Ever feel like your words aren’t getting through at work?
Your ideas are misunderstood, your work constantly gets revised, and maybe you start doubting your ability.
I struggled the same way in my first year as a military officer, but within less than a year of dedicated training, I transformed into someone who communicates effectively.
As I developed my communication skills, my work performance improved, which earned me respect and opened more opportunities for my career.
In this article, I want to share the 7 strategies on how to be a better communicator.
TL;DR:
- Prepare Yourself: Reflect on your intentions and stay calm.
- Show Respect: Control your language and tone.
- Close the Loop: Confirm and follow up on messages.
- Respect Time: Communicate clearly and avoid wasting time.
- Understand Others: Tailor messages to your audience.
- Use Nonverbal and Paraverbal Cues: Pay attention to body language and tone.
- Be Assertive: Clearly express your needs without being passive.
What are the 7 Strategies?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution in communication because every situation is unique, and blindly applying rules to every situation is no guarantee of effective communication.
For example, “be transparent” is often recommended, but if you are representing a company during a business negotiation, spilling out every detail just to be “transparent” might just get you fired.
This is why you need to have guiding strategies that allow you to be appropriate at the moment.
Here are the 7 strategies we’re going to discuss in detail:
- Checking Yourself
- Showing respect
- Closing the loop
- Respecting people’s time
- Knowing your audience
- Mastering nonverbal and paraverbal communication
- Avoiding passive communication
Are you to be a better communicator? Let’s dive in.
1. Checking yourself
You MUST self-check before engaging in a discussion.
Without understanding your needs, thoughts, or ideas, you won’t be able to convince or influence anyone.
Be committed to knowing your intentions and desired outcomes. This self-awareness process is also known as intrapersonal communication.
This preparation helps you communicate clearly and purposefully.
- Reflect on your thoughts and feelings.
- Identify your communication strengths and areas for improvement.
- Practice self-talk to build confidence.
- Set clear intentions before engaging in conversations.
- Be mindful of your internal dialogue and how it affects your interactions.
2. Showing Respect
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, but I’ve seen many people who fail to maintain respectful posture in the workplace, especially when things aren’t going their way.
Exercise control over your language and tone, and respond with respect.
- Choose your words carefully to show consideration.
- Avoid interrupting while others speak.
- Maintain a polite and calm demeanor.
- Acknowledge and validate others’ feelings.
- Respond constructively, even during disagreements.
3. Closing the loop
A common mistake I see is that people waste time focusing on something else that wasn’t asked and don’t do the things that they were supposed to do.
To be a better communicator, you need to perform tasks AS COMMUNICATED.
We can implement a practice that ensures messages are understood and tasks are completed accurately.
a Three-step guide
Practice closed-loop communication to reduce miscommunication.
initiate
Sender initiates message
confirm
Restate the received message to confirm understanding
verify
Verify that all parties acknowledge the message accurately
This approach is known as closed-loop communication, and it is the practice I use to ensure I get the job done right and efficiently.
4. Respecting People’s Time
People hate it when their time is wasted, and our actions affect people’s time in one way or another.
Don’t mess with people’s time.
Time can be wasted in different ways. Here are some examples.
- A meeting gets extended due to not having a clear agenda.
- Redoing the work due to unclear expectations.
- Last-minute changes that would cause major restructuring.
- Confusing email with no clear objectives.
- The task with little to no supporting context leads to redundant conversation.
If you are serious about becoming a better communicator, you must always consider whether your actions are causing them to waste their time.
5. Knowing your audience
Communicating with your direct superior should be different from communicating with your direct reports because they have different needs.
An effective communicator tailors their message to fit the needs and expectations of the receiving end.
- Identify their interests and concerns.
- Use language and examples that are familiar to them.
- Be empathetic and considerate of their viewpoints.
6. Mastering Nonverbal and Paraverbal Communication
Have you ever watched a recording of yourself talking?
Your hand gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and everything else you do outside of your words matter because they also convey messages.
To be a better communicator, you need to master nonverbal and paraverbal communication as a sender and a receiver.
do
don’t
7. Avoiding Passive Communication
Being a better communicator requires expressing your opinions, thoughts, and needs in an assertive way.
Passive communication is exactly the opposite of that.
I used to struggle with this because:
- English isn’t my first language.
- I was afraid that I might sound stupid.
- Putting other people’s needs over mine seemed like a considerate thing to do.
- I didn’t feel like I had enough authority.
However, the result of my passive communication wasn’t fruitful.
- My hard work went unnoticed.
- I was excluded from conversations.
- Opportunities went to someone else.
Do you want to be a better communicator? Don’t be afraid to express your needs.
If you have ideas, speak so that people can hear you.
Benefits Of Being A Better Communicator In The Workplace.
Related Article: What Are Examples of Effective Team Dynamics: 8 Ways to Boost Collaboration and Success.
Final thoughts
People often overlook the impact of communication, thinking that success requires something more dramatic. But it’s the simple things that make or break success.
Throughout my twelve-year career, I’ve worked in the military, humanitarian aid, leadership coaching, software, and cyber intelligence, and I can confidently say that there’s no industry that doesn’t welcome a strong communicator.
I encourage you to incorporate the seven strategies into your daily communication practice. You should see changes in three to six months, and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed with the results.
Thanks for reading!
