group of employees to work the weekend? Convince senior leaders to adopt your plan? Explain the reasoning behind a major policy change?

The specific reason isn’t as important as just having one (although a good one is advisable). Without a clear purpose, developing an effective message will be difficult.

Step 2: Consider

After you’ve taken the time to clarify the reason for your message, you’ll want to understand what your audience’s state of mind is as well as what their needs are. 

This step is often overlooked by message-givers to their detriment. Without a firm grasp on the audience’s wants and needs, you risk communicating something that either doesn’t resonate or worse, is interpreted unfavorably — neither outcome will advance your purpose, in fact, they could undermine it. 

Be sure to take steps to understand what’s going on inside the minds of your audience before you craft your message.

Step 3: Create

With both purpose and audience understood, you’ll want to move to message creation.

Regardless of whether your message is given verbally or in writing, be sure to hit on three key elements that have formed the basis of effective communication since antiquity: 

• Ethos: Your character and credibility as the message-giver
• Pathos: Your empathy for your audience (see step 2)
• Logos: The logic or fact-based aspect of your argument. 

Think of these three elements as legs of a stool — with them, your message will be sturdy; without them, you’ll topple over.

Step 4: Choose

Before you reach for the keyboard, ask yourself if the channel you’ve chosen to send your message will be the most effective.

Chances are there’s a more efficacious channel (or channels) through which to send your message. Some mediums, like email or blog posts, are easy to create and can reach a wide range of recipients, but don’t provide much context. These are known as lean channels. Others, like face-to-face meetings or phone calls, reach fewer people but do so with greater impact. These are referred to as rich channels. Effective communication often requires a mix of both. Regardless of which ones you choose, do so with the forethought of maximizing your impact.

Step 5: Convey

Unsurprisingly, the final step (and remember, it took a while to get here!) is conveying the meaning behind your message. With the preceding four steps done well, the likelihood of generating a favorable outcome increases significantly. Just be sure to avoid making the last step — Convey — be the first one in your communication process. Otherwise, it may be back to the drawing board, and as highlighted at the start, to Step 1.

Communication can be a challenge for leaders at any level, but it doesn’t have to be. The five steps discussed provide an easy to follow recipe for clear messaging success. Keep them in mind (and in front of you) when you’re getting ready to send your most important missives. Your audience will be glad you did.

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Importance of Communication Skills Essay

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Job skills required that are not related to content knowledge

Top ten skill required by employers, ways to determine if a group or individual exhibits good communication skills, evidence of good or poor communication in each video, works cited.

There is a great number of different jobs which are presented in the list. However, it should be said that all these jobs have something in common. The thing is that they are oriented on communication with people (“Job Listings” 1) That is why good communication skills are vital for all specialists who are going to work in the given sphere (“Communication Skills” para. 3). However, some required skills do not belong to the sphere of communication. The thing is that any job supposes some certain kind of activity and a person should have special skills which can help him/her to perform this activity. There is a list of skills which are demanded from specialists

• ability to read and create graphs;
• customer service skills;
• engineering skills;
• CAD skills related to solid modeling;
• Read and interpret electrical schematics;
• troubleshooting capability.

As it becomes obvious from the list, there are rather specified skills which people could obtain with the help of special programs or courses.

• Ability to work in a team structure.
• Ability to make decisions and solve problems (tie).
• Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization.
• Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work.
• Ability to obtain and process information.
• Ability to analyze quantitative data.
• Technical knowledge related to the job.
• Proficiency with computer software programs.
• Ability to create and/or edit written reports.
• Ability to sell and influence others (Adams para. 1).

It is obvious, that the process of job hunting is very important and it is rather difficult for a young specialist to find a good job (“Top 10 Employability Skills” para. 5). There is a great number of different sites on the Internet which suggest a certain list of skills which officials of a company require from candidates. From the given list it becomes obvious that communication skills and the ability to work with the members of the team are the most important skills which employers demand from their workers. That is why it is possible to say that this kind of skill should be developed as it will help a young specialist. With this in mind, it is also possible to say that content knowledge will also help a person to obtain a good job.

It is also possible to determine whether a person has good or poor communication skills. First of all, attention should be given to the appearance of a speaker. If a person is relaxed and does not show any signs of anxiety it means that he/she is a good speaker. Moreover, attention should also be given to listeners. If they are interested and try to follow a person and his/her words it means that communication skills are rather developed. Finally, the speech of a person is also important. It should be informative, clear, and fluent. A good speaker knows what to say to his/her listeners and how to make them interested.

Misunderstanding between the interlocutors can be taken as the first and the most important evidence of poor communication. Moreover, the main characters of both videos are tensed (POGIL Project, “Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills Video #8”). They do not understand the message of their partner and there are signs of misunderstanding between them, especially in video #3. (POGIL Project, “Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills Video #3”). Resting on these facts, it is possible to conclude that the main heroes of the video are not great speakers.

