Every member of the human species is born with the capability to communicate — but that doesn’t mean every person is an excellent communicator. Communication can be a difficult skill to master, especially as modes of communication continue to expand and diversify. Even so, excellent communication is critical to professional success in many industries, so communication mistakes can be devastating to one’s career regardless of one’s current role or ambitions.
Fortunately, it is possible to practice and improve one’s ability to communicate. Here are a few strategies for boosting communication skills throughout one’s life and career.
Recognize the Foundation of Communication
Communication involves speaking and writing, but it also involves listening and reading. One’s efforts to absorb others’ attempts to communicate are arguably more important to the act of communication than sharing one’s own beliefs and thoughts. By listening at least as much as speaking, a communicator gains more information about the subject at hand and their communication partners, which allows them to alter their own language to become more effective. Communication fails when all parties fail to listen, so honed listening skills are critical to communication success.
Active listening involves more than hearing what another person is saying; it means engaging with the content of their communication, so all involved in the communication are fully understood. A few strategies for improving one’s active listening skill include:
Paying attention. Active listeners should take in every word and other non-verbal information, such as body language.
Withholding judgment. Criticism interferes with a communicator’s ability to absorb new information. It is important to maintain an open mind for as long as possible.
Clarifying. Active listeners have the opportunity to ask for clarification on points they might not fully understand, reducing misunderstandings and improving communication.
Reflecting. It is wise to pause briefly throughout communication to reflect on the information shared and develop thoughts and opinions before contributing.
Take a Targeted Communication Course
Every skill can be honed with formal training, but general communications courses aren’t ideal for most high-level professionals, who tend to have specific communication needs. Instead, professionals should search for targeted training in communication that relates to their field. For example, healthcare providers might strive to earn a health communication certificate online, which allows them to gain competence communicating complex health information with colleagues in healthcare, patients, the general public and the media. Targeted courses like this one are more likely to provide strategies that can be applied over the course of a professional’s career, thereby improving their ability to communicate within their professional realm.
Use Opportunities to Practice Communicating
Practice is the best way to improve any skill, including communication. Fortunately, most people have ample opportunities to practice their communication skills. Every interaction with another person is a chance to flex one’s ability to communicate, inside and outside professional environments. Professionals can also volunteer for more challenging communication experiences, like networking and public speaking events.
It might be useful to ask for feedback on one’s communication from trusted sources, like loved ones, close colleagues and loyal clients. By utilizing active listening — which includes withholding judgment — professionals can gain insight into how their communication skill is perceived by those around them and obtain practical tips for improving communication with different groups moving forward.
Pay Attention to Non-verbal Communication
Human communication is distinct for its use of words, but words aren’t the only way people convey information. Almost all communication is multilayered, with other elements affecting what spoken or written words mean. It is vital that professionals understand how to read and respond to these non-verbal components of communication, and they should be able to control their own non-verbal communication for maximum effect. Some examples of crucial non-verbal communication cues include:
Facial Expression.
People can communicate without uttering a single word through the expression on their face. Communicators should pay attention to subtle changes of expression, especially around the eyes and mouth.
Paralinguistics.
Tone, volume, pitch and inflection are elements of spoken communication that communicate meaning alongside words. Often, paralinguistics communicates a person’s emotional state and opinions better than the words they use.
Body Language.
Body language is one of the most well-known types of non-verbal communication, perhaps because it is amongst the easiest for a person to control. Communicators can pay attention to their posture, their gestures, their proximity to others and other elements of the body’s physical state.
Communication comes naturally, but it doesn’t always come easily. By recognizing the most important elements of communication and practicing them in focused and intentional ways, professionals can become expert communicators and advance their careers.
