6 Tips How to Improve Communication Skills in the Workplace

Suppose the Workplace of the 21st century looks less like it did before COVID19 spread as if to the globe. Zoom meetings, conference calls, and the prolonged time behind the screen create a higher level to expect in meeting etiquette and communication. Effective workplace communication has been debated for decades though hardly discussed or implemented due to lack of awareness attributed to all parties. Strong communication skills involve more than speaking well or choosing the appropriate words – it starts with intentional listening and being present.

What are communication skills, and why is it so important in the Workplace?

Communication skills can be described as a person’s ability to express themselves using both verbal communication and non-verbal cues.

Practical communication skills are essential in the Workplace because they can make a big difference in your productivity, how you feel about yourself at work, and how others see you as an employee or boss. What does effective communication look like?

Effective communication includes listening, communicating clearly and concisely, showing that you are paying attention to what the person is saying with your body language, and using appropriate communications tools. Effective communication also requires giving feedback when asked for it respectfully.

How do you solve poor communication in the Workplace?

Organizations that lack effective communication are more likely to struggle with staff retention, employee satisfaction, and productivity.

Internal communication professionals are responsible for understanding and engaging their audience and matching their style to the leadership goals of the company. However, this can prove difficult due to limited resources, work style differences, and varied leadership styles.

Below you can see a small list of reasons for poor communication in the Workplace:

• Misunderstanding or lack of awareness about communication skills and how it affects people in the Workplace
• Overly formal, rigid work environments with strict hierarchies prevent the free flow of ideas.
• Lack of communication through feedback and one on one meetings
• Too many distractions in the Workplace, such as interruptions, constant notifications from technology.
• Lack of trust between people in the Workplace

Good communication skills are essential for a productive and efficient workplace.

Improving your communications skills can be done with some intentional efforts, such as asking questions to understand other’s points of view better or take an active listening approach during presentations.

Here you can check out how to how to improve internal communication in company

What is the easiest way to improve your communication skills?

Strong communication skills are essential for any business. Good communication skills can help you to achieve your goals and make your work easier. Some ways can improve communication skills, such as reading books or articles about communication. You also need to practice a lot to become better at it! 

Below we will present some of the top communication skills, tips that might come in handy for your career!

Listen to What People Are Saying

Studies show that non-verbal communication such as body language affects how others perceive what you are saying and how well they absorb your message.

According to one study, 55% of the information a person perceives comes from assessing someone’s non-verbal. Therefore, one way to dramatically improve both party’s understanding is active listening skills to make sure you are not interrupting them or adding to their message.

Another study has found a significant correlation between assertiveness and perception of being listened to, meaning people felt more heard after simply practicing active listening skills.

How To Improve Listening Skills For Effective Workplace Communication

Be Present When Talking

The speaker needs to be engaged in what they’re saying while also understanding how others are responding.

It’s also essential for the listener to be engaged in listening and not distracted by other things like their phone or computer screen.

When you’re communicating with someone, make sure they feel that you’re fully present. Put your focus on them instead of what else is going on around you!

Learn more about How to Communicate Effectively over the Phone >>

Learn to Speak in Public to a Group

Even if you do not have a regular presentation in front of a group, good public speaking skills will help advance your career and create opportunities.

Presenting is a skill that any professional should possess. Without these skills, it cannot be easy to uphold your end of the bargain and make your organization an attractive employer.

The more you practice your public speaking skills, the better it will become.

Practice Speaking in Small Groups or Presenting to Individuals

This is a lot like presenting, but this time you are practising with other people before moving on up and making presentations at larger meetings. The point of these exercises is that when someone does present to a group, they should have a good level of comfort and feel prepared.

Get Feedback on Your Presentation Skills

You will never know how you are doing unless someone tells you! So find someone to give feedback before, during, or after your presentation practice sessions so that you can make adjustments accordingly.

The speaker needs to be engaged in what they’re saying while also understanding how others are responding.