Adams, Susan. “ The 10 Skills Employers Most Want In 2015 Graduates “. Forbes . 2014. Web.

Communication Skills . n.d.. Web.

Job Listings . n.d..

POGIL Project. “ Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills Video #8 ” Online video clip. YouTube . 2012. Web.

—. “ Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills Video #3 ” Online video clip. YouTube . 2012. Web.

Top 10 Employability Skills . n.d.. Web.

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The Power of Confident and Impactful Communication

Scholars must convey complex concepts in ways that make an impression, write Diane A. Safer and Susanna Baddiel, who offer a toolkit for doing so successfully.

By  Diane A. Safer and Susanna Baddiel

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As a graduate student or postdoc, you’ve spent years doing research, navigating the intricacies of data and perfecting your skill. But all this hard work has no value if you don’t share your findings.

In today’s busy world, new ideas and discoveries change the future, so communication isn’t just a tool—it’s crucial for progress. As a researcher, you need to convey complex concepts with clear and engaging communication to make an impression that can lead to collaborations, spark curiosity, drive innovation and make an impact. Becoming a confident communicator is vital for success.

The purpose of this article is to empower you with the knowledge needed to build a robust toolkit for confident communication. With this toolkit of insights and strategies, you can enhance your ability to express yourself effectively, connect authentically with others and navigate communication challenges with confidence and competence.

Three Key Components

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary , communication is defined as “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior.” Albert Mehrabian, a psychologist specializing in verbal and nonverbal communication, emphasized the multifaceted nature of communication and how it involves more than just words. Rather, it has three key components .

• Content, or what you say. These are the words used, facts and data presented, and stories told.
• Voice, or how you say it. This is your tone as you speak, and the sound, resonance, range/modulation, pace and variety of your voice. It even includes how you use silence.
• Body language, or what we see. This involves eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, movement, physicality and effort.

A confident communicator must consider all of these aspects. While content is important, the rest of communication is about making a personal connection between your message and your audience.

So, what do you do if you just don’t feel confident at all? Here’s a secret: You can look confident, even when you aren’t feeling that way.

Building a Confident Communicator

First, remember that as the speaker and presenter, you are in charge —of both yourself and your message. That means as the speaker and presenter, you are fully responsible for both your conduct and the delivery of your message. You must continually manage your presence and keep refining your communication to keep your message clear and on track, adapting as necessary to handle any unexpected situations or unforeseen complications.

Equally important is to be steadfastly aware of your audience. Your listeners are there to understand and engage with what you have to say, and as the leader in this interaction, it’s vital to consider their needs and expectations. To truly connect, you must prioritize their perspective and think about how best to serve them with your communication. By focusing on not only the delivery and effectiveness of your message but also its reception by your audience, you can create a more impactful and confident exchange.

We have several strategies and ideas that will empower you to feel and become a confident communicator. Equipped with these tools, in time, you can elevate your communication skills and adeptly navigate any communication situation with self-assurance and expertise. Similar to a well-equipped workroom, you must make sure you have a well-stocked toolbox with all the tools you need for effective communication. This is your starting point where everything begins.

Hammer away with practice. Just as a hammer is essential for building things, consistent practice and effort are foundational tools for nailing down confident communication skills. Practice is key.

Practice a lot. Practice can increase your confidence. TED talk speakers report hours of practice for those 20 minutes of live presentation. One TED talk speaker, Jill Bolte-Taylor, reportedly practiced approximately 200 times for her talk , and it was a huge success, with more than 23 million views.

Practice under pressure. Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth University and a former psychology professor at the University of Chicago, explored in her book Choke why some people succeed and others choke in intense and high-pressure situations. The difference was practice. Not just any old practice but practicing under pressure. “ Even practicing under mild levels of stress can prevent you from choking when high levels of stress come around ,” she wrote.

Practice in multiple ways and avenues. Find different ways to rehearse your presentation. Practice—aloud, with and without your slides, while videotaping yourself for review, and in a variety of settings and places—quiet, loud, big and small. Practice in front of different audiences and solicit feedback.

Level up your nonverbal communication. A level tool helps ensure that things are balanced and aligned. Hone your nonverbal communication to help you give a level-headed presentation that engages your audience.

Maintain your stance. How you stand tells your audience something about your power and confidence. Are you swaying, walking backwards, resting on one hip or pacing without purpose? Consider that stillness, when you stand, is like a pause when you speak. It allows your audience to process what you say without any distractions.

Use hand gestures. What do you do with your hands when you speak? You talk with them. In social situations, you gesture naturally without thinking about it. Yet, when you speak in front of an audience, you may suddenly become unsure of what to do with your hands. Leaving your arms and hands hanging or gesturing from below distracts the audience, pulling their attention away from your face and your words, forcing them to constantly shift their focus. This makes you seem disconnected from your message.

