Professional Communication i.e., the ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and precisely across teams and organisations is one of the most important skills and the foundation for an upcoming leader and a successful business.
Today’s business environment is even more complex and evolving quickly, with tons of different communication tools being invented and improved. This space has become even more important and challenging. Hence, the ability to communicate with clarity becomes even more important. The good news? These skills can be learned and even mastered!
Here are a few ways by which you can improve and get clarity in Professional Communication -:
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Be Concise in Professional Communication
Before you engage with your audience in any form of communication, make sure you have a clear goal in mind and have clearly identified and defined the objective of your communication. This will ensure no irrelevant information and remove unnecessary details and words hindering your communication.
The key to Powerful Professional Communication is clarity. This will make your communication persuasive and impactful. Professional Communication is all about wordplay. Remember, less is more; more words will not necessarily improve your communication; it might even worsen it!
Avoid unnecessary words and overly complex terms, which might distract your audience. Be Clear and Concise!
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Be Mindful of Non-Verbal Cues
Our Body Language, Gestures, and Facial expressions often do more than our words! A study shows that non-verbal communication can have 70-90% more impact on professional communication than spoken messages or words! Astonishingly, people are likelier to believe non-verbal cues than spoken words during an argument or disagreement.
Non-verbal cues can enhance professional communication and help you deliver your message more clearly. Sometimes, people will understand the message not by your words but by those non-verbal cues. So Practice Non-Verbal Communication!
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Master Active Listening
Communication is nearly always between two or more individuals. Hence, listening becomes as important as speaking, but we often don’t realise how challenging listening is.
During research, many experts concluded that we only absorb about half of what the other person says during any given conversation. Active listening ensures that we can communicate effectively with others, helps us improve, and makes our message even clearer.
Here are a few basic tips for Active listening: Give the speaker your undivided attention, clear your mind of all distractions, maintain positive body language, and Rephrase and paraphrase your message after listening properly.
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Speak your mind
You don’t merely beat around the bush during Professional Communication as people lack time and patience. So, be direct without being unpleasant. There is a popular feedback model to say exactly what you mean, which will greatly enhance your professional communication.
Why does this model work? The model is simple; it works on objectives and focuses on behaviour! Here’s how it works;
The 3W Feedback Model for Professional Communication:-
- What: Be specific and describe the situation or the behaviour. Observe carefully!
- Why: Explain the impact of what you observed or the significance of that behaviour.
- Way: Offer Suggestions, areas of improvement, and ways to help them.
Using this model will definitely help you during your professional communication journey!
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Summarise and Ask to Summarize
Sounds weird, right? However, this strategy is very important in improving your professional communication. Let’s first understand why it’s important to summarise. During conversations or while you communicate, your message may go in other directions without a clear outcome!
With Bullet points or a summary, you can create a flow faster and ensure a higher success rate during professional communication, ensuring that your message is delivered clearly! But why ask someone to summarise?
You need to ensure that your message is received and understood. This is important during professional communication, as a misunderstood conversation can lead to a huge loss! Ask questions and encourage feedback to ensure your message is clearly perceived.
Mastering professional communication and, more than that, ensuring clarity are essential for success in today’s evolving business environment. Being concise, leveraging Non-verbal cues, practising active listening, and summarising effectively can significantly enhance your professional communication.
As businesses continue to evolve, the ability to communicate professionally, precisely, and clearly becomes very important. Start implementing these strategies today, elevate your professional communication skills, and achieve greater success in your career.