How to Develop Communication Skills

Communicating is the key to interacting effectively with your supervisors and coworkers. You may excel in verbal communication but find it difficult to express yourself in writing. On the other hand, emails, memos and letters may come easily to you but you duck back into your office when you see a group of coworkers having a heated discussion. Follow these steps to develop your communication skills.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Watch your body language. Developing skill with nonverbal cues is half the battle in communicating verbally. When there's a hot issue at work that everyone's talking about and it's hard for you to express opinion, talk about it in front of a mirror and see what your body is saying independent of your words.
2. Work on your tone of voice when you talk to someone. Your natural enthusiasm may be communicating something different to your listener. Stay calm even if you're angry. People accept criticism better that way.
3. Stick to sincerity as much as possible. People can tell when you don't mean a compliment. Your interest in what you say goes a long way in engaging your listeners. When talking about a topic you know is boring to most people, like staying within budget on a project, make it as lively as possible.
4. Role-play situations where you think you're going to have trouble communicating. Make a presentation to your spouse and have her ask needling questions you anticipate from your audience. Or have her play the boss when you want to ask for a pay raise.
5. Choose your words carefully whether you're communicating verbally or in writing. This is especially important when reprimanding someone for inferior work. Allow them to use whatever language they need to get their feelings out but don't talk that way yourself. Maintain your composure and dignity.
6. Use examples in your written communications. This is one of the best ways to maintain interest and clarify what you mean. You can also insert imagery where it's appropriate, such as a mountain climber, when discussing the trials of a project in a team memo.
7. Study good books, articles and speeches to develop your written communication skills. A great example is Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Read it out loud to understand how it works both writtena and verbal form.

Tips & Warnings

• Jokes are a great way to liven up a dull topic.
• Maintaining eye contact is an important communication skill when talking to people.
• Listening is as much a part of communication as speaking.

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