Instead, practice lifting your hands and arms up so that your gestures happen at waist level, even if it feels awkward at first. Keep practicing like this and you will soon be using your gestures authentically. This is one way to use your body language to convey confidence, even if you aren’t feeling it deep inside.

Wrench the delivery of the message. Like a wrench tightening a bolt, fine-tune the delivery of the message. How you deliver your message can affect the audience’s interest and engagement.

Personally engage each person. Think about the specificity of your eye contact. Are you scanning over the crowd, or are you truly looking at specific individuals in the audience? Use eye contact to engage directly with people to help them feel more connected. Even if the lighting is bright and you can’t see anyone, imagine you can and keep on making your connection specific.

Remember to breathe. In informal situations, your voice has breadth and variety that match what you say and make you sound believable. However, when you stand up and speak in front of an audience, the variety often disappears, and you forget to breathe. To keep the sound of your natural speaking voice, practice aloud while you are doing different everyday tasks, or imagine you are talking to a friend over a cup of coffee. Observe your pitch, pace, intonation, where you pause, what you emphasize and how you breathe. Vocal variety helps keep your audience curious and engaged.

Tell a story. Notice the descriptive words you use and how you might tell a story to illustrate a point. Audiences love stories, and when you use persuasive language, metaphors or interesting descriptive words that light up the senses, you draw your audience in and keep them interested and absorbed.

Power drill through with effort and energy. A power drill applies force from the energy of its motor to do the job. You can apply energy and attitude to enhance your message. Your energy level should align with your message to convey authenticity and credibility.

Make an effort. Have you ever found yourself tuning out during a presentation? It is probably due to the way the speaker is using their energy. When a speaker does not put physical and vocal effort into their delivery, the audience will begin to disengage. Putting the right level of energy into your voice and body language has a significant impact on your audience. Try this exercise:

• Practice your talk aloud.
• Now, do an energizing activity: run, jump, or anything that gets your heart rate up.
• Then immediately practice your talk aloud again.

Notice how your increased energy level lifts your delivery, making it more interesting. Videotape yourself or even better practice this exercise in front of a test audience and get honest feedback.

Finally, one more thing to keep in mind is that nerves are actually good. People often relay that they just wish they weren’t so nervous. But experts have found that, although nervousness and anxiety are uncomfortable, the right amount of anxiety can lead to “optimal task performance” or improved performance, according to the Yerkes-Dodson law . So instead of thinking about how to take away that nervousness, use that mental arousal. You may not feel confident right away, but always keep in mind that confidence is about faking it until you make it.

Becoming a confident communicator takes time and effort. By consistently practicing, internalizing your information and using available tools to project confidence even when unsure, you’ll develop the ability to confidently convey your message and be perceived as a skilled communicator. So, tighten up your communication game until every word fits snugly like a bolt in its perfect thread!

Diane A. Safer is the director of career and professional development for biomedical sciences graduate students and postdocs and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Susanna Baddiel is a professional actor, director and voice-over artist with 16 years of experience teaching public speaking, personal impact, presentation skills, leadership development and executive coaching.

Both are members of the Graduate Career Consortium, an organization providing an international voice for graduate-level career and professional development leaders.

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How AI Can Make Us Better Leaders

• Rasmus Hougaard
• Jacqueline Carter

AI can both make leaders more productive and help them become more aware of how they make people feel.

Humans are good at inventing tools, but not as good at adapting to the change these tools can cause. While there has been much focus on the technical impacts and potential dark side of AI, the authors’ research has shown that AI can enhance and empower leadership, actually helping make leaders more human. To do this, we need to invest just as much in the development of our human potential as we do in harnessing the power of AI. This means focusing on the core leadership qualities of awareness, wisdom, and compassion, as well as taking on a both/and mindset. The “AI-augmented leader” can leverage both the power of AI and develop their most human qualities, bringing the best of both human and machine to their leadership practice.

Humans have always been better at inventing tools that change the way we live and work than adapting to the big changes these tools cause. Consider for a moment how the internet has given us instant access to gigabytes of data and yet has made us more distracted. Or how social media has enabled us to be more connected than ever, and yet can also alienate or isolate us.

• Rasmus Hougaard is the founder and CEO of Potential Project , a global leadership development and research firm serving Accenture, Cisco, KPMG, Citi, and hundreds of other organizations. He is the coauthor, with Jacqueline Carter, of Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way and The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results .
• Jacqueline Carter is a senior partner and the North American Director of Potential Project. She has extensive experience working with senior leaders to enable them to achieve better performance while enhancing a more caring culture. She is the coauthor, with Rasmus Hougaard, of Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way and The Mind of the Leader – How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results .

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