Finger Tips: Watch your tongue

Professionals need to pay more attention to that elusive art of communication

IMAGINE HAVING to sit through a one-hour speech, which is anything but interesting. With boredom reigning supreme, you wish the speaker had better communication skills.

This is often the case when soft skills are relegated to the background or totally ignored. Paying more attention to improving and sharpening your communication skills can pay high dividends, and the sooner one realises it, the better it is!

Studies show that persons possessing good communication skills have a higher chance of being successful. It is also noticed that people with powerful communication skills have an easier climb up the corporate ladder.

This does not necessarily mean good grammar and spelling but the correct use of the spoken word- the right word at the right time is what it is all about.

Communicating effectively is a good way to get noticed, but if you do it badly you will be noticed even more, and for the wrong reasons!

Influence for the better

Good communication skills are indispensable. Employers prefer hiring effective communicators to manage teams. Communication is used to leverage the potential of subordinates, engage in persuasive conversation and negotiation.

Effective communication skills are often a result of good language skills. To improve communication skills, try this.

Find a Mentor

If you feel you cannot effectively express yourself you have a problem. Find a person who is good with language and communication, and ask him/her for an honest assessment of your communication skills. Asking them to help improve your communication skills by giving you inputs on where you need to improve is a good option. Make sure you use the language in regular conversation, and while interacting with peers. It would be invaluable if you can enlist the support of someone who could possibly correct and assist you when you go wrong.

To be seen and heard

To communicate effectively you require to be assertive. You need forethought, so formulate your ideas clearly.

Be sincere. Stress matters that need to be taken seriously. If you think that something can be misunderstood or misconstrued, make sure you word it differently each time you repeat it. Ask for a definitive response from the listening party and confirmation of what you said to him. To reaffirm your point, write it down and send it to the person concerned.

Back to basics

Reading is essential for improving communication skills as it gives you the exposure to the right usage of words and phrases. Apart from helping you increase your vocabulary it refines your speech and improves your command over the language, usage, spelling and fluency.

Attuning

Listening is as important as conveying what's on your mind. Try and give the person who is at the other end enough room to express his ideas before you jump to conclusions. You can use your silence as a tool to get more information than you would be able to elicit if you were to demand an inquiry. Put yourself in the listener's shoes and treat him like you would want to be treated.

Make sure you maintain eye contact with the person you are addressing so that you do not lose out on his body language.

Make amends

Knowing your shortcomings is not enough, you have to make amends to better your speech. There may be some skills you may like to emulate. Identify those skills and focus on them.

Concentrating on improving your communication skills will yield rewards in due time, it cannot be an overnight transformation. Clear, crisp and direct speech, will ensure professional success in more ways that can be imagined!

ARCHANA JAYAKAR

archana.hyd@careercommunity.co.in