Whether to communicate your value to the organization or effectively contribute your perspective as a team member, all employers place a premium value on good communication skills. When you want to contribute and have your ideas heard you’ll need to rely on your ability to communicate.
Quick tips for effective communication:
· Use proactive listening skills when communicating with colleagues, clients and decision-makers. Proactive means that you actively listen to the underlying message by asking questions and then offering a solution. This requires the ability to remain focused on the speaker and not be distracted by other activities or an attempt to multitask.
· When working on a team, forget any pre-determined personal or professional agenda. Remain open to the exchange of ideas and opinions. This will require an ability to maintain a healthy respect for the opinions of others, especially when they differ from your own. This is the essence of bringing a team together and essential to arrive at the best outcome.
· Suspend your frame of reference and filter so that you are able to hear the entire message of others, not only the part that fits in with your perspective.
· Effective communication also involves the careful and appropriate interpretation of body language, and then adjusting your message to ensure it is received as intended. This is an especially important skill when selling an idea or personal request. For example, when the listener subtly checks his or her watch, this may be an indication that it is time to advance the pitch and get to the point as quickly as possible.
· Good communicators also tend to be good negotiators and can use reason and logic to resolve workplace conflicts.