Good communication skills are important in every aspect of our lives—personal, as well as professional. Good and effective communication is when we say something and it is interpreted correctly by the person receiving it

Today, everyone CXOs, managers, team leaders, and others—need to make the most of their communication skills. From conducting a meeting, making a presentation, or talking privately, you have to communicate clearly to engage with your listeners and make an impact.

Effective communication can not only help build a better professional image but also increase a person’s self-confidence and improve relationships. At the same time, vagueness in communication or misinterpretations can have a negative impact on your personal life, as well as your job. The ability to communicate effectively is an art that everyone is not blessed with. Here are some basic do-s and don’t-s of good communication tips that you can try to learn…

The Do-s

Plan Ahead: Before starting a conversation, prepare yourself mentally. For instance, figure out the purpose of the conversation and the best outcome—a positive and productive one—such as building a better working relationship or a lifetime friend.

Gain Confidence: Confidence mainly comes with experience, but one can also gain confidence by preparing systematically. The next time that you have a difficult, or sensitive, message to communicate, make a rough draft. Write down what you want to say. Step away for a while, and then approach it with a fresh perspective for a final edit. You can play it out in your mind, or with a friend or colleague, too. This way, you can edit the message, if needed. It will increase your confidence and you will be able to deliver the message with more certainty and confidence.

Keep Messages Clear, and Concise: Ensure that your message, or letter, is clear, and free from unnecessary jargon and try to keep it brief. While speaking, try to ensure what you are saying is understood by the audience or person you are talking to. You can ask for feedback from listeners and offer clarification before ending the conversation/discussion.

Be There: This may seem easy, but we do not always do it because our attention often gets diverted.  According to research, our mind wonders about 50% of the time. And, if you add the innumerable texts and e-mails that we receive, it becomes much harder to focus. But multi-tasking shows a lack of respect. So, while talking to someone, you should let them know you are there and actively listening. It can be easily done with little things, such as asking a few questions in between, summarizing what they just said, and by making eye contact once in a while.

 

And Yes… The Don’t-s

Avoid One-Sided Conversation: Try to truly engage with the other person or persons. We should remember to listen, ask relevant questions and show genuine curiosity. These are the pillars of good communication. And the best conversations can happen when you feel heard and in tune with one another. This can happen when you have two-sided interaction, where both parties are engaged and interested. Remember this the next time you engage in a conversation, especially a challenging one.

Don’t Blame Others: Blaming others and calling names never help when you try to attack the other person. It is a sign of unhealthy exchange! Also, asking somebody to be more like ‘X’ can put an individual down and make them feel discouraged. Besides, it does not accomplish anything at all! If things heat up to a sticky level, you should step away and try to deal with it later, so that the time gap can provide both a perspective.

Shun Extreme Language: Extreme language can never help you in any situation. You can use something like, ‘This makes me feel…’, instead of ‘You always…’, or ‘You never…’

Don’t Assume: Many a time, we reach conclusions in our minds. For instance, ‘My boss doesn’t care about me because he/she has not given me a promotion yet’ and so on. Generally, we assume that we know the other person’s thoughts and intentions based on our own feelings. And, when we take an approach with a certain conclusion in our mind, we don’t leave space for dialogue. Therefore, for a productive exchange, we have to be open to the fact that we may not be aware of the whole story.