If you
check any job postings, you'll see that almost all positions-from
middle entry level and on up-list excellent communications
skills as a requirement.
Yet
I have never heard of anyone who has decided not to apply
for a position because he believed his communication skills
were not good enough. Most people equate their communication
skills with breathing. They are alive; therefore, they are
good communicators.
But
strong communication skills are an acquired art. They must
be learned, honed and conscientiously practiced.
According
to the dictionary, to communicate means "to transmit
information, thought or feeling so that it is satisfactorily
received or understood." Therefore, communication is
a double-barreled word, it involves transmitting as well
as receiving skills. Under receiving skills we have listening
and reading. Under transmitting are speaking and writing.
People
assume they are good communicators because they have taken
some writing courses in school, can carry on a conversation
and are able to read a newspaper. They overlook the fact
that the basis of all communication is listening, and few
people are professionally trained in this area.
Listening
Serves as the Basis
Poor
listening skills can create misunderstandings, a loss of
ideas, clients, customers and a lowering of morale.
Listening
is an extremely complex skill. It involves five steps: sensing,
selecting, interpreting, storing and responding. Each step
must be carefully followed before the next step can be executed.
We have to be able to absorb both the content (the words)
and the context (the delivery) of the message into our stream
of consciousness. We have to focus on a specific portion
of the message and mix it with our experiences and knowledge
to provide a proper interpretation. Then, we have to store
the information in the correct area of our minds and prepare
to respond.
To add
to the complexity, each of us has a listening preference.
We may pay more attention to messages that do one of the
following:
- offer
entertainment
- skip
to bottom-line information
- provide
technical details
- deliver
non-verbal clues
- create
bonds
- offer
us a chance to criticize
When
we get stuck in our listening preference, we cannot climb
the ladder to successful communication. Smart communicators
are aware of their natural listening styles and know how
to adapt their style to meet the specific needs of the moment.
In a
study completed by the University of Minnesota and later
repeated by Florida State University, Michigan State University
and Denver University, it was proved that without training
we operate-on a good day-at a 25 percent rate of our listening
capacity.
How
about asking someone who knows you well how he or she would
rate your listening ability?
Reading
Builds Retention
The
second communication skill for successful business people
in the receiving area is reading. Research conducted during
the Gulf War demonstrated that people who received their
updates only from radio and TV broadcasts were not as knowledgeable
about the situation as people who obtained their information
from the print media.
However,
the "information explosion" has produced too much
to read and too little time to accomplish it. As a result,
knowing what to read and when to read has become an essential
skill. However, many people need to overcome faulty reading
habits, such as superficiality (skimming over important
details), slowness (reading with sub-vocal speech), rereading
(backtracking) and working in a poor environment (distractions).
How
fast do you read? Do you know when to read for an overview
and when to read for depth?
Speech
Creates Believability
Let's
look at the transmitting side of communication-speech and
writing. Speech is the area where you are judged and instantly
found interesting or wanting by your listeners. If you speak
well, people will think you are smart. If you don't, you
will be labeled stupid.
As with
listening, context and content both play a role. Research
shows 90 percent of what people remember about you has to
do with the context: how you look, your body language, carriage
and the volume, tone and pitch of your voice.
In terms
of the content, be careful with the words you choose. Certain
words can make people feel uncomfortable and even build
resistance. For example, the phrase you should subconsciously
irritates most people. A more diplomatic way would be to
say, I urge/encourage/suggest or I want
Speakers
are often told to ask their listeners questions to ensure
they are interpreting the message correctly. However, questions
beginning with why often put people on the defensive. Instead
of Why did you do that?, it would be better to ask: What
made you decide to take that approach?
Pay
attention to the fillers you use when talking. Some people
add phrases to their speech that discount their knowledge
or predict failure. These are phrases such as: I guess,
I don't know, This may be stupid but..., I may have missed
something here but... Or, they leave weak messages on their
voice mail: I am sorry I am not in right now. A stronger
message would state: I appreciate your call. I will be back
in my office at 2 o'clock. Please leave a message.
When
you speak do you come across as an intimidator, a wimp or
a confident professional?
Writing
Provides a Record
Writing
records ideas and events, provides information, requests
action and persuades people. Yet it is the most difficult
of all the communication skills because there is no immediate
feedback. You do not have your audience's body language
or questions to determine whether they fully understand
your message and will take the appropriate action. In addition,
your readers do not have the context to aid them. They can't
tell by your spoken tone whether a comment is meant to be
amusing or insulting/friendly or condescending, and they
make their own interpretation.
I have
two other concerns in relation to writing. One, although
writing styles are constantly changing with technology and
the changing marketplace many people are using an outdated
style. Two, the writing style taught in schools is an all-purpose
style and doesn't fit completely with the needs of today's
business readers.
When
was the last time you checked the style and tone of your
writing?
Whether
you are involved with manufacturing, service, the public
or private sector, communication is the cornerstone of every
enterprise. Good communication skills should not be listed
as a job requirement and then forgotten. They should be
measured in every performance appraisal so they become the
goals of all managers and staff.
Lee
Iacocca, in his autobiography, claims a successful manager
must be able to express his thoughts clearly in both writing
and in speaking and be able to listen. How high can you
rate yourself?
