Good communication skills in the office can be a game changer for employees. We use communication skills in every aspect of life, but rules are a little different for workplace communication.
If you want to improve your communication skills at the workplace, this article is for you. Here are 11 ways to improve workplace communication.
To make it easy for you, we have divided the article into three parts:
But before we dive into that, let us understand the significance of good workplace communication skills.
Why should you improve communication skills at the workplace?
Communication forms the foundation of every relationship we establish- both personal and professional. But there are many reasons why it is a good idea. Improving communication at the workplace can help you with:
- Rapport building with colleagues, managers, and team
- Networking and connection building
- Accentuating your professional image
- Articulating ideas and contributing well
- Career growth
Intrigued? Then, let's jump right into the tips for improving workplace communication!
How to improve communication skills in the workplace?
While different forms of communication require specific efforts, some basics stay the same. Here are a few things to keep in mind for effective workplace communication.
1. Keep it brief and concise
The average attention span of a person today is about 8 seconds, which is shorter than that of a goldfish.
This constantly decreasing attention span has made it crucial for speakers to grab the attention of their listeners from the moment they start talking, making brevity the key.
So, as you communicate in your workplace, practice brevity and conciseness to convey your message with clarity and make an impact.
Avoid rambling, speaking more than required, or being out of turn.
2. Identify the tone of communication
The tone you use while communicating with someone should vary with the kind of relationship you share with them.
You can maintain a casual, informal communication style with your peers and friends at work, but using the same tone with your seniors can backfire.
Similarly, writing a formal email to your work friends for every conversation can seem strange. One of the most crucial aspects of effective communication is modifying the conversation to suit the listener.
So, identify the tone you want to take up in every conversation based on who you are speaking with and the topic of discussion.
Note: You can take tips on drafting a formal email from our article how to write a formal email
3. Maintain a diary to write down crucial information
Remember what we told you about attention span? It is true for you too!
Losing track of crucial talking points from a meeting or a conversation is common and can happen to anyone. But it can also have repercussions if you miss out on vital information.
To avoid this situation, make a habit of writing things down. The best way to do this is to maintain a diary or notebook, mentioning the date, the subject of the meeting, and key takeaways.
Alternatively, you can always use notes on your phone. This practice will help you stay organized, and make it easier for you to perform effectively at your workplace.
Additionally, it can be a great reference point for future meetings since you will not have to struggle to remember everything.
4. Politeness > Aggression
Building bridges is always better than burning them, and being polite helps you with just that!
Being polite can help you communicate better since people will be more receptive, and speaking in a calm tone gives you time to articulate better.
You can still be firm, but politeness will help you further your cause. On the contrary, being aggressive will only make things more difficult and will leave a negative impression on the listener.
5. Speak with confidence
While speaking, our body language and attitude play a major role in how people perceive us.
Being fidgety and unsure when speaking can leave a bad impression and make them trust you less. To avoid this, make sure you speak confidently.
Now, we know it takes time to build confidence, but here are some things you can do to appear confident, even when you do not feel it:
- Speak slowly and at an even pace
- Enunciate well
- Do not mumble, speak under your breath, or speak a lot without any modulation.
- Take a minute to collect your thoughts before you speak
- Maintain a composed and calm pose
How to improve written office communication?
Now, that we have had an overview of improving overall communication in the workplace, here are some tips to improve written communication at the workplace:
6. Make an impact with key points
Lengthy sentences and never-ending paragraphs are a big no in written communication formats like emails, zoom/team messages, etc. Sending walls of content can make the readers disinterested instantly.
To make written communication effective, draft content directly and concisely. Some ways to do this are:
- Avoid sending walls of content. Break lengthy paragraphs into small ones.
- Use bullet points for crucial information
- Highlight crucial information using formatting tools like bold, italicize, and underlining
- When writing long emails, and messages, re-iterate the key points at the end
7. Tailor your message
In this age where mass forwards are the norm, sending messages personalized for the recipient will help you stand out and build a positive rapport.
Changing messages and communication based on your recipients and audiences establish clarity in thought and leaves no room for confusion.
So, tweak your message based on whom you are addressing it to and make sure they see your personalization efforts. Include what pertains to them and present it in the best way possible.
8. Proofread three times
When writing a formal email, it is best to triple-check. The best way to proofread it is to check it three times to work on different aspects each time.
In the first check, look for typos, jargon, spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, grammatical errors, etc.
On your second reading, run your content through grammar check tools like Grammarly, Ginger Online, and GrammarCheck, to rectify any grammatical or punctuation errors.
Finally, on your third reading, check that your message is clear, brief, and direct. Make sure that it conveys your message and that the recent edits do not change the context.
How to improve verbal office communication?
Verbal communication is the best to build rapport in a workplace. Be it a water cooler discussion, meetings, or casual catchups, the communication approach you use in person sets the tone for the relationship you establish with the listener.
Here are some ways to improve verbal communication in the workplace.
9. Follow the 80-20 rule
Being heard makes people want to communicate more, making active listening one of the best ways to establish good communication. The key is to pay attention and carefully listen to what the other person is saying.
This is where the 80-20 rule fits perfectly- spend 80% of your time listening, and only 20% speaking. Be perceptive and try to pick up on the hints.
This helps you avoid confusion and get clarity by asking questions and diving deep into the conversation. This will make them feel heard and help you perceive their message better.
The tone and body language will help you further deduce the conversation. So, speak less, listen more, and ask for clarifications to avoid misunderstanding.
Pay undivided attention, and do not get distracted while listening to them. Do not use phones or participate in other conversations. Make notes to retain crucial information.
10. Body language and conversation fillers
Verbal communication is all about the clarity with which you can get a message across. But, poor body language and crutch words like “um”, “ah”, “you know”, etc., can make you hard to comprehend, further making you seem under-confident and unprepared.
So, first of all, get rid of these conversation fillers. Practice with friends and family, and notice when you use these crutch words. Avoid using them to fill the gaps between conversations, and try to have a clear, to-the-point conversation.
Secondly, do not underestimate the significance of body language since what you say has more impact when you also pay attention to how you say it. Use these ideas to exude positive non-verbal communication:
- Maintain eye contact
- Smile while communicating
- Do not fidget with your hands and legs
- Maintain an upright posture
- Use minimal facial expressions
- Avoid incessant head nodding and blinking
- Use open palms
You can learn more about non-verbal communication in the article How to use nonverbal communication?
11. Get comfortable with phone calls
Today, people prefer texting over speaking in person as it is a less invasive mode of communication. It is prevalent, especially among millennials, but it is not the best idea always.
Sometimes, a phone call can help you better than leaving a message. Text messages, no matter how well written, lack tone and expression, leaving room for confusion and communication gaps.
Asking multiple questions over messages may seem odd, but having back-and-forth discussions over phone calls is easy, making it crucial for you to get comfortable with calls.
While there are no set rules on how to talk on a work call, here are some things you can do to make it easier:
- Answer the call with a positive mindset.
- Note the takeaways from the conversation and answer multiple questions one-by-one
- Speak in a calm tone
- In case of an unexpected situation, take a minute before you respond, and if you do not have an impromptu response, ask them for some time to get back with a solution
Conclusion
Effective communication is a teachable skill that gets better with practice. So, use the above tips and apply these ideas to improve verbal and written communication at work and otherwise. You can also read more about
