This is the third post in a series on communications in the digital age. You can read Part I and Part II here and here.
I ran across a statistic at the HBR website that drives home the need for being able to communicate well. According to a recent survey of 120 blue-chip American companies poor writing costs businesses $3 billion a year to correct. This is the result of only two-thirds of employees being able to write well. Is poor communication costing you money? Are you spending time mitigating the fallout from a poorly written email? Are you being perceived as a poor leader because you are unable to convey clear expectations to your team? Have you been passed over for a promotion because of your communication style?
Great communicators rise to the top in corporations. It is a valued skill to be able to articulate ideas, messages and thoughts clearly and succinctly. This translates well in our personal lives as well. How many family disagreements arise from communication failures?
Communication IQ is comprised of the ability to:
• Clearly convey thoughts and emotions
• Listen actively
• Demonstrate empathy
• Recognize emotions
• Walk the talk
• Use conflict constructively by being solution focused
• Gain respect through ethical and respectful behavior
Source: Effective Communication & Communication IQ | eHow.com
Improving our communication intelligence is not as complex as it may seem. The tips below will help you instantly improve your communication.
- Communicate to be understood. You can instantly improve your communication skills by focusing on the listener, rather than broadcasting a message or making a point.
- Be attentive to the spaces between the words. We have the ability to say much more than the words we speak or write. If you’re angry, calm down before sending that “professional” email.
- Two ears, one mouth. Listen twice as much as you speak and you will boost your communication skills overnight.
- Match the message to the medium. Save long, layered messages for real interaction. Use email, text and other short form communication for easy to communicate messages, ideas and updates.
- Receive with grace. We can avoid communication conflict by managing our own emotional reactions. Rather than respond in kind to a terse email, leave the emotion out of it and respond with grace. Remember that not everyone is a skilled communicator.
Do you have tips to add to the list above? Have you ever been on the receiving end of poor communication? What was the impact and how was it resolved?
Karen Swim says
Hi Peter, I love your comment, thank you so much for contributing to this discussion! Your comment made me think how much better the world would be if we returned to simple grace. Blessed are the peacemakers indeed!
Peter Sharp says
I just love this one: “Receive with grace. We can avoid communication conflict by managing our own emotional reactions. Rather than respond in kind to a terse email, leave the emotion out of it and respond with grace. Remember that not everyone is a skilled communicator.”
It’s so easy to just fire back a reply that can be confrontational rather than being understanding and constructrive. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Chris Fowler says
The points you raise in this post are so true, any effective communication skills training would stress the importance of targeting and engaging your audience
Andrew Heaton says
Karen,
I agree with Brad – both with regard to what he said about your list and about sincerity.
Any further points to add? Here’s two possible ideas (I apologise if you have mentioned these in a preceding discussion – I have not yet had a chance to look at your earlier discussions in this series):
1) Join a public speaking group.
To build skills in formal presentations, one might want to consider becoming involved with a public speaking organisation such as Toastmasters International. Clubs like Toastmasters offer a supportive environment for learning as well as a wonderful opportunity to meet new people. I myself was in Toastmasters for almost six years (I was president of my local club for two years), and gained a great deal in terms of my ability to deliver oral presentations.
2) Make technology your friend.
Used well, the basic Microsoft Office suite offers a great range of options for presenting information in a simple and powerful way. PowerPoint is often a must to accompany oral presentations, but even the straightforward word processing and spreadsheet programs allow for a simple and easy range of options to get the message across.
Most people are probably familiar and comfortable with these types of basic software. But for those who aren’t, a small investment of time in learning the basics of some of these programs will almost certainly pay big dividends.
One, for making of
Karen Swim says
Hi Brad, thank you! Sincerity is a great addition, thanks for that one Brad! You are so right, and this is truer for business communication – insincerity shows disrespect to your audience. You cannot pretend just to push your agenda, well you can but you will erode your desired results. I believe that sincerity is one of the things that sets great communicators apart from the rest of us, don’t you?
Karen Swim says
Hi Jeanne! You are never late and as y you know the welcome light is always on for you 🙂 I really value your insights because you are one of the great communicators and have a depth of experience communicating complex subject matter to wide audiences in writing and keynotes. As you noted I still largely refrain from emoticons in pure business communication (unless there is a personal relationship) as the use diminishes your professionalism in the eyes of many. I believe that awareness of how differently our messages can be received goes a long way to improving our ability to articulate for widespread understanding. This becomes even trickier when communicating cross culturally, as many more are doing these days. (I have some thoughts to share on that next week).
Jeanne Male says
Hello, Karen!
A little late to the party and just catching up on your thought provoking series. You PBJ assignment was very progressive for a 9th grade class. In training, I’m fascinated and challenged by how differently people interpret directions for even the most basic activities.
The emoticon topic is also worthy of further exploration. I was nodding in agreement as I read your comments about previously disliking them, then accepting the need to embrace emoticons as a fundamental nuance in digital communication. Business is still loathe to accept them but the data make a strong business case for an emoticon alternative and maybe some PBJ directions exercises, too. 🙂 Any ideas?
Brad Shorr says
Hi Karen, You’ve put together a superb list of communication skills. One further point – be sincere.