Archive for the ‘Communication Skills in the Workplace’ Category

Is There A Need for Soft Skills And Effective Communication In The Workplace?

Friday, February 8th, 2008

As the marketplace for many organizations grows, there are different challenges that surface in the world of business. It is necessary that employees have both effective communication skills and soft skills to match. From experience, one without the other is a recipe for disaster.
Communicating with employees is more than just giving instructions for the day. The way information is communicated has a direct impact on performance. Employees look to the leaders in an organization to set the tone and culture within the work environment. Offering open lines of communication in the workplace allows staff members to speak freely without fear of repercussion so that they may readily share information, ideas and concepts.

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Importance of Communication in an Organization

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

Communication is one of the basic functions of management in any organization and its importance can hardly be overemphasized. It is a process of transmitting information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization. Your plans or ideas will fail, if not communicated properly.

Effective communication of ideas, information and decisions is an essential component for manager and subordinates or management /employee relations. It may strengthen the relations or disrupt it.

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Effective Communication in Management

Monday, October 29th, 2007

Getting Things Done Through Effective Communication Executives and managers are involved in meetings, presentations, interviews, conferences, telephone conversations, memos or emails, participating in all sorts of communications methods to exchange the necessary information. In fact, when one examines an organization, it can be easily seen that many examples of verbal and nonverbal behavior exist. Some communication specialists believe that these and almost all other forms of behavior are really means of communication and conversely that all forms of communication reflect the behavior of individuals. But, is this the case? Well, if nothing else, the fact remains that in every organization, communication occurs constantly.

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The Importance of Effective Communication in Business Management

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

Employee Communication: The Secret to Business Success

Business surveys consistently show us that poor workplace communication is a major source of employee dissatisfaction. The repercussions of this include not just low employee morale. Employee productivity suffers, along with a range of other business performance indicators.

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Communication with Employees

Wednesday, September 26th, 2007

Branding and Employee Communication
In the I-HR newsletter, moderator Beth N. Carvin asked if the idea of branding could be used effectively to improve productivity and retention. This is an expanded version of my response to her question:
Yes, I think you can use the idea of branding as a tool for improving employee productivity and retention.
Let’s approach it from the perspective of a manager communicating with his or her subordinates. If the manager sets out to build a positive reputation over time and over a series of messages, then we might say he or she is embarking on a branding exercise. It’s an attempt to create the trust and goodwill necessary to have messages both accepted and acted upon.

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Communication in Business and in the Work Place

Friday, August 24th, 2007

Communication is far more than the words that are spoken. This article explores some ways to effectively communicate in the business and work situation.
Fine Tune Your communication skills to Improve Your Interaction With Others
Communicating in a clear and concise manner is important when interacting with others. While conversing with others at networking events, speaking on the phone or presenting to a group of people, you want to make sure that you come off polished.
First impressions are so important in networking circles and you want people to remember you in a positive way. Make sure to spend time developing and practicing your communication skills.
Body Language
When talking with people, it is important that your body language works with you in a favorable and professional manner. You don’t want poor body language to detract from your conversation. Good body language actually enhances a conversation. Be cognizant of your posture, gestures, handshakes and facial expressions at all times.
When you approach others, you want to make sure that you are standing straight, smiling and giving a firm handshake. By doing so, you will make yourself more approachable and come across as sincere and confidant.
When speaking with people, give good listener cues by showing an interest with your facial expressions and eye contact. If you wander your eyes or you give a negative vibe during a conversation, you will come across as disinterested and rude.
Networking circles are small. Be careful how you interact with people.
listening Skills
Not only is body language very important when interacting with others but listening skills are important as well. Without good listening skills, you will have a harder time building relationships. Show that you are paying attention by nodding your head, having good eye contact, listening without interrupting and asking good questions.
Keep in mind that people like to talk about themselves. Show respect and let individuals finish their thoughts before you jump into the conversation.
Of course, times do occur when someone may monopolize a conversation or you don’t have an interest in talking any more. In these instances, wait for a pause in the conversation to jump in and start talking or gracefully exit the conversation. Try hard not to interrupt because you don’t want to come across as insincere.
The same is true while talking on the phone. As you have less visual listener cues to show to the person on the other end, make sure you validate what is said and don’t interrupt.
Presentation Skills

Part of the process of branding yourself as a subject matter expert requires you to speak at events. It is important that you work on your presentation skills so you come across more effective. Presenting in front of groups is typically not as easy task, unless you are a natural, but most people don’t fall into this category.
The good news is that you can you can hire a professional to help you improve your presentation skills. One such professional is Lillian Bjorseth of Duoforce Enterprises. She provides one-on-one coaching and business consulting services and can help you with all of your communication skills.
Some pointers to keep in mind during a presentation: look around the room and make eye contact with various people, don’t read everything from a PowerPoint presentation or note cards, use hand gestures, speak slowly and loud enough, fluctuate your voice and even walk a little. While it may be hard for you to work on all of the above points, the more you can integrate into your presentation, the better you will come across.

Of course, practicing your presentation before you speak is very important so you come across knowledgeable and polished. The more talks you do, the more comfortable you should feel and the better you should get at presenting.
Professional Appearance
How you present your physical appearance to others is another important aspect of communication. You want to make sure you come across as a professional during your business dealings with people. Make sure you wear the appropriate attire for events, meetings and presentations. If you’re not sure, the safe bet is to go with professional dress.
In addition, try to have your shoes shined on a regular basis. If you attend a function or meeting with scuffed shoes, people will notice. Don’t let your shoes hurt your appearance.
Others appearance factors to consider are wrinkled clothes, stains, holes, bad collars, clashing colors and poorly tied ties. While this may be common sense, you will be surprised at how many people violate some of these items.
You need to spend enough time and effort to make sure you look your best whenever you can. After all, the impression you make on others is crucial to networking.
Final Thought
Keep in mind that the way you interact and communicate with others is very important for building relationships. You want to present yourself as a professional and come across effective when talking to others in all business settings.

by Jason Jacobsohn

Jason Jacobsohn is a seasoned networker who believes in relationship building as a key component to business success. He enjoys helping others succeed by making introductions, planning events, and sharing resources. In addition, Jacobsohn enthusiastically shares resources with his network through his e-mail newsletter, ‘Network Your Way to Success’ http://www.jacobsohn.com a comprehensive business and networking resources Web site. Further, he shares an
additional perspective through his blog at http://www.networkinginsight.com/”
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