Good communication is the foundation of any successful business. Without proper communication, processes fall apart, and unnecessary work is generated. Being a clear and concise communicator will benefit all aspects of your organization.
There are several things you can do to immediately improve your communication skills.
Start by being prepared for every communication. Whether it’s an impromptu staff meeting, employee coaching, or a formal letter to a customer; always know what you are going to say before you say it. Write notes before meetings and practice what you plan to say. A little preparation and practice will help ensure you include all the important points when you speak while also helping prevent you from over communicating.
Letters and documents should be written, reviewed and edited before being released to others. This helps ensure your written words are clear and concise. If possible, have someone read your memos and important documents to help you develop your writing skills. As you devote more time to honing your written communication skills, it will become much easier. It may seem time-consuming at first, but you will soon see that it makes it much easier to ensure you say exactly what you mean. A “second set of eyes” can spot mistakes and inconsistencies you might miss.
Saying everything you need to say and not rattling on after you have made your point are equally important. It is critical to be clear and to give enough information. However, spending too much time making a point will only help you to lose your audience, ensuring they don’t really hear anything you said.
Being an effective communicator is one of the most important aspects of leadership. If you find that this is an area of weakness for you, there are many organizations that can help you learn to communicate more clearly and be more comfortable with public speaking. Fear of public speaking is common, and groups like this can be especially effective at helping you overcome this fear.
If you feel weak in the area of business writing, we have and Alliance partner that can help. These courses are well worth the price to help you learn to create written communications that are effective without spending an inordinate amount of time doing so.
Every business leader should be a good communicator. With some attention and time, you can make communicating with clarity one of your strong suits as a leader.