Saturday, July 28, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Why Are Communication Skills Important?
Communication is the heart of every organisation. Everything you do in the workplace results from communication. Therefore good reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are essential if tasks are going to be completed and goals achieved. As you develop your career you will find various reasons why successful communication skills are important to you, for example:
1. To secure an interview.
Communication
Fashion To Go Fashion To Go Buy Elite Buying Ideas Buying Tags Cheap Sales Custom Items Daily Corner Daily Item Daily Tags Easy at Home Easy Purchase Ed-Buy Online Elite Market Elite Zone E-Shopping Mall Gift Shopping I-Shopping New Prices New Price Tags Online Grocery Shop for Online Shop In Style Shopping Cart Shopping Day AZ Shopping Cart Brand Sales 24 Hours For GiftsYou will need good communication skills to make sure your application letter is read and acted upon.
Why Are Communication Skills Important?
2. To get the job.
You will need to communicate well during your interview if you are to sell yourself and get the job you want.
3. To do your job well.
You will need to request information, discuss problems, give instructions, work in teams, interact with colleagues and clients. If you are to achieve co-operation and effective teamwork, good human relations skills are essential. Also, as the workplace is also becoming more global, there are many factors to consider if you are to communicate well in such a diverse environment.
4. To advance in your career.
Employers want staff who can think for themselves, use initiative and solve problems, staff who are interested in the long-term success of the company. If you are to be seen as a valued member of the organisation, it is important not just to be able to do your job well, but also to communicate your thoughts on how the processes and products or services can be improved.
Benefits of effective communication
The most successful organisations understand that if they are to be successful in today's business world, good communication at all levels is essential. Here is a useful mnemonic to remember the benefits you and your organisation can achieve from effective communication:
Stronger decision-making and problem-solving
Upturn in productivity
Convincing and compelling corporate materials
Clearer, more streamlined work flow
Enhanced professional image
Sound business relationships
Successful response ensured
Remember: Today's workplace is constantly changing, so learning more about effective communication will help us all adapt to our changing environments.
Why Are Communication Skills Important?
Shirley Taylor is a popular trainer and author of many successful books on communication and business writing skills. Shirley lives in Singapore and conducts popular workshops on business writing, communication skills and e-mail writing. Visit http://www.shirleytaylortraining.com and receive five complimentary special reports in the Seven Steps to Success series. Check out Shirley's books at http://www.stsuccessskills.com.
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Saturday, July 14, 2012
Effective Communication - A Key to Success in Business
By communication, people exchange. Communication is an essential attribute of human life, which is why we all spend most of our time either receiving or requesting for information. Lack of communication creates tensions and destroys personal and business relationships. The ability to exchange information or conversation with others is crucial to the success of the individual, family or business organization. It should be noted, however, that it is one thing to communicate but quite another thing to communicate effectively.
Ineffective communication usually results in failure, as it doesn't elicit the desired response in form of feedback from the receiver. This is the bane of many business organizations. Many managers do communicate, but often not very effectively. Lack of capacity to communicate effectively on the part of managers is the reason for the failure of many businesses. Every firm or business organization needs an effective communication network in order to function properly and achieve its set objectives. In this article, the focus will be on the indispensable role which effective communication plays in the daily functioning of a business organization. We shall start by looking at the meaning of effective communication from different angles and go on to examine its importance as well as how it can be achieved in business.
Communication
Looking at the Meaning of Effective Communication from Different Angles
Effective Communication - A Key to Success in Business
The ultimate goal of every form of communication - face-to-face meeting, telephone discourse, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, interview, email, letter or memo - is to get an expected response in form of feedback from the receiver to the sender. This is what effective communication is about. It is about ensuring that the information is well-packaged and properly transmitted, so that the recipient understands the message and responds positively. In other words, effective communication is the one that achieves the results for which it is intended.
