Communication Skills are Learned!
Want to have more friends and be more successful? Follow these 4 tips to be a better communicator!
People are not born with communication skills! No one is born knowing how to talk. At birth, you learn how to talk and communicate by watching those around you. Good communication is a skill that can be learned! What a relief to know, right?
I have worked as a communication professional for 22 years and I’m now teaching college students how to communicate effectively. Did you know that communication skills are ranked as one of the top skills that are needed in the workplace? Everyone can benefit from having better communication skills. You can have more friends and be more successful in your career. Look at successful people in business and in life. What do they have in common? Most have excellent communication skills!
Based upon my experiences, I have developed a list of “Communication Life Skills” that are essential for business and personal success.
1. Listen
Listening is a lost art. Be a better listener and you will be everyone’s friend! Plus, you will be more successful in your career. Have you noticed that most people listen to respond, rather than listen to understand? Be Different – listen to understand! Research has shown that a person who listens is considered a better communicator than a person who mainly talks. To listen more effectively:
- You must be genuinely interested in the other person.
- Ask a question. Then stop talking. Just Listen.
- You will learn more from others and be perceived as a great communicator!
2. Read
Reading is considered essential for success in business and your personal life.
- Read novels for pleasure.
- Read news to know what is happening in the world and in your community.
- Read trade journals to keep current with your business.
Reading will help you be more interesting too! No one wants to talk with someone who is dull and uninformed. Have you noticed that most CEOs and entrepreneurs have “reading lists” that they share? Successful people read.
3. Community Involvement
Join a community, religious or charitable organization. Being active in your community will increase your network of friends and help with your communication skills! Talking to more people (and listening) gives you practice in becoming a better communicator. Plus, you are involved with your community with is good for business and personal growth.
4. Communicate Simply
- Talk and write so that you can be understood. In fact, the goal of communication is to Not be Misunderstood. Yes – you must communicate so well that the audience will not misunderstand you. You don’t need to add long, complicated words to sound more intelligent. Intelligent people will use words and phrases that are easily understood. Use short, active sentences that succinctly state your point. Long drawn out sentences will be open to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Simple is best. Simple is smart.
- Is your speech easy to understand? Do not talk to fast (or slowly) and you must enunciate your words! As a southerner, I don’t put the endings on my words! I have worked on slowing my speech and purposefully pronounce the endings of words. Guess what? It works – more people can understand me!
These 4 tips are the cornerstone of my communication classes on a college level and are the communication skills that I use on a daily basis. With a little work, you can become a master of communication! Who knows where this will take you – more friends and more success in business!
Best,
Kathleen
