Technique to improve communication skills

Ranjan K Baruah *

We have published about the importance of effective communication. Effective communication is one of the most important life skills we can learn which would help us in our daily life as well as in our career growth. Effective communication is more than mere writing or speaking.

Some people are good in it while others may practice to improve it. It's no secret that good leaders are also good communicators. And the best leaders have learned that effective communication is as much about authenticity as the words they speak and write. There are ways how we can enhance our communication skill. Here are some of the ways to enhance our communication skills.

o Be a listener: We must be good at listening to make effective communication. if we fail to listen properly then we may not communicate effectively.

o Show Empathy: Communication is a two-way avenue. When two or more individuals are involved then we must respect each other. If you practice taking the opposing viewpoint, you can reduce the difficulty and anxiety that sometimes arises when trying to truly communicate with others. Developing empathy helps us to better understand even the unspoken parts of our communication with others.

o Brief but Specific: There's actually a BRIEF acronym—Background, Reason, Information, End, Follow-up—to help you keep your emails/mails/ conversation short without leaving anything out. It's a good policy for both written and verbal communication.

o Put Away the Distractions: It's pretty rude to use our mobile phone while someone's talking to us. It is always good to avoid distractions for effective communication which may not be very realistic but we must try it.

o Ask questions to be clear: When we are communication with many people , sometime we may not understand what the other person is saying. In this situation we need to ask question to understand the conversation so that we can reply properly.

o Have a Script for Small Talk: Small talk is an art that not many people have mastered. For the inevitable, awkward silences with people you hardly know, it helps to have a plan. We can have a script and make the talk small which shall lead to effective communication in certain situations.

o Get Rid of Unnecessary Conversation Fillers: Um's and ah's do little to improve your speech or everyday conversations. We must avoid the fillers to make our communication effective. This is possible through proper practice.

o Body Language: A positive body language is important for the effective communication. Sometimes a person's body language will tell what s/he wants to express or communicate.

Our behavior is your single greatest mode of communication, and it must be congruent with what we say. If our actions don't align with your words, there's trouble. And it can turn into big trouble if not corrected swiftly and genuinely. Leaders distill complex thoughts and strategies into simple, memorable terms that colleagues and others can grasp and act upon.

Good leaders know how to ask good questions, and then listen with both their eyes and ears. It's easy to be so focused on getting your message out — or persuading others — that you don't tune in to what you see and hear. Because you're in a position of authority, the stakes are even higher because you won't always get direct feedback. You need to read between the lines. Listen and hear what is coming back at you. Look for the nonverbal cues.

Updates:

o The Dept of Social Work, University of Delhi announces admission to M.A. in Social Work for the academic session 2015-2016. Last date for receipt of completed applications: 30th Apr 2015

o AIT: Army Institute of Technology, Pune invites application to admission for the year 2015-2016 for the BE Courses commencing in July/August. AIT admission is based on the merit of JEE. All applicants are therefore required to appear in JEE and also apply to AIT. Last date for submission of completed AIT Application Form 25 Apr 2015