The Key to Success: Effective Communication in Business Today

Effective communication from leadership offers a number of benefits for the business. It keeps employees aware of individual and organizational goals, and it promotes efficiency and increased employee satisfaction. Serge Robichaud highlights that strong communication from leadership is key to fostering a positive work environment and driving business success.

Effective communication can take many forms. It includes internal communication such as emails and meetings, and it also involves shaping external interaction with customers.

Listening Skills

There are many situations in which the speaker needs you to absorb their message without comment or judgement. In these cases, the basic rules of listening are: Put down your phone, turn off your laptop, face the speaker and stay focused on them. Listen to take in all of their information, and ask questions when necessary. It is not rude to let out a hmmm or a uh-huh now and then, but you should try not to interrupt too often.

If you want to show that you are truly listening, paraphrase their main points at intervals in your own words. This demonstrates that you have heard them and understood their point of view, and it also allows them to correct any miscommunications that may have occurred.

Active listening enables managers to better understand their employees thoughts and feelings, which in turn leads to more effective communication. When leaders demonstrate this important skill, they are able to make more informed decisions, resolve issues and drive their teams or companies towards success. One of the main reasons that employees leave their jobs is because they feel like they are not being heard by their managers. When a leader’s communication style is rooted in active listening, it can help to reduce employee turnover.

Nonverbal Communication

Long before people can talk, they communicate through facial expressions and body language. Having good nonverbal communication is critical in the business world, where much of our external communication happens via emails and project management task boards rather than face-to-face conversations or phone calls.

Nonverbal cues can help clarify a message or enhance engagement during presentations and meetings. For example, a leader who shakes hands with each team member at the beginning of a meeting signals to the group that they are welcome and valued, which can help ease tension during difficult discussions.

The tempo of a conversation can also be signaled through nonverbal cues. Pacing the discussion ensures that all team members have time to speak and be heard, resulting in more productive and collaborative meetings.

Professionals rely on nonverbal cues for important tasks. Teachers use nonverbal cues to engage students, convey authority, and establish a positive learning environment. Negotiators and mediators rely on nonverbal cues to read the room, understand participants’ emotions, and identify areas of compromise. And performers and entertainers use nonverbal cues to tell stories, evoke an emotional response, and captivate audiences.

Active Listening

It is essential to be able to recognize and read non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, eye contact, body language and voice tone. This enables us to better understand our team members and their emotions, which in turn allows for more effective problem-solving.

Empathy lies at the heart of active listening, which is about being genuinely engaged with your employees and validating their experiences. It also involves avoiding interrupting or assuming during conversations and asking clarifying questions, which can lead to more transparent communication. Using these skills during a conversation can prevent misunderstandings that can lead to frustration for your employees, as well as improve their decision-making.

A key component of active listening is staying consciously present, which means putting your phone away, making eye contact and leaning slightly forward. This signals to the speaker that you are invested in the discussion and are paying attention. It is also helpful to paraphrase what the speaker has said at regular intervals, which can help you remember what was discussed and ensure that you have understood what they have meant. This can also provide the speaker with a sense of validation and empathy, which in turn encourages them to share more thoughts. It can also avoid the deer-in-the-headlights feeling that some of us have experienced when asked for our opinion on a topic.