It’s also crucial for the listener to be engaged in listening and not distracted by other things like their phone or computer screen.

When you’re communicating with someone, make sure they feel that you’re fully present. Put your focus on them instead of what else is going on around you!

If you want to bite more about this topic here are the basics of presentation skills

Control the volume and clarity

Clear, audible speech is essential when it comes to communicating with others. However, many things can contribute to difficulty hearing – changing your voice volume often enough to make meaning straightforward while also considering different settings allows for effective communication.

Language alone isn’t enough to communicate a message; vocalists are essential. A person’s tone when speaking is sometimes more influential than what they say in shaping the impressions people form about them. Furthermore, dialogue offers insight into how that person should be interpreted.

Give Positive Feedback

Strong communicators should be able to accept critical feedback and provide constructive input. Feedback should answer questions, offer solutions, or help strengthen the project at hand. Providing and obtaining feedback is a vital workplace skill for you and those around you who are looking for meaningful improvement to their work or professional development.

To learn how to provide feedback, take notes from others on the constructive feedback they have given you. Next, reflect and analyze what made this criticism excellent or helpful to your work, then think about how these insights may be applied in future contexts.

Write Better Emails and Improve Your Written Communication

According to Forbes, email is the most popular tool for communication in the Workplace. Workers spend more than 6 hours sending and receiving an average of 123 emails per day. Not only does it take up much time, but poorly written or ineffective messages leave a wrong impression on readers.

Wilkinson warned against sending an email without proofreading it. “People are always in a hurry sometimes and forget to check what they write,” Wilkinson said. He also noted that spell-checking programs don’t catch all mistakes and advised making sure everything is spelled correctly before beginning typing out an email.

Wilkinson advised against using too many exclamation points and emoticons. Wilkinson said that these symbols could be misunderstood or come off as sarcastic when they’re not intended to be. He used the example of an email with a subject line reading “AGREED!” followed by two big red smiley faces in brackets.

This is a great idea, but Wilkinson says the receiver may think they’re being laughed at rather than agreed with.

Wilkinson also noted that using too many emoticons or symbols can make your email look like spam and be overlooked by readers just looking for something to click on.

Wilkinson advised against using acronyms in emails that the recipient won’t understand. Wilkinson said that if you send an email with many acronyms, your message might be misunderstood and go unanswered.

He also advised against using abbreviations or slang words informal communication for better understanding and professionalism. “People should think about how they want to be perceived professionally,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson advised against sending an email without proofreading it. “People are always in a hurry sometimes and forget to check what they write,” Wilkinson said. He also noted that spell-checking programs don’t catch all mistakes and advised making sure everything is spelled correctly before beginning typing out an email.

Nonverbal communication

Excellent communication skills are one of the most vital tools for success in today’s world. A great deal of communication happens through nonverbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, and eye contact. Here at X company, we realize this, so we put much effort into it with managers coaching employees on using these practices and employees practicing these non-verbal skills in their everyday work.

Making eye contact

When communicating, if you use eye contact, it can make the other person feel more at ease. However, it’s also essential to maintain an appropriate level of eye contact that isn’t too intense or not enough either. For example, it is crucial to engage with your audience when proposing a stage and maintain eye contact.

Facial expressions

Often facial expressions and body language can show how a person is feeling even though they are not talking or engaged in any conversation at that moment. For example, if someone’s face looks sad, it may be because something has upset them – before you ask if everything’s ok, take note of their facial expressions and body language.

Silences

Silence can be a powerful communication tool, but it has to be used sparingly not to become uncomfortable or awkward. If you’re giving feedback on someone’s performance, for example, then an appropriate length of silence will allow the person receiving that feedback time to process what you’ve said.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a manager, intern, or just looking for ways to improve your communication skills at work, we hope these tips will help you communicate more effectively with others. In addition, if you have any other suggestions on how people can better communicate in the Workplace, please share them below!