How to Improve Communications in the Workplace

Communication plays a vital role in the success of someone's life, whether in his or her personal life or in the workplace. Although most of our communication skills are patterned as to how we were raised and the family background that we grew up with, effective communication is a critical skill but it can be learned and it takes practice to perfect it.

To improve communications in the workplace, the following are worth reading:

The importance of developing your communication skills

The key to developing harmonious relationship with everybody is through effective communication. One of the social needs of man is the sense of belongingness. If you are a good communicator, you can keep friendships and build a strong support of friends. These people can help you with your social needs by giving you emotional support whenever you need it.

In the workplace, it is very essential that you get along with your colleagues and managers because most of your waking hours is spent with them. It is not only that, you are going to connect in the same company for years and even decades so there is no other way to reduce the misery of being misinterpreted or misunderstood because of faulty communication issues. It is a must that you learn to develop effective communication skills.

Techniques in improving your communication skills

So how do we learn to improve communications in the company where we work and establish great rapport with our co-workers?

1. Learn how to listen. By listening, show that you are really focused on wanting to hear what the other person has to say. If your co-worker sees that you are paying attention then he will do the same to you when you talk. Listen through the heart. Hold off any interruption. Courtesy is allowing the other person to talk without disrupting him or her. Understand what has been said from your heart. Clarify by paraphrasing what you understood of what the other person is talking about. Whatever information that has been shared, it is best not to release any judgment or negative comments that might cause conflict unless your co-worker asks for your suggestion or advice.
2. Be genuine so that you can build trust with your circle of friends at work. Speak clearly and purposefully otherwise, ambiguity will lead to being misunderstood. Your verbal and nonverbal communication must be consistent because communication is not only about the words that you say but the receiver will also observe your actions and see if they align with your words.
3. Managers who have good communication skills are the leaders who offer their ideas to their employees. They don't impose on their idea but tries to draw it out from the subordinates. The same holds true with staff who are brainstorming with each other about a certain problem or topic. Be humble and acknowledge others' efforts.
4. Develop your questioning skills, as they are critical to effective communication. Avoid questions that seem to accuse people of wrongdoings. It is better to use open-ended questions to further the dialog. This is one way to improve communications.
5. When there are negative emotions involved coming from people with different personalities, allow the other party to express himself or herself without interrupting. Acknowledge that you understand how hard it may be for her or him and show your engagement by asking questions or paraphrasing the issue.
6. Always encourage and keep conversations in a positive tone. If you are a manager, or a staff and you project a positive approach in your conversations, you will greatly motivate and encourage the others to become more engaged at work. Employees desire to defend their accomplishments, need to bond and feel that they belong.

Practicing effective communication skills

We have learned how we can develop our communication skills. For now, we are going to learn how to practice effective communication skills.

1. Always maintain a relaxed position when speaking to someone, make eye contact and nod occasionally to acknowledge the strong points being talked about. Avoid unnecessary movements. Don't cross your arms as it denotes a negative meaning.
2. Speak clearly and concisely as you talk about important matters right away and not waste time on unimportant stories as it will make them wander.
3. Remain available for open and honest communication so that you are accessible.
4. Be patient to those who need to express their emotional problems or other issues that affect them.

Always keep in mind that practice makes perfect. To improve communications, you have to do it all the time and don't expect it to happen overnight. By practicing the suggestions in this article you are on your way to becoming one of the most effective communicators in the workplace.