Learn to communicate
at all levels or perish
Proficiency in a language doesn’t always
determine how good a communicator you are
For too long, communication has been looked at as a “soft skill”
that relies on flourish and flair. It’s time we punctured that connotation.
Communicating well is hard.
Sure,
logical thinking and multiple perspectives lead to tangible action for ideas to
move and solutions to be implemented. But any chance of success for a solution
begins with getting colleagues, managers and clients to buy into and align with
your solution. This is tough and only possible if you engage people in a
constructive and inspiring way.
This is why communication plays a crucial,
indispensable role because the best thinking is no good if it can’t be absorbed
by others.
Proficiency in a language doesn’t always
determine how good a communicator you are. Effective communication—especially
in the workplace—is about being able to convey your thoughts lucidly so that
the people being addressed immediately get what is being said. In fact, some of
the best communicators we know don’t speak good English.
The recipe
for great communication is similar to what we said in the context of problem
solving. To solve a problem, you need to logically structure issues. It’s the
same with words and thoughts.
We are poor communicators because we don’t
reason, debate and question enough. To communicate and reason better, you need
to read. Then, you need to reason and think through better. Inculcating
reading, writing, and, through this, reasoning as a habit is the only way to
get at this.
Take a unit of work, whether it is problem
solving or execution. You begin by reading, hearing or watching something or
someone. This helps you comprehend the situation. You apply your analysis and
judgement to this understanding, and reason through to a certain decision or
outcome. To get this communicated or implemented, you now need to write, speak
or present, and the reading-writing-reasoning (the 3 Rs) communication loop
begins again.
Along with
structuring the content, understanding your audience is the biggest aspect of
communication that people miss out on. Connecting with different groups, and
different kinds of people, is very important. This goes beyond just
communicating. It’s the difference between how you would talk to your
grandmother, and how you would talk to a college friend.
Taking the
time out to understand the key motivation, or set the objective, for a
conversation helps establish a connect, as does recognizing which modes of
communication people prefer, what response times they expect and how
formal/informal they are in their communication styles.
Finally, as
with reading, learn to listen. People think taking up airtime is the core of
communication. They must speak and be heard. But the best communicators are
great listeners. Listening is actually a form of reading. Spend time not just
hearing, but actively listening.
An important impact of communication is its
ability to inspire and motivate. It’s only through communication that you show
your leadership, or experience somebody’s leadership. The way people perceive
you is built conversation by conversation, LinkedIn post by LinkedIn post and
email by email. Or, speech by speech, when it comes to political leaders and
opinion makers.
At our
workplaces, we experience people’s leadership in the way they conduct a
meeting, persuade people in a debate, carry out an awkward conversation,
resolve a conflict or address their teams. Often, it’s not just what they say,
it’s how they say it. The words they stress, the tone, or even how often they
communicate become data points we gather subconsciously. It influences how we look
at them. Others are watching you the same way.
Take charge
of your communications imprint. Begin by auditing yourself. Get help from a
friend, peer or family member whose communication abilities you admire. Use it
to lay down a road map for improvement.
It could be
the most important investment you make for your career.
Regards
Prof. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library &
Information Science (NET Qualified)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge
Repository
Khaitan & Co
Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978
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