How to Communicate Effectively?

Communication is one of the most important skills you can have in life and school is the best place to groom those skills. Knowing how to effectively communicate your message is not only beneficial for your exams, but if done properly, can be beneficial for your personal relationships as well. Whether you’re the head boy of a school or the CEO of a MNC, the ability to communicate effectively is critical for achieving success.

Here are some tips to help you communicate more effectively in your work:

1. Listen actively – Listening is an important part of successful communication. Make sure you are paying close attention to what the other person is saying and take notes if necessary. Only when you listen properly, you can communicate effectively, else your communication becomes irregular and irrelevant.

2. Be clear and concise – Be sure to clarify the doubts of your listeners and be clear about what to say. If you are confused about your content, your listeners would feel bored and uninteresting towards you. Complex sentences with a lack of coherence will turn off your listeners. You should be concise and straight to the point. You shouldn’t waste your time batting around the bush.

3. Prepare ahead of time- Before every conversation, take time to think about your message and plan out your points. This will make your communication more effective in the long run. Start with interesting introduction and expand your content or conversation based on the involvement of the listener. If he asks some questions, be sure to reply and satisfy him. Conclude your message with confidence and positivity.

4. Choose your words carefully- You should use language that is clear and easy to follow. If you use words that are not in sync with your listeners’ level, they will feel the content is not appropriate for them or is too difficult for them. Don’t use words and phrases that are ambiguous or that aren’t in sync with the level of your listeners. Choose words that effectively convey the content.

5. Body language should also be taken into consideration– The best way to facilitate better understanding is to maintain eye contact, to show a friendly and warm expression, and to avoid cross-arms or defensive posture. The body language of an individual should not convey an emotion that cannot be conveyed with words. When you feel grateful, your body language should reflect that feeling. In the same way, if you are upset, your body language should reflect that feeling. Avoid an aggressive attitude.

6. Add cheerfulness and humour- People enjoy fun and cheerfulness rather serious and prolonged harsh information. Try to add jokes and funny incidents whenever possible. That makes the atmosphere light and your listeners will enjoy to listen to you. Smile can end wars, is not it?

Communicate proper information effectively and accurately. Look for non-verbal cues from the listeners. If they look bored, you must change the subject or change your tone. Avoid developing one-sided communications. It is important to realize your listeners’ points of view and integrate it into your communications whenever applicable.

Wish you good luck.