Effective Communication Tips
Posted on October 05, 2010 by Guy Farmer, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
There are some basic things that can help us communicate in the workplace and avoid ongoing conflict and misunderstandings.
Communication is a key skill both for leaders and other employees because it makes everything go more smoothly, from planning to execution. Think of the following ideas when you communicate with your employees and co-workers.
- Keep your audience in mind. Don’t talk above people or use a lot of obscure jargon.
- Body language is important. Since 90% or more of communication is non-verbal make sure that your tone of voice is calm and kind. Be mindful of how you look and whether your expressions make you an inviting conversation partner.
- You don’t have to shout. Really. Anger and shouting should best be left for a talk with your therapist. People react more favorable if you talk to them nicely.
- Listen more than you talk. Try asking open-ended questions and listening to the answers to gather information.
- You don’t have to run the show. Let other people talk and tell you what’s going on.
- Aim for two-way communication. This is the kind of communication based on a natural give and take where people listen and talk.
- Slow it down. You don’t have to race through everything or cover every single point in thirty seconds. Relax and talk about one thing at a time.
- Share information. People feel important and valued when they talk with you and have the same information you do.
Try these ideas and see what they do for the communication in your workplace. You might be surprised what some basic changes can do for your bottom line and the atmosphere in your workplace.
Take care,
Guy
