What is effective communication

Author: headmaster

It can resolve a number of professional as well as personal complications. Effective communication accelerates the process of performing individual tasks and provides several ways to reach your goal. Despite being an important aspect, it is missing in many work teams. The reason is that it is not naturally given and one has to learn it. What does this type of communication require?

What is effective communication?

To understand the concept of effective communication, it is necessary to understand the regular communication that we encounter on a regular basis. Communication is a fundamental aspect of human interaction and has several functions:

• inform – you can use communication to sell a message, add another message or communicate a fact,
• instruct – to teach, instruct and guide someone to do something,
• to negotiate and agree – to come to some solution or agreement; to resolve a conflict,
• to entertain – to improve the mood, to distract or cheer up another person or several people,
• to persuade – to get the addressee to change his or her mind.

Communication does not have to be just spoken. It can also be written or in the form of gestures, facial expressions and body movements. Some also include clothing and a person’s overall appearance in this group.

Effective communication is one of the basic types of communication. It represents the type of conversation that is clearly directed toward finding an optimal solution. It is clear, direct and generally non-confrontational. It seeks to reach conclusions suitable for both sides. It is also considered assertive because it respects the other’s opinion and dignity.

Unfortunately, it is not natural. This is mainly because within it you have to throw away your prejudices and have an open mind, which is not so easy. Each of us has things we believe in and parties we are more inclined to. Although some people can express themselves better “from birth,” they need to constantly develop this quality. It’s the only way to ensure that even in a difficult conversation, they come to some conclusions.

Principles of effective communication

Every effective communication methods has several principles. If you follow them, you can be sure that conversations with colleagues or supervisors will be much more pleasant. You will obtain a result or a solution more quickly, without arguing or insulting each other. If you want to learn the basics of effective communication, stick to these rules:

1. Listen actively

Listening is one of the basic elements of communication. You are not to listen to the other just to answer, but to find out his/her attitude. You can form an opinion about him/her from what he/she says. You’ll find out if you share the same views or if you are, on the contrary, completely different.

In the workplace, there are many times when workers don’t listen to each other enough. This causes leakage of necessary information, which leads to a reduction in the effectiveness of communication and, ultimately, the overall work. Things that might have been obvious at the beginning have to be repeated. This increases the time to complete the task and decreases the actual performance of the employees.

In general, the deeper the connection is between people, the more they listen. So focus on building good working relationships. You will ensure that you will not be ignored when you speak. Plus, your team members will develop trust in you.

We recommend:

When you have some important information, meet with a colleague alone, like in a quiet office. There you can talk calmly without phones ringing or anyone interrupting you during the conversation. Your colleague will be able to give you his/her full attention, thanks to which he/she will understand everything you say.

2. Be direct

Beating around the bush or unclear communication has never helped anyone. Be clear at work. Tell us what you want to do or what you need help with. Feedback from colleagues is important. Forget lengthy stories and explanations. Most don’t have time to listen to how you got to the job. They want to know what to do. If you tell your colleagues or subordinates right away what you need, they are more likely to do it. However, if you tell three stories with five plots before the actual request, you will confuse them.

Be sure to provide them with the data they need for the project or thesis, such as facts, figures and statistics. If you still have some details, get them ready now and don’t keep others waiting unnecessarily. Their concentration is decreasing by the minute. So prepare well for your monologue.

3. Don’t jump from one topic to another

Effective communication in an organization means accuracy, clarity and integrity. We have already explained the first two. But what does integrity mean? Simply that you will complete sentences and thoughts as you speak. Jumping from one topic to another will not only throw you off, but especially your listeners.

If you can’t focus on one thing, you’re going to score points. According to them, start talking about individual things. Describe point number one first and only move to number two when everything is clear to your colleagues. Pay attention to the sentences themselves. Long sentences and run-on sentences are not only difficult to form, but also difficult to listen to.

