5 TIPS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR
As Simon Sinek correctly pointed out, “leaders communicate and great communicators lead”, communication skill is indeed one of the key qualities one should possess.
The ability to communicate effectively is a key skill, and the better we are at it, the better our quality of life will be. Communication is only effective when the audience or the listener understands the message without any misunderstanding or misinterpretation. It is essential to master communication skills as they help to conquer almost every field starting from a child’s speech in a school to a person’s effective transmission of ideas in his or her career environment. On a broader view, it seems to be a Herculean and competitive task as every individual wants to be way more meaningful in presenting their thoughts, ideologies, and emotions.
What does effective communication entail? How does it help?
Effective communication is more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information as well as being able to convey a message. One should be a good listener so that the other person feels heard and understood, and the process of communication takes place smoothly without misinterpretation.
For many of us, communicating more clearly and effectively requires learning some important skills. Communicating effectively or being meaningful during a conversation prevents misunderstanding and other conflicts. So, it is crucial to analyze your thoughts before presenting them in your network whether it's your family, study circle, or your professional work environment.
Therefore, it becomes important to develop good communication skills. And even if you possess these skills, you might want to master it completely. For this, you need to know the potential barriers to your communication and how you can say goodbye to them forever.
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
I. Lack of attention:
This is when you dodge the person speaking for the simple reason that you don’t want to listen or you lack interest in the topic.
II. Use of Technical Jargon:
It is when people use the technical language related to their profession and while conveying their thoughts. Avoid using acronyms or words related to a technical field.
III. Presenting Unwanted advice:
It is not a good idea to be preachy all the time. We must understand the audience’s need and mood to be able to communicate effectively. Hence, unwanted advice should be avoided if the audience does not want to be told what to do.
IV. Judging the people speaking around you:
When someone presents their point of view on a subject, it is quite easy to judge them for what they are saying. However, a good listener respects perspectives and understands the role of contexts. Hence, practice a non-judgmental outlook towards people. They would know, and respect it.
HOW CAN YOU BE AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR?
1. Speaking and Listening are two sides of the same coin:
It is important to first listen and then reciprocate for effective communication to take place. An extra effort is required to put across your point, as well as to hear the other person out. This helps in understanding where the other person is coming from, and in coming up with a suitable response.
2. Non-Verbal communication:
When we talk about things that matter to us (or even that do not), we send a lot of non-verbal messages. These become wordless communication, body position, facial expressions, hand movements, gestures, eye contact, attitude and tone of your voice. Pay close attention to non-verbal cues.
3. Think before you speak:
If you need to enhance your communication skills then you are required to ponder upon your thoughts which you’re going to express. If the conversation is an important one, it is a good idea to make a draft of your thoughts. In case of set content, you could even try rehearsing with someone you trust to avoid some potential mistakes in the conversation.
4. Put forward your queries and questions:
When you’re in a conversation whether it is formal or otherwise, putting forward your queries shows your mental presence. Asking questions can be advantageous as you can get to know different perspectives of an individual about the conversation taking place and as mentioned earlier it also shows that you’re an enthusiastic listener.
5. Feedback and summary:
To ensure that you have correctly understood what was communicated, you could summarize whatever was discussed. This shows active listening and alertness. Moreover, feedback is a must-do activity. Providing and receiving feedback can help in improving upcoming conversations and give a better idea of the communication styles.
