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Seven Practical Tips to Communicate Effectively
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Chicago - Feb. 2
In order for managers to achieve success when they communicate, they must be aware of what others see and hear and how others respond to them — whether it’s face to face, over the phone, during a sales call, presentation, conference call or meeting, or via technology, according to Stacey Hanke, a Chicago-based executive consultant and author of Yes You Can.
“It’s not just what [they] say but how [they] say it that matters,” Hanke said. “If [they] aren’t making a conscious effort to manage [their] tone of voice, the way [they] stand and the words [they] use, [they] risk delivering the message ineffectively and leaving listeners with the wrong impression. The resulting misunderstanding will not help [one’s] cause.”
Hanke explained that managers can learn how to communicate effectively no matter where they are and said even technology-driven communication will improve if they first focus on improving face-to-face communication.
“We’re not talking tailoring a perfect e-mail or internalizing the shorthand texting alphabet,” she said. “Eliminate the static that plagues your face-to-face communication and everything else will dramatically improve as well.”
Here are some tips to communicate more meaningfully and effectively with employees.
Increase awareness. Most people don’t know what others see and hear when they communicate over the phone or face to face. If they don’t know how their message is perceived, they will never make improvements. They should pay attention to the listener, watching and listening for reactions and responses.
Pause more often. A common mistake is saying more than listeners want and need to hear. Managers should slow down their speech and deliberately introduce more pauses if they want listeners to understand their message.
Connect or make contact. Managers ought to look and listen for clues that employees get what they’re saying. With eye connection, they can gain trust and connect with their listeners. Without meaningful connection, a listener is likely to lose interest, question the message and have doubts about the speaker.
Enter a room confidently. Within seven seconds of entering a room, people can determine whether an individual is confident or uncertain. One’s posture communicates how one is feeling, so it’s important to stand straight.
Use technology wisely. Face-to-face communication should not be a lost art. Choose the most personal form of communication or one that allows for the most meaningful communication in a given situation.
Use gestures to create a positive visual impression. When gestures and speech convey the same information, they’re easier to understand. Confident speakers use their gestures to add emphasis to their words, but they avoid fidgeting with rings, fingers, pens, etc.
Adjust the volume. People’s voice is their greatest asset. The sound of one’s voice shapes the attitude of one’s listeners even more than the words they speak. When speaking to a group of 15 or more, one’s voice must be at a 7 to 8 on the volume scale. Based on this, speakers can adjust their volume based on the size of the group and room.
For more info: http://www.staceyhanke.com/
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