The sentences must not lack logic. Throw out the “cotton wool” in the form of filler words like simply, namely, like, actually, well, hey or anyway. These verbal crutches have no value and unnecessarily prolong a whole speech. The advantage of the whole thing is that when you’re done talking, other people won’t have a lot of follow-up questions. This avoids lengthy explanations that would reduce the effectiveness of the communication.

4. Focus on non-verbal communication

Words are important in communication, but don’t forget that your body language also influences the whole situation. Gesticulation is generally regarded as a symbol of a confident and courageous person. The same is true of an extended stance. When you slouch and your arms are lowered next to your body, you don’t make the best impression on people. You look more uptight and you don’t exude any authority.

Using non-verbal communication while speaking helps you build a stronger relationship with others, not to mention that you can use it to convey your message more effectively. But don’t just think about yourself. Watch also the gesticulation of the other speakers. It will help you better interpret what they want to say.

Non-verbal communication is very easy to work on. You can try courses or read books and interesting articles. You can also take inspiration from some well-known personalities who have taken similar courses. As you gain experience, your speech will improve and you’ll find it easier to converse with others.

If you want to be an effective communicator, you should let others know what you plan to talk about. They will be able to prepare themselves for what is to come and get a general idea of the conversation.

Another advantage of informing is the fact that it is easier for the listeners to assimilate all knowledge. If you announce the topic and key points in advance, others will know what to expect. You then repeat this to them a few more times to make sure they are actively listening to you.

6. Don’t be stressed

Stress and anxiety have a negative effect on your speech. They are the cause of illogical storytelling and jumping from one topic to another. Before you start talking to someone, repeat what you want to say to them. When there’s more, make brief notes on paper or on your phone.

The next step is to get rid of stress. It may seem like a difficult process, but in reality you just need to learn some basic breathing exercises. You can also exercise before the conversation, which will also help you calm down and relax.

We recommend:

If you can’t get rid of stress, try different courses. They will teach you how to let the tension out of your body so that it doesn’t torment you.

 

 

7. Don’t forget empathy

One of the principles of effective communication is to understand the other person and respect their opinion. To do so, you must not lack empathy. Only through it can you empathize with other people’s feelings.

When someone has a completely different opinion to yours, tell them you understand, but your values are different. Don’t try to fight or argue with him/her at all costs. You’d never amount to anything with a person like that. If you want to agree on something, you both have to give in and find a compromise.

8. Provide feedback

Providing feedback in communication is more important than it seems. This is one of the basic effective communication skills. You know how to show that you have really listened to the other person. Your feedback doesn’t have to be too long or complicated. All you have to do is say one or two sentences.

Tips on how to improve communication

Not everyone knows how to communicate effectively. For someone it’s very natural, for other it’s not. If you are one of those people who have trouble speaking in front of others, there is nothing to worry about. There are several tips to improve your speech as well as your listening to others:

• Be concise and specific – brevity is appreciated in today’s fast-paced world. But its disadvantage is that it sometimes leaves out important things. Try to keep your speech or monologue short, but be specific enough. Leave out the “cotton wool” and focus only on relevant data, facts and figures.
• Think carefully about what you’re going to say – are you afraid you’ll sound illogical and complicated? Think what you want to say in your head first. You write the outline and then say it. The same is true when writing messages and emails. After writing them, go through them again and correct any mistakes.
• Write down the important things – when the communication is lengthy, write down the most important information. You can come back to them later and add to them, or have the speakers explain them to you. The same is true when you say. If you don’t want to forget anything, write down the basic points.
• Adapt your communication to the person you’re talking to – using neologisms and abbreviations is not forbidden, but make sure the person you’re talking to understands them.

Effective communication has several principles. If you follow them all, you can enjoy the best results. But not everyone has the gift of oratory and storytelling. When you miss it, help yourself with our practical tips. You will find that they will enable you to express yourself logically, clearly and comprehensibly. Feedback is also important.

In the working world, effective communication is just as important in the position of IT project manager as well as others where effective communication and teamwork is required. See our open job offers at msg life Slovakia and choose one that meets your expectations.

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What is effective communication

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