Effective communication skills are critical to achieving a well-balanced work environment. Many employers spend substantial resources training employees on communication skills, because learning the basics of effective communication can help business in small but impactful ways.
Effective communication starts with a clear message.
The communication model is simple, there is a sender and a receiver: the sender formulates ideas and a message to be sent to the receiver to interpret hoping they understood the message clearly. But not every sender is a great communicator, so here are some tips to build strong professional relationships and achieve effective communication in the workplace:
Focus on the Message
The message is an important part of creating effective communication, it must be concise and to the point so that there is no confusion. The message is based on the senders ideas, so before you communicate make sure your ideas are solid and planned out.
Evaluate different beliefs, values and personalities of both parties since senders and receivers may have different reactions to the same information. The consideration of differences can also help with global communication expanding your business across cultural differences.
Choose the Right Medium
If you deliver the message through speech in face-to-face conversation, email, telephone call, or written letter, choosing the right medium can affect the impact of the message or information. Face-to-face communication is ideal for important messages because non-verbal communication can be used to convey the importance or seriousness of the message through body language.
Body language further engages others with eye contact, tone of voice, or hand gestures communicating the meaning behind the words. If the message is through email, letter, instant message or telephone call it can be perceived as formal or informal based on the words chosen.
Listen to Feedback
Feedback is any response to the message from one or more people. Effectively listening to feedback from the receiver is just as important as the sender’s message in communication since it can eliminate confusion or unnecessary arguments. Listening to others in a small environment shows respect, consideration and value for each person involved. As the leader of a small business, you can use the feedback to evaluate the employees or your own communication skills.
It’s important to note that mistakes are a part of growing and becoming a strong communicator. Learning along the way to change and shift perspectives is key for any situation in business and in life.