Communication can be looked at from different angles, such as the mode of expression (oral or written, or even non-verbal communication), the purpose of communication, the audience, the information flow (vertical, horizontal or diagonal), etc. Communication can be internal (within the organization) or external (with outsiders). It can also be interpersonal or group communication; interpersonal when it involves two people and group when it takes the forms of meetings, discussions, symposia, conferences and workshops. There is also mass communication which has to do with communicating with the masses by the means of the radio, the television, the newspaper, the internet, etc.). From whichever angle it is looked at, communication can only be considered to be effective when it results in the desired feedback.
Oral communication involves the use of spoken words and could take the form of face-to-face conversation, interview, telephone discourse, voice mail, meetings, group discussions, oral instructions, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, etc. Oral communication is quick and permits immediate feedback as well as immediate response to feedback. Participants can ask questions and get immediate clarification. Moreover, gesture and facial expression can be used to reinforce the intended message. The limitations of oral communication include susceptibility to errors and misinterpretation and lack of permanence.
Written communication, as the name implies, involves the use of written words. It can come in the forms of business letters, memoranda, reports, minutes of meetings, written speeches, etc. Written communication has the advantages of revision before transmission, permanence and accessibility for reference purposes. It also reduces the risk of distortion in meaning; thus, it can be considered as an ideal medium for long and complex messages which, if relayed orally across many intermediaries, can easily be distorted or misinterpreted. Another advantage of the written medium is that it can easily be reproduced in many ways (e.g. photocopying) and distributed to many recipients. One of its major limitations is delayed feedback; the reading of long documents may be boring and the writing of a reply could also be delayed by a number of other factors. Written communication also lacks the presence of gesture, facial expression and other forms of body language capable of reinforcing meaning in communication.
The choice of medium of communication depends on the nature of the message to be transmitted. As earlier observed, while the written medium is the perfect medium for transactions that require permanent documentation, the oral medium is ideal for messages that require immediate feedback. One has to consider the circumstances in order to determine whether to use a telephone call, a face-to-face meeting, an email, a typed and signed document, etc. The factors to be considered when choosing the medium of communication include: urgency, formality, risk of misinterpretation, confidentiality, legal implications or the need for future reference, the nature and size of the audience, etc.
Communication in business is usually intended to achieve specific purposes, such as giving information, making inquiries, providing explanation, persuasion, reassurance, making transactions, etc. Communicating to inform is frequently an act of introducing, notifying, announcing or reporting; it is usually aimed at informing people about new product lines, prices, names, addresses, etc. If the purpose of communication is to persuade, the message has to be packaged with a view to moving the audience to action by the use of words. This type of communication is ideal for advertising a product or motivating employees.
When communication is purely for business transactions, such as contracts, agreements, receipts, etc., the message has to be packaged in a way that gives no room for misinterpretation or legal actions. In this type of communication, the emphasis is on the accuracy and appropriateness of given information, such as the date of transaction, the agreed terms and conditions, the agreed prices, the total sum and currency, names, addresses and signatures of parties to the agreement, etc. The point being made here is that, in order to achieve effective communication, the message must be packaged to serve the specific purpose as well as the particular occasion of communication.
How to Ensure Effective Communication in Business
It is important to note that poor or ineffective communication is responsible for a situation where the receiver doesn't understand what he or she has read or heard and thus cannot give any positive feedback. This implies that the hallmark of effective communication is a well-packaged and properly transmitted message - that is, a message that is capable of attracting the receiver's response in form of positive feedback.
Language should be seen as the most important form of effective communication. The communicator must ensure that the language he or she uses is clear, accurate and appropriate to the audience, purpose and occasion for which the message is intended. The use of informal language where a polite and formal register is required, for instance, can render the message ineffective. Wordiness or the use of unnecessarily complex constructions can only create room for misinterpretation; hence the acronym 'KISS': Keep it short and simple.
Also, the use of expressions, jargons and buzz-words that the audience is unfamiliar with can present barriers to them and thus hinder communication. Where technical language and terms are used, they must be defined and explained in accordance with the knowledge of the audience. Whatever is the purpose of the communication, the communicator must connect with the audience by using clear and precise language and removing every form of ambiguity or barrier so the audience can have a full understanding of the message.
