Powerful Strategies To Improve Your Communication Skills

Articulate Yourself Brilliantly

The first thing people typically think of with communication skills is the ability to express themselves, and this is indeed one of the primary elements of brilliant communication—both in person and through the written word.Great communicators are clear. You need to determine what you’re really trying to say—the primary content of what you want to get across to others. And then express yourself with as many words as necessary, but as few as possible. One of the things that gets in the way of great communication is using too many words and stating your point with redundancy. People will get your message best when you’re concise and clear.You’ll also be a better communicator when you demonstrate energy. You don’t have to be over the top with your passion, but when you’re interested in what you have to say, others will be intrigued as well. People tend to turn off when they’re communicating with someone who lacks enthusiasm or a strong point of view—so ensure you’re engaged with your message and your listeners.

Express Yourself With Humility

Humility is also critical to great communication. You want to be confident, because people respect someone with a perspective of their own—but listeners also tend to be turned off by people who believe their opinion is the only one that counts.In fact, those who were perceived as humble were also perceived to have better job performance, according to a study by Baylor University. And leaders who admitted mistakes and who showed a willingness to learn were viewed more positively, based on a study at the University of Buffalo. And when you’re cooperative with others, you’ll be more likely to rise to leadership roles, according to a study published in Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science.The bottom line: Express yourself with confidence and clarity, but avoid forcing your ideas on others. Look for common ground, and ensure others know you’re open to learning, cooperating and connecting your perspectives with theirs. This will help your ideas stick and raise your influence.

Listen to Understand

After how you share your own messages, a second fundamental element of communication is listening well. When you listen effectively, it will help you adjust your message and get your point across, but it will also build trust and reinforce the relationship. And strong relationships help advance communication.Put away devices and distractions and tune into the other person. Try to quiet your own inner voice while they’re speaking and really pay attention not only to what they’re saying but to their experience, their emotions and the intention of their statements. Give them space and time to speak, without interrupting or using their talk-time to formulate your response