+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reaclng Efecively = ®@ MindTools Q woogie How Good Are Your Communication Skills? MTC) By the Mind Tools Content Teen Communication is one of the most important skills that you need to succeed in the workplace. If you want to be an expert communicator, you need to be effective at all points in the communication process - from "sender" through to "receiver" - and you must be comfortable with the different channels of communication - face to face, online, written, and so on. This is because poor communicators often struggle to develop their careers beyond a certain point. So, how can you find out how good your communication skills really ere? Take this short quiz to find out, The Communication Quiz Instructions For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis 18*120723, 4:30 PM How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecvely ®@ MindTools oO Not at 15 Statements to Answer i 1.| try to anticipate and predict possible causes cf confusion, and oO I ceal with them up front. 2. When I write a memo, email, or other cocumert, | give all of the background information anc Oo cetail | can to make sure that my message is uncerstood. 3, If don't uncerstanc something, | tend to keep this to. Oo myself and figure it aut later. 4. I'v surprised to find thet people haven't understood what oO I've said, 5. | can tenc to say what | think, without worrying about how the other person perceives it. | oO assume that we'll be able to work it out later, 6. When people talk to me, | try to Oo see their perspectives. 7.1 use email to communicate complex issues with people. It's Oo quick and efficient. 8, When | finish writing 2 report, Oo memo, or email, | scar it guickly ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis Rarely oO Sometimes ® Often oO Very often O 216*120723, 4:30 PM How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecvely ®@ MindTools oO 9, When talking te people, | pay oO oO Oo Oo © attention to their body languace, 10. | use ciagrams and charts to Oo Oo Oo © Oo help express my ideas. 11, Before | commuricate, | think about what the person needs to Oo Oo Oo © Oo know, anc how best to convey it. 12, When someone's talking to me, | think ebout what I'm gcing to say next to make sure | get my °o Oo oO Oo © point across correctly, 13, Before I senc a message, | think about the best way to communicate it (in person, over Oo Oo Oo oO © the phone, in 2 newsletter, via memo, and so on). 14. I try to Felp people understane the uncerlying concepts behind the point lam Oo Oo © Oo Oo discussing. This recuces misconceptions ard increases understancing. 15, Icorsider cultural barriers when planning ny ® oO oO oO O corrmuricaticns. ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis ane+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efectvely ®@ MindTools oO 136-55 You're a capable communicator, but you sometimes experience communication problems. Take the time to think about your approach to communication, and focus on receiving messages effectively, as much as sending them. This will help to improve your ability to communicate. (Read below to start.) Detailed Interpretation Whenever you communicate with someone else, you each follow the steps of the Communication Process (see figure 1, below). Figure 1. The Communication Process During this process, the person who is the source of the communication encodes it into a message, and transmits it through a channel. The receiver decodes the message, and, in one way or another, feeds back his or her understanding or a lack of understanding to the source. By understanding the steps in the process, you can become more aware of your role in it, recognize what you need to do to communicate effectively, anticipate ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/adyScto!now-good-are-your-communication-kils ane+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efectvely ®@ MindTools oO communicate at each stage of the process. The Source - Planning Your Message (Questions 2, 11) Before you start communicating, take a moment to figure out what you want to say, and why. Don't waste time conveying information that isn't necessary - and don't waste the listener or reader's time either. Too often, people just keep talking or writing because they think that by saying more they'll surely cover all the points. Often, however, all they do is confuse the people that they're talking to. To plan your communication: Understand your objective. Why are you communicating? Understand your audience. With whom are you communicating? What do they need to know? Plan what you want to say, and how you'll send the message. Seek feedback on how well your message was received. ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/adyScto!now-good-are-your-communication-kils 56+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skis? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecively ®@ MindTools oO Good communicators use the KISS@ ("Keep It Simple and Straightforward") principle. They know that less is often more, and that good communication should be efficient as well as effective. Encoding - Creating a Clear, Well-Crafted Message (Questions 1, 5, 8,10, 15) When you know what you want to say, decide exactly how you'll say it. You're responsible for sending a message that's clear and concise. To achieve this, you need to consider not only what you'll say, but also how you think the recipient will perceive it. We often focus on the message that we want to send, and the way in which we'll send it. But if our message is delivered without considering the recipient's perspective, it's likely that part of that message will be lost. To communicate more effectively: Understand what you truly need and want to say. ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/adyScto!now-good-are-your-communication-kils ene+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Resclng Efecively ®@ MindTools oO Choose words and body language that allow the other person to really hear what you're saying. With written communication®, make sure that what you write will be perceived the way you intend. Words on a page generally have no emotion - they don't "smile" or "frown" at you while you're reading them (unless you're a very talented writer, of course!) When writing, take time to do the following: Review your style. Avoid jargon or slang. Check your grammar and punctuation. Check also for tone, attitude, nuance, and other subtleties. If you think the message may be misunderstood, it probably will. Take the time to clarify it! Familiarize yourself with your company's writing policies or style guides, ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis m6+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efectvely ®@ MindTools oO these to communicate clearly. Also, whether you speak or write your message, consider the cultural context. @ If there's potential for miscommunication or misunderstanding due to cultural or language barriers, address these issues in advance. Consult with people who are familiar with these types of barriers and do your research, so that you're aware of problems you may face. See our article on Effective Cross-Culture Communication® for more help. Choosing the Right Channel (Questions 7, 11, 13) Along with encoding your message, you need to choose the best communication channel to use to send it. You want to be efficient, while also making the most of your communication opportunity. Using email to send simple directions is practical. However, if you want to delegate @ complex task, an email will probably just lead to more questions, sc it may be best to arrange a time to speak in person. And if your communication has any negative emotional content, stay well away from email! Make sure that ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis ane+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Resclng Efecively ®@ MindTools oO The sensitivity and emotional content of the subject. How easy it is to communicate detail. The receiver's preferences. Time constraints, The need to ask and answer questions. Decoding - Receiving and Interpreting a Message (Questions 3, 6, 12, 14) It can be easy to focus on speaking: we want to get our points out there, because we usually have lots to say. However, to be a great communicator, you also need to step back, let the other person talk, and listen This doesn't mean ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis one+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Resclng Efecively ®@ MindTools 10} Look at the person. Pay attention to his or her body language. Avoid distractions, Nod and smile to acknowledge points. Occasionally think back about what the person has said. Allow the person to speak, without thinking about what you'll say next. Don't interrupt. Empathic listening@ also helps you decode messages accurately. To understand a message fully, you have to understand the emotions and underlying feelings that the speaker is expressing. This is where an understanding of body language can be useful. ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis 1016+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecively ®@ MindTools 10} You need feedback, because without it, you can't be sure that people have understood your message. Sometimes feedback is verbal, and sometimes it's not. We've looked at the importance of asking questions and listening carefully. However, feedback through body language can also help you to assess the impact of your message. By watching the facial expressions, gestures, and posture of the person you're communicating with, you can spot: Confidence levels. Defensiveness. Agreement. Comprehension (or lack of understanding). Level of interest, Level of engagement with the message. ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis ne+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecively ®@ MindTools oO As a speaker, understanding your listener's body language can give you an opportunity to adjust your message end make it more understandable, appealing, or interesting. As a listener, body language can show you more about what the other person is saying. You can then ask questions to ensure that you have, indeed, understood each other. In both situations, you can better avoid miscommunication if it happens. Feedback can also be formal. If you're communicating something really important, it can often be worth asking questions of the person you're talking to make sure that they've understood fully. And if you're receiving this sort of communication, repeat it in your own words to check your understanding. Key Points It can take a lot of effort to communicate effectively. However, you need to be able to communicate well if you're going to make the most of the opportunities that life has to offer. By learning the skills you need to communicate effectively, you can learn how to get your ideas across clearly and effectively, and understand much more of the information that's conveyed to you. ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/adyScto!now-good-are-your-communication kis 1216+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecively ®@ MindTools 10} you mean, and hear what is intended. Note: This assessment has not been validated and is intended for illustrative Purposes only. You reach 1 of 2 of your free articles Discover more content ” Infographic 4mins 5 Moves to Master Body Language Infographic @ See Description Actions ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis 1316+1207, 4:30 Pat How Good Are Your Communication Skis? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecively ®@ MindTools 10} @ Video 2mins Empathy at Work Video @ See Description Actions ccountte comment Click here O-Signinhere Comments (0) Be the first to comment! ntps:iwwww mindtools.com/ayScto!now-gooe-are-your-communication kis 146*120723, 4:30 PM How Good Are Your Communication Skils? - Speaking, Listening, Writng, and Reading Efecvely ®@ MindTools oO Save 50% on our Life Plan workbook with our Life Plan 2 Plus save 50% bef Get the Free Newsletter! plus get a bonus Take Control of Your Time, free! 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