Effective communication is best achieved when the purpose or central idea of the message is stated clearly and the subordinate ideas effectively identified and related to the main purpose in a naturally convincing manner. It is important to ensure that the material is arranged in a logical and coherent order, with each paragraph containing only one main idea that is clearly stated and supported with relevant, sufficient and persuasive points. To achieve coherence, new information must be linked to previously discussed information in a way that engages the reader and reinforces the main points. The conclusion of the message must restate the main purpose and specify the action to be taken.
Ensuring correctness or grammatically is also a vital aspect of effective communication, because ungrammaticality is capable of distorting meaning or undermining credibility, thereby hindering communication. It is very important to ensure that rules of grammar and syntax are followed, that correct words are used to convey the intended meaning and that punctuation reflects standard usage. Finally, the entire work must be proofread to ensure that the final copy is free of mechanical errors.
Above all, it should be noted that the purpose of business communication is, in broad terms, buying and selling. Business communication is usually about practical matters, such as products, prices, discounts, sales, delivery, payments and so forth. The successful businessman is one who achieves his goals, and to achieve his goals, he must communicate effectively through clearness of expression. He has to present his messages to his audiences in the clearest and most straightforward manner.
Every business communication aims to invoke some material and immediate response or action. Whether it is a face-to-face meeting, a telephone discourse, a sales letter, a letter of inquiry, a memo or a report, the aim is to get something done. Therefore, every business communication has to use clear and persuasive language in conjunction with appropriate action in order to connect with the audience and invoke the desired response.
Effective Communication - A Key to Success in Business
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012
6 Powerful Ways to Solve Communication Problems at Work
Is your organization suffering from severe communication problems? Someone once said that "communication is the lifeblood of an organization" - and it truly is. An organization that is experiencing a breakdown in communication will not live for very long because many problems will crop up and eventually cause the organization to die a natural death.
If your organization is experiencing communication problems, you must do what you can to resolve these as soon as possible. The life of your organization is at stake.
Communication
How do you know if your organization is experiencing communication problems? There are 12 possible signs that you should look out for:
6 Powerful Ways to Solve Communication Problems at Work
1) You find it hard to get some people to cooperate.
2) Some people are being left out of the communication
loop.
3) Replies to messages are being delayed or completely
ignored.
4) Groups in the organization are failing to reach their goals.
5) Mistakes are cropping up more and more often.
6) People are resorting more to criticism and placing the blame on other people.
7) Morale of teams is going down.
8) Productivity is dull or at zero level.
9) You receive many complaints.
10) Moments of conflict result in expressions of anger.
11) There is significant employee turnover.
12) Business is going to your competitors instead of
to you.
If you find that there are some or many (if not all) of these warning signs present in your organization, it is advisable for you to take steps to address such problems before they kill your organization.
How does one correct or resolve such problems? There are different steps to take to counter the prevalence of communication problems in organizations.
1) First, listen to the people involved or who have caused the communication problem in the first place. Doing so allows you to uncover the depth, nature and roots of the communication problem for that particular group of people.
2) If the problems are quite vast and have deeply-rooted causes, you may want to secure the help of a neutral negotiator. This third party may be able to get inside the problem more thoroughly than an insider because when communication problems crop up, the group involved may choose to clam up or point fingers rather than admit to their role in creating the problem.
3) To maintain confidentiality, it is possible to use a
tool such as a survey. People who might be scared to tell the truth because of reprisals would then have another safer option compared to coming out of the crowd.
4) After you have uncovered the problem and its roots, you may choose to initiate group counseling or training. The point of this is to address the problem of the group, rather than focusing on just one person. Finger-pointing is avoided. The saying "united we stand, divided we fall" should become the motto of the group.
5) It is important for the leader to have great communication skills so that communication problems can be resolved. Communication skills are required to diagnose communication problems, and naturally, provide the necessary solutions. Leaders who lack adequate communication skills might benefit from more training in communication.
