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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Communication Skills In The Workplace

Communication based on wikipedia online is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs". Communication can be perceived as a two-way process in which there is an exchange and progression of thought, feeling or ideas towards a mutually accepted goal or direction.


Communication is very important in the average people's lives. People communicate with each other every day,from little things like asking the time to big things like discussions. Communication began from when we are children, and develops as we grow up. While basic communication skills are easy to obtain, not many know how to communicate professionally with others, especially with those whom they first met. These type of situations are often seen in the workplace. Good communication skills can help create a happy atmosphere in the workplace besides making a task easier to complete.

Here are some tips to good communication skills in the workplace :




1. Personal Contact
People relate to one another better when they can meet in person and read each other's body language. What's more, people can feel the energy the connection creates. A powerful connection can be created by just smiling or shaking someone's hand when you meet them.


2. Develop A Network
No one achieves success alone. Success in any company requires team effort. Therefore, make an effort to know your manager and employees in different departments within the company. Try to meet new people in professional organizations. Furthermore, be active in your company and join in their events like family day to strengthen the bonds with co-workers.




3. Always Be Courteous
Courtesy lets people know that you care. Words like 'thank you' lets people know that you appreciate them. This is important because if people know you are grateful, they will be more eager to help you another time.




4.Be Clear
Since people often hear things differently, it is important to speak fluently and with the correct pronounciations of words. People may hesitate to ask you to repeat what you said if they didn't hear your words properly. Therefore, you should ask, "did i explain this clearly?" after you end your talk or speech to confirm that people understood you.




5. Compromise
You can decrease the tension associated with conflicts if you always ask, "what is best for the company?". This gives people a different perspective on your requests, and they will be less likely to take any conflicts personally.




6. Be Interesting And Interested
Even though most of the work place communications will be about business topics, it is also important to share your personal side. Talk about your interests and your family to other co-workers and ask them about theirs. Telling a few short personal stories about your interesting experiences will make your team members feel more connected to you as a person. Read the newspaper or watch the news on television daily to know what's going on with the world and what personal concerns your members may have about them.




7. Listen
Listening attentively to what others say demonstrates respect. Listening properly is not as people's mind tend to wander to other topics. To help concentrate on your talker's words, keep a good eye contact, without staring and ask questions about the topic being discussed.


Improving communication skills is a process that increases gradually over time. However, there is a way to speed up the learning process. At the end of each day, take some time to review your communications during the day. Take note of what was effective and what wasn't. Learn from mistakes and continue to learn and also improve your communication skills.
 


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