How to Improve Communication Style

Taking time to improve how you communicate will bring positive changes.

Being a good communicator is an important skill, impacting a variety of areas of your life. The quality and extent of your personal relationships is often dictated by how well you communicate. Your performance at work, regardless of your profession, also is usually tied closely to your communication abilities. Following a few key steps and focusing attention on your audience and message creation will cultivate good communication skills.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Improving Communication Style

1. Choose the correct medium. Different communications require different media for their delivery, depending on the content of the communication. An important announcement or statement, such as telling your spouse you want a divorce, for example, should be sent via a more serious, complex medium, such as a face-to-face conversation and not a text message or social network posting. Requesting a raise from your boss should be done via an official memo or email. The attention paid to your communication is heavily influenced by the medium you use, and you are more likely to get the kind of response you want if you choose the appropriate way to send a message.

2. Consider your audience. Before beginning to craft any communication, consider your audience as your communication efforts will vary depending on who is receiving the message. The way you would talk to your child is different from the way you would talk to a police officer, which is different from the way you would talk to a co-worker. You must use potentially different language, a different tone, a different medium and different physical gestures, depending on your audience. To have your message properly received and interpreted, the communication has to be tailored and accurately directed.

3. Be a good listener. To improve your communication style, it's not just about how you send messages but also about how you listen. By listening, you learn about the person with whom you are communicating, you hear what that person is saying and are able to respond appropriately and you give that person the respect of your attention, which should be repaid in kind. Ask questions so that you show you are engaged. Empathize with what the person is saying, so she knows you are truly listening and taking her side. Respond both with verbal and nonverbal messages, such as nodding, smiling and keeping an open posture.

4. Consider noise. In a communication model, noise doesn't simply refer to loud sounds but to any external distraction that affects the message. The influence of noise can impact the sending of the message so that what is received is not what is sent. According to Shannon and Weaver's communication model, noise can be internal, from the receiver's knowledge and beliefs, or external, which may contradict and weaken the original message.

Tips & Warnings

• Face-to-face communication allows for much better interpretation of messages.

• Misunderstood communications can have extremely negative consequences.

References

• Effectivemeetings.com: Are You a Good Listener
• The Communication Initiative Network: Shannon and Weaver's Communication Model