Miscommunication is not good for a healthy workplace. It can lead not just to arguments but also poor productivity, lawsuits and unmotivated employees in your workplace. It also comes with a price tag which can cost you a contract, lower expected bonus or missed sales projection.
According to Huffington Post, "many careers have been sidelined, not due to poor performance or lack of ability but rather to inappropriate communications in all its genres: electronic, face-to-face, etc."
If you want to avoid these things for your company or team, here are the tips that can be a great help in improving your communication skills:
Be More Direct and Clear
Whether it's written or spoken, you have to make sure to convey the exact information you wanted to express. Just like what the old saying goes, "say what you mean, and mean what you say." You can do that by using a language which can be easily understood — something which isn't ambiguous. Also, don't forget to avoid using acronyms. It would just make everything more unclear. If you doubts, you can always ask the one you're talking to if he or she understood what you've said or not.
Pay Attention to Your Non-Verbal Communication
Your body language is a good way to express not just the things you wanted to say but also the things that's inside your heart. You can use the way you look and listen, or your reactions and movements to show your emotions and thoughts even without the words, as stated by CareerRocketeer. So pay attention to and learn how to maximize this.
Always Be Confident
A wimpy response won't help you get to somewhere. It won't even help you gain support for your goals or earn recognition. Instead, be confident. You can start by using strong action verbs and avoiding filler words. Also, to show that confidence in you, always try to look at the eye of the person you're talking to, US News advised.
Communication at work might seem easy but it's not. Getting your message across, choosing the right words and listening with your heart are things you really have to work on to achieve good workplace communication.
