According to author Catherine Pulsifer, “Communication is one of the most important skills you require for a successful life”. Particularly, in your professional life, communication plays a crucial role.
The way you communicate says a lot about you as a working professional. However good you are at your work, if you cannot communicate effectively, you may not create a great impression.
Whether you are appearing for your job interview, attending meetings at work, conducting a presentation or writing an email to a client, good communication is vital. This is precisely why many organisations invest in professional communication trainings for their employees.
Professional communication can be oral, written, digital, or visual forms of information delivery in a workplace. It also involves various forms of speaking, writing, and responding within and beyond the workplace environment.
Oral communication
Communication with spoken words. For example, presentations, staff meetings, business meetings, and interviews are all instances where oral communication is used.
Written communication
Any written message exchanged between two or more people. Reports, proposals, emails, letters, and memos are examples of written communication in a professional setting. Written communication is generally considered more formal than other types of communication.
Visual communication
This can be incorporated when conducting an office presentation, making company social media posts, or presenting at a conference.
Technology-based communication
In the 21st century, technology adoption has been on the rise, including forms of communication. Some instances where technology is used in making professional communication include conference calls, phone interviews, and video calls.
With advance in technology and the concept of remote working becoming immensely popular these says, the way of communicating has also undergone many changes. It has now become all the more important to be good communicators as sometimes you may be interacting with someone from totally different geographical location or time zone. Poor communication in the business world could lead to lot of chaos, misinterpretations and loss.
It is important to understand and master how you communicate in the workplace. Especially if you are a manager or a team leader it is all the more important you communicate appropriately to your subordinates and work on the areas where they may need help in improving or enhancing their communication skills.
Some of the effective communication skills include:
Active listening – During communication, you should pay attention and seek clarity on ambiguities.
Confidence – While interacting with other people, it is essential to be self-confident. Proper eye contact and a relaxed body posture is what you need to have here.
Nonverbal cues – This involves different types of body language: voice tone, eye contact, and hand gestures while communicating with other people. A friendly tone and relaxed body posture make one look approachable.
Succinctness – This involves conveying a message in a few words and concise manner. It is advisable to avoid using words that may confuse the audience, and to keep peoples’ attention.
Self-awareness – It is one of the most important skills in professional communication. It involves having an understanding of one’s own personality and behaviour. Self-awareness helps a person understand how people perceive them and anticipate the needs of others, and hence helps a person manage their responses during a conversation.
Here are a few reasons why having good professional communication skills can be important to you, in the workplace:
• It can ensure you pick the right communication method for your audience
• It is seen as a desirable skill by employers
• It can help avoid misunderstandings
• It will help you work effectively in a group
• It can inspire others
No one is born with great communication skills. It is something we learn and master over the years. With poor communication skills, your audience may feel disconnected. However, if you have good communication skills, you have the opportunity to engage and inspire those around you. Yes, good communication can be your ticket to success, if you pay attention and learn to do it effectively.