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How to Communicate Effectively

By: Emma Jones - Updated: 29 Jul 2011 | comments*Discuss
 
Communication Effective Workplace

Communication is something that we do every day of our lives, whether it is with our family, the postman or work colleagues. Effective workplace communication can make teams work better together, resolve disputes and help everybody be happier and more productive. Some people are natural communicators but the skills are easy to learn and can really Help You Be Heard and progress in your career.

Think Before You Speak

When you are nervous, excited or passionate about a subject, it is easy to get carried away and just start talking. However, to communicate effectively you need to think about what you want to say. Communication is all about making other people understand your point of view and for them to be able to respond. Before you get into the situation, take time to think about what you would like to say and how you are going to express it.

Listen

Communication is a two-way street and won’t work effectively unless all parties are equally involved. There is no point just talking at someone if you don’t also listen to what they’ve got to say in response. Make a conscious effort to pause, stop your thought trail and concentrate on what your work colleagues are saying. Even if you are determined that what you have to say is more important, you may learn something and will definitely gain more respect and cooperation from the people you are talking to.

Body Language

Very little of what we communicate is actually through what we say. The majority of our communication is actually through non-verbal ways, such as our body language, tone of voice and eye contact. When you are trying to communicate effectively you need to think about these things as they can say much more than about you than you think. Make sure that your body language is open and accessible, maintain eye contact with the people you are speaking to, and watch for inflections in your voice.

Teamwork

Effective office communication nearly always comes down to good teamwork. To work well together as a team you need to work on your communication skills and allowing everyone to contribute. There will be different personalities and opinions so it all takes some give and take. People need to be encouraged to listen to each other and really consider other people’s points of view. Each team member should think about what they want to say and work on delivering it in a clear manner. Effective office communication is key to a successful company and also to the happiness of its employees.

Effective communication comes down to more than just being confident and speaking clearly. You need to know what you want to say and think about how you are going deliver it. Consider your body language, presentation and tone of voice as these can say as much as the words you choose. Just as important, though, is to listen to what your colleagues have to say so that you learn and respond appropriately. Good teamwork is all about effective communication and will help colleagues to work well together.

Dressing to Impress

If you want to be taken seriously in your career, you need to dress for the part. Read about our top style tips in our article Dress To Impress at Work.

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