How to Communicate Effectively in the Workplace

Effective communication is one of the key skills one must master in order to succeed in the workplace. It’s the base of any flourishing and lasting relationship, whether personal or professional. Many people believe that communication is all about picking the right words and saying what the other wants to hear, but there’s so much more to it. Many of us are too focused on redeeming the surface-level benefits of communication. Communication can take many shapes, and navigating them can help us relate efficiently with others and find greater fulfillment in all corners of our lives. 

The more relevant subject to discuss is how communication can benefit you in the workplace. It is important to consider that the values you maintain outside of the workplace to keep your relationships healthy and consistent can be transferred into your relationships with your colleagues at work. Let HRMatrix introduce you to the basic tips that can help you improve your communication skills.

1. Be an engaged listener

The way you choose to send your message really matters. Yet, equally important, if not more important, is how well you know to pay attention, to listen, and to receive your interlocutor’s points.

It’s not the same thing to just be quiet and listen to a person than to actually be there with your thoughts and emotions, to be an engaged listener. To wait your turn while someone is speaking is not recommended as it deters you from actually engaging. Keep this in mind as you listen to others.

2. Express yourself

Be particular in your communication. Pick and choose words that best represent your message as communication is about expressing yourself. It’s about sharing your thoughts and feelings with others in a truthful and open way. 

3. Pay attention to nonverbal signs

When we communicate with each other, we rarely use only words because that is monotonous. Most of the time, we are using our body language—which includes gestures, facial expressions, voice tones, eye contact, posture, and breathing—to display our message.

That’s why we must learn to spot all these nonverbal signs and learn how to properly use them in order to display our message as accurately as possible. Learning to understand and use body language will help you connect and establish relationships with others more easily because everyone wants to communicate with a person who genuinely listens, cares, and understands.

4. Control your emotions

Far too often, when we touch on a sensitive subject, we let our emotions lead us in a conversation. Sometimes, we then forget the entire point of that conversation, leading to an unpleasant situation where we say things that we later regret.

Strong feelings like love and stress can easily cloud our thoughts during conversations and make us no longer think rationally. In these situations, emotional management techniques can help us return to a relaxed and rational state and enable us to engage with others without losing our grip. This is a very important quality in the workplace because it helps maintain professional standards.

5. Make intentional language choices

Last, but not least, the words we choose to speak can have a huge impact on our message, and they can determine how effectively it is passed on to listeners. For instance, if you’re a team leader and want to let your team know that you’re in this together, use pronouns like “us” and “we” while talking. This way, they will start to think of themselves more like a part of the team and less like an individual part of the company as it inspires teamwork.