8 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

8 Ways to Improve
Your Communication Skills

With ever increasing methods
of electronic communication being employed in business, it is no wonder
that good verbal communication skills have been forgotten.  But
in order for a leader to engage the people and create a loyal following,
it is imperative that objectives, achievements, guidelines and rewards
be communicated face to face.

Here are 8 things to consider
when you want to improve communication within your organization.

1. Prepare yourself. 
   Regardless of what type of talk, speech or presentation you are doing,
   never forget to gather your information and plan what you want to say
   beforehand.  Not only will this help you speak with added confidence,
   it will also help ensure that nothing you want to say is overlooked.




2. Smile. 
   It relaxes your audience, whether you’re talking to one person or
   a group of twenty. Even if the subject you are about to delve into is
   
   less than pleasant, a smile starts everything off on a positive note. 




3. Relax. 
   Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself before you begin.  Not
   only will this help ease jittery nerves it will clear your head and
   help you to think and speak better.  If you appear tense and uncomfortable,
   your audience will feel the same way.  When you relax, they relax.




4. Be honest. 
   You may be about to deliver poor performance stats for the year end
   or you may be relaying other negative news, but once you decide to speak,
   you have to tell it like it is.   Trying to sugar coat details
   or dress things up in descriptive language will only cause uncertainty
   and confusion.




5. Find a positive. 
   If you have to be the bearer of bad news, try to find some positive
   idea to deliver as well.  Be certain that it is something genuine
   and something that you believe, not something manufactured or insincere
   thrown in to lighten the tone.  The instant you lie to your listeners,
   
   you will lose their respect.




6. Share your passion. 
   Remember you are the leader.  You want to move and inspire your
   people.  You want to share your vision and your strategies for
   achieving company goals.  If you believe in what you’re communicating,
   (and you should) then speak so others will believe it too!  Don’t
   be afraid to share your emotions and your feelings.  That is where
   passion is born!




7. Listen. When
   you’ve had a chance to say your piece, allow time for the audience
   to give their input.  Always remember there is no such thing as
   a stupid question or a crazy idea.  Any suggestion, complaint or
   comment can provide an opportunity for creative problem solving. Make
   sure that every member of your staff or audience knows that their opinion
   matters and that not only do you want to hear what they have to say,
   but that you actually want to listen to what they are saying.




8. Have fun.
   A sense of humor can open people up when they would otherwise like to
   tune you out, and can often turn what might be a disaster into an opportunity.

Description: Effective communication
is an important skill for all good leaders.  Find out the 8 steps
to being a good communicator.

Tags: leadership, leadership
skills, leadership communication, effective communication, how to communicate
effectively, effective communication skills