Some qualities are considered essential for the workplace across industries and seniority levels. Being an effective communicator is definitely among them. That is why, no matter whether you’re after a position as a driver or boast decades of experience in your career as a nurse, mastering the art of communication is key.
Without good communication, all parts of an organisation would suffer: productivity would slow down noticeably, teams wouldn’t be able to cooperate smoothly, clients would be lost, and the morale within the company would drop.
But what does communication means, exactly? In this article, you will learn about:
- Different types of communication and why they are important at work
- How to improve your communication skills
- How to include communication skills in the CV
What are the top communication skills?
Communication skills allow people to reach each other, understand each other, and explain what they know or feel to each other. They are not only important in the workplace, but in every aspect of human life.
There are various types of communication skills depending on several factors, such as the medium one is using and the goal they have in conveying their message. It’s not only about listening and speaking but also knowing different channels (from emails to social media posts) and being able to empathise with your counterpart.
Communication skills: examples for the workplace
Good communication skills at work mean being able to collaborate well with all stakeholders. You will be convincing and understanding with clients, clear in your training and instructions with new colleagues and motivating and straightforward in team meetings.
Of course, each organisation and each department will have their own priorities. A university lecturer and a salesperson both require outstanding communication abilities but will probably employ very different techniques in their tasks.
However, there are some sought-after communication skills that virtually all employers look for. Here are some examples:
- Active listening. Active listening immediately makes the person who’s speaking feel comfortable. To be an active listener, you will need to pay great attention, maintain eye contact and show genuine interest with relevant questions.
- Tailored communication. Have you ever read “able to communicate with a wide variety of people” on a job description? Tailored communication never loses sight of the audience when deciding the medium, tone, and lingo to be used.
- Confidence. No matter how tailored or well-researched your message is, if you cannot convey it with the right aplomb, it will not be effective. That means positive body language, firm and audible voice, and strategically-placed pauses.
- Empathy. Empathy is fundamental in a variety of situations. Understanding the feelings of others and responding appropriately will help you reduce frustration within a team and make clients feel properly looked after.
- Clarity. Both the volume of your voice and your sentence structure should be optimised for maximum clarity. Digression (both during a speech and in an email) is not only annoying for the audience but also works against the speaker as the main message is likely to get lost.
- Prompt replies. This especially concerns written messages and phone calls. We all know how frustrating it can be to wait for a reply to your email for days or weeks. Fast responders are statistically considered better communicators regardless of what their messages actually include.
How can I improve communication skills at work?
Some people are naturals: they come across as confident, easy to understand, and friendly. Others, often because of their shyness, may need to work a bit harder to be considered good communicators.
It’s indeed possible to better your communication, both in general and specific aspects (for example, you may want to become a stronger public speaker, or at the moment you find that your emails aren’t always understood clearly).
Find below 4 simple ways to improve your communication for the workplace.
1. Ask for feedback
Trusted coworkers and friends will be happy to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator. Ask them to be as honest as possible and don’t take it personally if the feedback is worse than you thought: it’s very hard to see ourselves from the outside and have an objective opinion.
Try to ask for their opinion just after a meeting or a presentation, when the memory is still fresh and they can point you towards the little details that can make the difference.
2. Practice in and out of the office
Practice makes perfect and that is true for communication skills too. Once you have learned techniques and tips that can improve your style, put them into practice as soon and often as you can.
In the office, at the market, on a night out, ask yourself questions that will help you focus on your communication in that very moment: are you fiddling or using positive body language? Are you looking the listener in the eye? Are you digressing?
If you are particularly interested in improving your writing, try to read more and write as much as you can, on any topic and using different styles. Whether it’s a postcard, a professional email, or a holiday plan, make sure you write down everything and think of ways it could be more effective.
3. Interiorise the advice
Once you identify your weak spot(s), think of a word or sentence that sums up the solution. For example, if you’re seen as overly confrontational, you may want to mentally repeat yourself “stay positive” during meetings. Your point may be right but until you can convey it in a positive manner, it will be hard for others to take it in.
4. Consider courses and workshops
There are plenty of opportunities out there to receive professional guidance in your path to improvement. You may want to take an online course or attend an intensive workshop, for example.
Consider asking your organisation for help. Companies often run courses and seminars for their employees as part of the benefits package. The HR department will certainly be able to direct you to associations that organise these lectures in case they can’t assist you directly.
How would you describe your communication skills in the CV?
As we’ve seen, communications skills are always in high demand. When you’re applying for jobs and writing your CV, you must be sure to convince recruiters that you have what it takes, including great communication.
The key concept when creating a successful resume is to show, not tell your qualities. If you think about it, the CV itself is already proof of your communication and writing skills and you should not waste this opportunity with unclear or uninteresting language. Keep it short, positive, and convincing.
Use data rather than descriptions. If you have trained 90% of new team members, it means that your current company trusts that you can teach and instruct clearly. If you have implemented a new meeting structure to save time, it goes to show that efficient communication is a priority for you. If you have organised workshops as part of your job or your volunteer activities, that’s probably because you are an impressive public speaker.
Just like with everything else, communication skills in your CV are all about being specific and confident and avoiding trite sentences and copy-pasting the job ad.
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