6) Do your research - perhaps the communication problem you are experiencing now has occurred before in the history of the organization. And perhaps someone knows the solution that could work now. So look inwards into the heart of the organization, ask around, and you may find the way to properly address your organization's communication problems.
Remember, if your organization is already suffering communication problems, don't wait for these symptoms to get worse. Good communication is necessary for an organization to function properly and stay viable amidst the influx of a multitude of challenges from the environment. Act immediately on communication problems and stem the bleeding of your organization.
6 Powerful Ways to Solve Communication Problems at Work
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because it is available only at: conversation starters
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Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Dance and Communication
On Wednesday I watched a young couple's final private dance lesson before their forthcoming wedding next Saturday.
The engaged couple were not going to dance the traditional bridal waltz, but instead were dancing a slow romantic dance that had been skilfully choreographed to their favourite love song. Every facial expression, every body position and movement in that dance had this couple very clearly telling each other over and over, "I love you..., I love you..., I love you...". But, not a word was spoken.
Communication
This slow romantic dance was immediately followed by a very lively Mambo. The dancing couple through this second dance said to me the observer, "yes, we love each other dearly and we are really going to have fun and enjoy our lives together".
Dance and Communication
I have taught tertiary courses on communication, and have used the following scenarios to demonstrate to students that communication is not just about verbalisations and the written word.
"OK, pair up and when I say 'go', I want you to maintain eye contact with each other for thirty seconds only, but don't communicate anything."
We would then discuss this scenario as a class and generally the consensus would be that the eyes are very important in the communication process. And, of course they are.
A second scenario I sometimes used was to get one of the students to walk outside the classroom and to then come in and be very careful not to even fleetingly give eye contact to anyone in the room. This student had been told not to communicate anything to anyone.
Of course, it can not be done.
We can not, not communicate.
But, some forms of communication are more powerful than others.
And, what a powerful form of communication is DANCE.
My friend and Flamenco Dance expert Tomás Dietz sent me an article he had written last week on Flamenco. The article is called "What is Flamenco?", and I have published it on my Australian Dance Directory dot info web site.
His introduction reads:
Flamenco is a complex art form firmly woven into the fabric of Spain's Andalucian culture, expressed through passionate singing, driving guitar accompaniment and intensely emotional percussive dancing that involves arching bitter sweet body movements and shotgun footwork.*
Understanding that the dance's history can be traced back to the 15th Century and the shocking atrocities suffered by the Spanish Inquisition and with the many different cultures involved, gives a whole new meaning when seeing the dance performed.
Modern Jive, Swing, Rock 'N' Roll, and several other dances have their roots in the dances danced by Afro-Americans back in the 1920's and 1930's. I have written and published another article on the history of these dances called, "Hopping at the Savoy". To these dancers at the time, DANCE, was probably more important as a communication tool than language itself.
There are thousands of different dances and many hundreds of styles of dance, and any one of them could be looked at as a communication tool. But if I was to give more exemplification here, this would become an epic and not just an article on dance and communication.
Dances are capable of expressing the whole range of human emotions. And, the more the dancers of the dance feel those emotions, generally the more convincing the dance performance will be.
Dancers, whether they dance Classical Ballet, Tap, Flamenco or whatever are generally passionate about their particular dance style or styles. As a professional working in the area of communication, education and training, and also someone who is passionate about dance, I have published a suite of fifteen web sites covering all styles and all aspects of dance.These sites including a dance blog are all listed in the Australian Dance Directory dot info web site.
But DANCE, is one of my passions, it is not my business. As already mentioned, dance can be a powerful communication tool. But, also as I have mentioned, it is impossible not to communicate. But how effective that communication is, can be a very relevant issue. My company Professional Performance Australia (PPA) is involved with communication and professional development. We use a simple but extremely effective model called "CPS" for firms to arrive at better solutions. The CPS (Communication and Problem Solving at Work) model was developed by Dr Charles Margerison and has been effectively used by major corporations throughout the world. Eight out of ten major corporations in Australia are currently using this program. I am happy to give the link to a short video of Dr Charles Magerison being interviewed about this model to anyone who contacts me and asks for it. PPA also has a range of other workplace communication programs such as negotiating and bargaining.
