Impact of Effective Communication

Communication is a vital skill, in any environment, but especially in the workplace. 

Here at Douglas Scott Legal Recruitment we really value communication, and have recently received training, delivered by Mike Ode of Potential Unearthed, on communicating with impact. The team found this useful in being able to identify where they may need to improve, or tweak their style, to better communicate with whom they are speaking. Communication skills might be seen as a given (considering we all do it), but it can often be overlooked by employers and employees, and if it is not effective, it can end up preventing your team from being the best they can be.

One key thing that you can do to communicate better is to keep things small and simple. If you are trying to present a whole range of ideas to people, be they managers or colleagues, they simply won’t be interested, and you’ll lose their attention. However, focusing on one idea, and presenting it in simple terms – like how it will benefit them – will allow you to communicate better with whoever you are speaking to, and you will be more likely to see that idea implemented. This also extends to time – keep whatever you need to say short. People are busy, and, if you keep talking to them for a long time, especially if you are presenting to them, your audience might be turned off to your great ideas, and they may even start to think less of you, damaging your reputation and trust. 

Another good tip is to be a problem solver. Now, some people may be intimidated by this idea, especially as you can’t have solutions to everything. But, if you happen to be the kind of person who spots flaws in things, simply continuing to point out these flaws can be demoralising for others, and people can believe that you have no interest in dealing with these problems. An effective way to avoid this is to try and offer solutions, or even just be prepared to have a discussion about them. Even opening the discussion to a group will make it seem less like you’re looking for problems for the sake of it, and you will be able to communicate better to your audience. It’s also important to remember that communication isn’t about you – you have to be prepared to communicate with the person you are talking to, not against them. If you are talking to someone who is more interested in headlines, then you might want to avoid statistics and details. Equally, if the person you are speaking to is focused on details, then you need to include them. Adjusting your focus depending on who you are speaking to, is vital to getting your point across, and to make sure that you aren’t speaking at crossed purposes. 

Communication in the workplace is a vital, basic skill, but it is one that is often overlooked by people. However, by using the tips above, it can help to improve your team’s ability to communicate. For us at Douglas Scott Legal Recruitment, being made aware of our communication styles through Potential Unearthed’s training has allowed us to understand who we are talking to, and how we need to adjust our style based on that. Effective communication can be the difference between a team that succeeds, and a team that struggles to reach its objectives and goals. Just understanding these simple things will improve your team and make them more effective and efficient. 

Further Reading:

If you wish to read more about the training Mike Ode provides, you can look at more about Potential Unearthed here: https://www.potentialunearthed...