How to Improve Your Communication Skills

Adriana Girdler

Become a better communicator so that you can succeed in your role I’m sure you’ve heard people say before, “Communication is key.” Let me tell …


Become a better communicator so that you can succeed in your role

I’m sure you’ve heard people say before, “Communication is key.” Let me tell you, it cannot be said enough. Communication is a skill that you never stop learning and becoming better at. I’ve been in business for over 20+ years… I’m definitely a better communicator than when I first started, but I’m still improving my communication day by day!

That’s why today, I’m going to talk to you about communication and some of the key steps you can take to better your communication skills.

1) Listen!

This is the first key to having great communication skills. Remember, conversations are a two-way street, so having good communication is not simply about knowing how to properly talk AT people. To have a productive conversation, you need to understand what the other person is saying to you. This means DON’T formulate your thoughts in your head while they’re talking; stop, listen, and truly hear what they’re saying before you respond.

2) Ask questions

The second thing you ought to do is ask questions to the person you’re speaking with. Ensure they know that you’re genuinely listening. It shows that you’re paying attention to what they’re saying and gets the conversation going back and forth. What’s the purpose of this? Well, it allows there to be depth in the conversation rather than simply rattling off information to each other that isn’t truly getting absorbed.

If you’re in a conversation where there isn’t really a way to ask a genuine question, that’s okay too. Just summarize what the person said to you in the form of a question. For example, you can say to them, “What I’m understanding is that I’ll have to take path A instead of path B. Is this correct?” Asking for this clarification or summarizing what they’re telling you shows that you were listening and ensures no room is left for misunderstandings.

3) Body language and non-verbal signals

You can read the room by looking at people, seeing their body language and paying attention to their non-verbal cues. In fact, most of our communication happens through body language. That’s why, for conference calls, I tend to prefer video rather than just a voice call. In a meeting, it’s important to pay attention to how people are sitting and facing. And don’t forget about yourself! Are you presenting yourself as approachable and attentive? Uncross your arms and be open. It makes all the difference!

What else?

What are you thinking at this point? Maybe you’ve heard these tips before and they’re simple reminders, or maybe they’re brand new ideas to you. As I mentioned before, we never stop improving our communication skills. That’s why I have some more tips for you. I want to get deeper into what it means to have great communication skills and ensure you succeed at your role with the right tips. So, I’ve created a video with a few more tips for you to take into your job, business relationships, and all your day-to-day interactions.

Please, don’t miss out on these. Head on over to YouTube with me and we’ll keep chatting about how to improve your communication skills.

-Adriana

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Adriana Girdler is a project manager, productivity specialist, entrepreneur, professional speaker, facilitator, visioning wizard, and author. As President of CornerStone Dynamics, Adriana is one of Canada’s prominent business productivity and project management specialists—helping both individuals and businesses do what they do, only better. She is a certified master black belt lean six sigma with over 20 years’ experience improving how companies work.

She also holds both PMP (project management professional) and CET (certified engineering technologist) designations. She’s a Tedx speaker, as well as a HuffPost and Thrive Global contributor. She has been interviewed on Global, CBC, CTV, CHCH, 680News Radio, Newstalk 1010, Sirius XM and published in the Globe and Mail and numerous industry magazines. WANT ADRIANA'S FREE ONLINE TRAINING? In 45 min, learn Adriana's 5 project management secrets she use on EVERY project. Sign up for the Free Webinar here: THE FAB FIVE FUNDAMENTALS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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