I was reading a few articles on effective communication a while back, and I came across a quote by successful businessman Paul J. Meyer, “Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” It made me think that indeed, communication is not simply “the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium” as defined by the Oxford Languages.
Communication in the workplace, has very much to do with connecting and engaging with people on an emotional level as much as on a purely business level.
Valentines Learning believes that a business promoting the benefits of good communication will result in employees better understanding their roles and responsibilities, and will help build positive relationships between colleagues, managers and teams, and with customers. Without good clear and consistent communication, your team can not function effectively; and this starts with you, the team leader.
There are many essential skills and traits needed to be a great communicator, let’s look at 8 of them here:
Respect
It should go without saying, but I think it is important to mention respect here. Without it, your team can’t achieve their goals. Your teams will be more open to communicating with you if you convey respect for them and their ideas. Simple things like using their name, making good eye contact, and actively listening to them will make your teams feel appreciated and valued.
Connecting
It is essential you relate to your team when you have a conversation with them. Personal and engaging conversations are more effective, they help create meaningful relationships, which is important if you want to know what is really on your employee’s mind. Make the effort to truly know and understand them. Connect with your teams intellectually and emotionally.
Engaging people
Talk with them, not simply to them. Ensure you encourage your teams to take part in the conversation you are having with them. Don’t simply lecture them, invite comments and feedback from them and show interest in that they have to say. Actively invite them to share their view points, even if they are opposite to your own.
Be a good listener
Actively listening when others are communicating with you can show that you respect them and allow you to learn more about them or the subject of the conversation. Sometimes, people can get so caught up in what they would like to say that they forget to listen, which means they may not contribute anything useful to the conversation. Good communicators also understand the merit of confirming that they are actively listening, with a nod perhaps, summarising the other person's statement or with brief verbal cues. This helps keep conversations from turning into monologues.
Non-verbal cues
When chatting face-to-face, body language can be just as important as the words being spoken. Being able to recognise nervousness, anxiety, frustration, or even excitement through non-verbal signals, such as facial expression, eye contact or posture and gestures, helps the great communicator to understand the person they are talking with. A lack of eye contact or failure to sit upright at a team meeting, for instance, can indicate the team member is bored or indifferent to the conversation. Appropriate eye contact also communicates respect and interest.
Showing empathy
Try to understand your team's concerns about an issue, rather than forcing your views on them. An effective communicator seeks to understand how others feel about a specific situation. Empathising with your teams and others will help you build trust and working relationships. Try to be understanding when an employee is having trouble; letting them know that you care about their well-being can also make you more approachable.
Being empathetic is a great trait to have, because it allows you to understand people’s point of view. This means that your conversation will likely be more productive.
Being focused and concise
If you believe recent studies, the human attention span would have dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds today. Being to-the-point is critical to capturing and keeping this attention span. Being clear and direct with your communication can ensure that you properly convey your intentions and that your team will be clear about what your expectations of them are.
Having structure in your communication will prevent you from rambling; go to the point in a straightforward way to avoid confusing your teams. Make sure they are still with you through the conversation, that they are neither confused by what you say nor bored.
But don’t be afraid of silence; it gives you time to think about your next point but more importantly will give the employee you are talking with, an opportunity to make a comment or ask a question.
Being open-Minded
Finally, without open-mindedness, it is unlikely that there will be good communication. Members of your team might have different points of views to your own. You should always allow them the chance to convince you of their ideas. Not accepting other people’s points of view is a significant obstacle to open frank and effective communication in the workplace but also in your personal life.
I will leave you with one last quote to consider, this time by bestselling author Theo Gold, “Communication is your ticket to success, if you pay attention and learn to do it effectively.”
If you would like to know how Valentines Learning can help you hone your communication skills or would like to know more about what training we offer the hospitality industry, check our workshops and courses today.
