How to improve your Communication Skills?

This is the most asked question nowadays. I have students pouring in to improve their communication skills. It’s the need of the hour. Professionals with good communication skills do well in their career. Students with good communication skills pursue education at the best of universities. Read ahead about the 5 principles that will help you improve your communication skills.

Engaging in an effective communication is a very important skill that one should possess. A fruitful conversation gives utmost satisfaction. Right from one’s parents to friends to office colleagues, one’s communication skills count. 

The most important thing that brings you one step closer to your job and helps in distinguishing between you and fellow interviewee is ‘how you communicate’. So, if you are a confident speaker, you at least have that one surety that even if something does not go right, your oratory skills will back you up. 

There are various principles of communication. In this post, we will focus on the basic principles of communication because it is very important to start from the basics to have a good conversation. These principles are generally overlooked by people and then sometimes communication becomes controversial or can also be misunderstood. So let’s discuss about the principles.

Improve your communication skills by understanding the 5 principles of communication.

1) SPEAKING

It is a very essential component in the process of communication. It involves the use of language and language involves the use of symbols. These symbols are packed with meanings within them and then we have to encode and decode the meaning to understand the other person.

There is a huge array of words in a dictionary but a good communicator should know how to choose the appropriate words. Language, if not spoken correctly can be misunderstood and that is certainly not a good sign of a good communicator. Therefore, one should adjust their vocabulary to the level of those whom they are talking to. Basically, a good communicator adjusts the language according to the other person’s vocabulary.

2) LISTENING 

After speaking, the most important factor is listening. If you do not listen or if you are not attentive, you can be judgemental very soon and therefore, you will lack the capacity to analyse and respond in a better manner. 

Remember, hearing and listening are two different things. Hearing is more of a biological activity which involves reception of a message through our various senses and listening is a wholesome process that involves everything from reception, attention, assignment of meaning and response.

3) ATTENTION

Note that just hearing and listening is not enough. It is also very important to pay attention to what the other person is speaking. Try to understand the meaning. Divided attention makes it very difficult to understand what someone is trying to communicate.

4) PARAPHRASING 

Have you ever heard the word paraphrasing?

A paraphrase is a restatement of the meaning of a text or passage using other words.

It is a unique technique that allows you to judge your understanding. This basically involves narrating a summary of whatever you have understood. This also involves asking questions. 

Remember the most important principle of life is not to be ashamed of asking questions. The more the number of questions you ask, the more the communicator will know that you are trying to understand. It’s important to understand the speaker clearly. Paraphrasing or restating the speaker’s message helps in understanding that the message has been clearly understood. Asking questions help in clearing doubts, if any.

These were the 4 basic principles of communication. Pay attention to them and you will have your communication moving in the right direction. Let’s move to the 5th principle.

5) BODY LANGUAGE

The non-verbal acts are very important in a communication process. This is our body language. We may or may not be aware of our body language so it’s very important to be alert all the time. Whether in an interview or a conversation with a boss or a faculty head, make sure your posture is upright, you maintain an eye contact and yield a positivity in your body language. Your body language plays an important part in your communication process so you have to get it right.

Read 7 tips to improve your interview performance here.

Keep these 5 principles of communication in mind. These are not only useful for special occasions, but also very beneficial for your day to day conversations. Follow the five mantras of speaking, listening, paying attention, assignment of meaning and finally your body language. 

Remember you can achieve expertise in communication with practice so keep practicing with your friends and family. You can also practice with yourself and engage in a fruitful and insightful conversation with yourself.

You can also avail my Premium Communication Skills coaching and become a master of communication. My mentees are achieving their personal and professional goals. Time for you to achieve your goals too.

Tanya

Instagram | Youtube | Facebook Page | Facebook Group