Without a doubt, communication has a significant impact on our professional life. It is the central thread through which we build relationships of trust with others, achieve professional goals, and helps us manage our time appropriately.
If you are a manager or executive, mastering this skill is essential for yourself and, above all, for managing any work team. However, not everyone possesses this skill.
If you feel that you are already good at communicating or simply want to improve, here are 3 tips to enhance this skill.
Define which communication method to use.
A busy manager or executive might find it more feasible to send a WhatsApp message to an employee, but it's vital to consider that it may not be the most efficient option. If what you need to convey requires more words, sending an email might be appropriate. If you believe your message could be misunderstood, then making a phone call might be better. And without a doubt, especially in situations like layoffs, it's best to do it face to face.
Which communication style suits each situation best?
A good communicator should understand how their clients and employees communicate. Do they use emails, graphics, WhatsApp, an internal app? Without a doubt, we must realize that different workers have different preferences. What works well for one person, receiving communication through graphics, might not work for another who prefers receiving instructions over the phone. Changing the communication style not only saves time but also increases employee satisfaction and effectiveness.
The advice I would give you is to think: What is your message, and who are you sending it to? Will it be easy to understand for the recipient? Will they understand the method I'm going to use? Adjust the method and style accordingly.
Lastly, consider your body language. It's not just what you say but how you say it that can give you away. You might be sending contradictory messages to workers, clients. For instance, if you're speaking to one of your employees and instead of looking them in the eyes, your gaze goes to the ground, they might feel that you lack confidence in them. Similarly, if you stand in front of a client with your arms crossed, they might sense that you're not expressing confidence in them.
What other tips would you give to improve communication skills?