My contact details are on the web site listed below. So whether you are a dancer or not, if you are involved in a business that may on occasions encounter some problems that need solving, the CPS model will certainly be of assistance to you
Happy Dancing
* What is Flamenco? - author Tomás Dietz - May, 2007 - published on Australian Dance Directory dot info
Dance and Communication
Ian McKenzie is a Director of Professional Performance Australia, but also loves to dance. His web site [http://www.ianmckenzieslinks.com] has his contact details and links to his company and other sites.
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Sunday, July 1, 2012
Communication Quiz: Are You a Great Communicator?
Communication, which occupies approximately 70% of our waking hours, is what many leaders find the most frustrating. The fact is most of us were never taught how to communicate in a way that produces desired results, so we continue to experience frustration, resistance, conflicts, or breakdowns. Think of a recent important conversation. How many of these questions can you answer YES to?
Did I taking full responsibility for the message being heard by the other person? (Remember, it doesn't matter what you say, it only matters what the other person hears.)
Did I respect the other person's point of view? (Did I have a reaction to what they were saying that prevented me from listening to their full message?)
Did the other person feel heard and understood? (Did I acknowledge them?)
If I was asking someone to take a specific action, did I make my request clear?
Was I speaking in a way the other person can understand? (Speaking in their communication style.)
Was I communicating openly, without prejudices, expectations and judgment? (Was I focused on having to be right or hearing their point of view?)
Did the other person leave the conversation feeling good - with some value?
Did I leave the conversation feeling good - with some value?
Did I follow-up to see if the conversation was successful - it led to the desired results?
If the outcome of the conversation did not meet my expectations, did I learn what I could improve upon to better communicate with that particular person?
So how did you score?
Communication
8-10 Yeses indicate you're the tops. Keep up the good work.
Communication Quiz: Are You a Great Communicator?
4-7 Yeses is OK. Brush up in certain areas.
0-3 means you have work to do.
Here are four ways to be a better communicator and leader:
Talk less and hear more.
We want to be heard and listened to but we don't always concentrate on listening to others. We focus more on our agenda than on the other person's thoughts, concerns or issues.
Don't assume others are mind readers.
We want some kind of action or response from another person. However, we don't let them know what we really want or how to achieve it. Before assuming the other knows what you want, first inform and then ask for feedback. Take the time upfront to get better mileage later on.
Don't shot the messenger.
We want to understand but our ability to understand is tainted by our perceptions of the person speaking or the outcome we are looking to achieve. So, we often pass judgment on the speaker and disregard the message. Concentrate on the message not the messenger.
Join forces.
We want acceptance and agreement from others, so much so, that we often become consumed with having to be right or proving our point. We push and push our agenda. Rather, stop, look and listen for areas of mutual agreement. Then work from there to co-create a greater outcome together.
The next time you are involved in an important conversation pause your mental and verbal tape player for a moment. Then start really listening. It's amazing what you will discover. Perhaps information that can lead to your leadership and business success.
Communication Quiz: Are You a Great Communicator?
Marcia Zidle, a business and leadership development expert, works with entrepreneurial organizations who want to be a dominant player in competing for customers, clients, funding or community awareness.
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy say, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”. Well business, government and community leaders, Marcia says, “It’s no longer business as usual anymore; its business that has to better than usual.”
Do you want to be better than usual? Then subscribe to Making Waves! a free monthly e-newsletter with quick lessons on better, faster, smarter ways to lead. Sign up now at http://www.LeadersAtAllLevels.com and get a 35 page bonus e-book: Make Bold Change! 101 Ways to Stomp Out Business As Usual. Or contact Marcia directly at 800-971-7619.
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