JOB SKILLS:
COMMUNICATION SKILLS LESSON
PART 2
Listen (or read) Closely
It
might sound corny, but a good
plan to follow when
communicating with someone is
the Golden Rule, that is, treat
others the way you want to be
treated. This is actually the
single most important element of
good communications.
When you are speaking or have
written a document, you want
others to give their full
attention and efforts to
politely understanding the
information and opinions you are
trying to express. So, do the
same when you are listening or
reading. This is discussed more
in Reciprocity, below. Often it
can help to keep a scratchpad or
notebook handy to jot down
highlights and key points the
other person is making. Not only
will this help you remember the
encounter (written OR verbal),
but it will also help you
formulate questions that might
arise from the communication.
Clarity and Coherence
Yes,
we’ve all heard the saying, “if
you can’t dazzle them with
brilliance, baffle them with b*,” but a confusing,
unorganized presentation of even
the most accurate information is
going to reduce your credibility
and, thus, your reputation. The
more time someone has to spend
wading through the “fluff” to
get to the “meat” of your
information, the less likely
they will be to take what you
have to say seriously.
Be concise as well. Don’t use
clichés, extra phrases like “you
know,” and don’t explain how to
build a clock when someone asks
you the time. You might even
consider jotting down an outline
of what you want to say. This
doesn’t mean it needs to be an
“official” outline with Roman
numerals for headings like you
learned to create back in
school. List the main points you
want to make, and list the
supporting ideas or information
for each point. Organize the
outline, make sure you haven’t
forgotten anything, and then,
stick to it!
Consistency
This goes
hand-in-hand with the above
point. It might involve the
formatting of a document, the
standard words and terms you use
to provide information, or even
the attitude you present with
your own personal style. If you
want your manager, coworkers,
and/or clients to see you as a
valuable and professional part
of your organization, then you
need to consistently present
that professional quality.
With many business
communications, your style of
communicating is the first – and
perhaps, the only – impression
people are going to get about
your attitude. Think of it like
this: when you go to an
interview, do you wear old,
grubby jeans and dirty t-shirt?
Of course not; it wouldn’t
present the image you want your
potential employer to see!! Now
consider the three phone calls
from a disgruntled client – you
want to present that same
professional image every time.
That is, you must be consistent
in the WAY you communicate.
In relation to the WAY you
communicate, also always ensure
that your grammar and
punctuation (or grammar and
pronunciation) are correct.
Again, your image is reflecting
back on everything and everyone
related to your company as well
as reflecting upon back on you –
and you don’t want to present an
image of someone too lazy to
learn the basic conventions of
the English language!
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3: Job Skills Communication Skills
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