5 Steps to Effective Communication
By: Corporate Training Options, Australia
Effective communication skills are a hallmark of a good leader and being able to communicate expertly is your golden ticket to succeeding in the workplace.
To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
Tony Robbins
As you know, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.”
And this adage has never rung truer than in workplace settings. Without effective communication skills, misunderstandings can easily arise. This is something you want to avoid, as they not only affect work relations but also impact productivity, job satisfaction, and morale.
Effective Communications training is available from Corporate Training Options and can be structured to meet the needs of your team. See more details here.
To help cultivate improved communication skills in your workplace, here are five techniques you can practice from today.
1. Conduct open meetings
Open meetings are not about getting out into the great outdoors, although walking meetings are becoming more popular, and increase your fitness as part of the process.
Open meetings are where everyone can contribute, and are great for facilitating honest communication – whether it’s about a new project, a new policy, or a routine weekly team report.
The inclusive nature of an open meeting makes it ideal for expressing your passion and feelings about the meeting agenda. It’s also a great vehicle for getting your team to express their feelings to you as well. Make sure you allocate a specific number of minutes for each point on the agenda and let your team know the agenda in advance, so they can come prepared.
2. Send group emails
Emails are a convenient business communication tool. Through email, you can send reminders to your team such as quotas, reports due, important team announcements, meeting information, etc. You can send short notes of encouragement as well. Your openness to your team expressed through email communication will also encourage them to be open, through the same medium.
3. Hold one-on-one meetings when necessary
If there are team members who seem unsure about certain policies or office protocol, you can always take them aside and help them to better understand procedures, through a one-on-one discussion. You can also do the same when you need the assistance of key members in your team for a project, to ensure you’re on the same page about everything.
4. Encourage your team to attend effective communication training
Make effective business communication part of your staff development agenda. Any investment you make in improving your employees’ communication skills will translate into a more professional and productive work environment.
5. Be sincere and honest, and keep it simple
There’s nothing like a tense work atmosphere to kill openness and understanding. Speaking to your team only when you’re on the brink of a major outburst will be fruitless. The same can be said if you earn the reputation of not meaning what you say, or if you deliberately confuse the people you are addressing, to get them to agree with you.
Be sincere and honest in all your communications. It will help to build trust with your team, plus you’ll sleep better at night.
If you’ve made a mistake, admit it, own it and work out how to fix the problem. You will become a better person because of it, plus your team will feel much more comfortable to admit their own mistakes when they make them.
Keep all your communications simple. State what you need, and check that the person or team you are working with have understood what you said, and what actions you need them to take.
Thank people. As a simple act of courtesy, make it a point to always thank your team after each communication session, whether in person or via email. You will be amazed at how much people appreciate this one simple kindness.
In Summary
In order to thrive in the long term, you need clear and effective lines of open communication in your workplace. Make sure you invest in learning effective communication skills and you will reap the benefits.
See how much easier it can be to work with your people and teams, and how much more comfortable, open and friendly your workplace can be for everyone.
Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.
Paul J. Meyer
Learn more about the course
It’s important to get the right kind of training for you and your team, so you can really harness the power of effective communication. You may think it takes weeks or months to complete. But what if you were able to enhance your skills in just one day?
Corporate Training Options has a one-day course covering everything you need to know about Effective Communication in the workplace.
The course focuses on developing your skills in:
- face-to-face communication
- the unspoken, non-verbals in communication
- how to choose your words carefully
- ways to enhance your listening ability
What will you learn in the Effective Communication Course? You will:
- Gain insight into your personality type and communication preferences
- Learn to recognise other people’s personality types and communication preferences
- Learn to adjust your own communications approach based on need and situation
- Understand barriers to effective communication and how to overcome them
- Learn how to effectively utilise tone
- Master methods for speaking on the spot
- Learn to listen actively and effectively
- Gain insights into asking open questions
- Become a more effective communicator through the use and application of practical tools
- This course also helps you to adapt your face-to-face strengths, to other types of communications.
For more information on the skills you will learn in the course, visit the Effective Communication course page on the CTO website.
“The training was very well structured, and I enjoyed learning about the methods of communication and different styles of behaviours. As a result of this training I will listen and engage more with my customers.”
Melinda, Lincoln Electric, Sydney, NSW
About Corporate Training Options
Corporate Training Options (CTO) is a Business Training Company, which provides training in essential business skills, via onsite and online professional development courses. The courses provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your team are presenting your best image to the world.
CTO onsite courses are presented around Australia and in many international locations. Your training is customised to meet your requirements and will assist you to develop strong skills in:
- Customer Service
- Leadership & Management
- Strategic Business Planning
- Project Management
- Marketing & Sales
- Business Administration
- Finance & Accounting
- People & Culture
- Computer Software Training
- Personal Development
For more information on the range of Business Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website – cto.com.au
We look forward to working with you, to build your confidence, improve your efficiency and maximise your potential.
Rosy King
Corporate Training Options
Professional Training – Exceptional Results
