5 Good Ways To Improve Your Communication Skills At Work

In digital Kenya today, communication has been reduced to WhatsApp emojis, short text messages, emails and threads of chats in different social platforms.
In fact millennials, who are actually the active majority in the workplace, now rely on technology so much that most of them admit to sleeping with their smartphone, while more than 30% use social media in the bathroom according to a recent study.
As this happens, their communication skills pattern is getting distorted and more of them are now finding it hard to put a message across in their workplaces.
See, your ability to communicate effectively with your bosses, colleagues, and general staff is essential, no matter what industry you work in.
As an employee in the digital age, you must know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person as well as via phone, email, and even the popular social media.
This is simply because, good communication skills will help you get hired through a well-reasoned interview session, land a promotion through a good persuasive approach, and even be a success throughout your career.
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Here are some helpful tricks you can use to improve your communications skills at work.
1. Learn to appear friendly and receptive to everyone
Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your co-workers to engage in open and honest conversation with you.
You see, it’s important to be nice & polite in all your workplace communications because this is where you shall spend almost half of your life. And who wants to spend half the life moody and always angry at someone in the office?
Also, when you can, personalize your emails to colleagues maybe with a quick “I hope you all had a good weekend” at the start of an email and make the recipient feel more appreciated.
2. Listen, listen, and listen
Focus on active listening instead of passive listening.
People in the office will want to know that they are being heard so give them exactly this. Learn to listen in order to understand and react but never to formulate your response.
Ask for clarification where necessary to avoid misunderstandings.
At that moment when you’re conversing with someone, that person speaking to you should be the most important person in your life.
3. Learn the basics of nonverbal communication
The facial expressions that your colleagues make, the eye contact that your boss demands and in general your physical appearance at work.
Now, remember that the way your body is positioned when you talk to someone is a form of communication in itself.
You can’t speak to your boss while gazing outside the window and expect to convince him/her that your idea is viable.
Body language sends a message to the person we’re talking to; it can signal if you are really listening, interested in the topic matter or indeed speaking the truth.
S0 Mind your non-verbal skills at work. Simple body language like eye contact can show someone respect and signify that you’re listening.
4. Don’t finish other people’s sentences
People do this a lot thinking they are helpfully finishing people’s sentences for them.
Wrong!
You are not a mind reader. You don’t know what the other person is thinking of or probably going to say. So sit back, listen and wait until they are done speaking.
Research has shown by doing this you are dis-empowering the other person because you are taking control of the conversation, so bite your tongue!
Judith Moraa is a Communication Assistant at Corporate Staffing a leading HR firm that offers recruitment and FREE job placement. For more information visit their website on www.corporatestaffing.co.ke