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Top ten Tips for Efficient Office Communication

Top ten Tips for Efficient Office Communication

 

“Speech is good for health.” This statement was made by Bob Hoskins in an old BT advert. He was right, no doubt about it. However, how often do we have meaningful conversations in the work place? Even with the best of intentions, obstacles can appear, translations may go wrong or it sometimes appears as if nobody is attending to anybody. Your ideas and arguments should be communicated clearly and concisely for business success while engaging in positive discussions.

Here are our top ten suggestions for effective office communication

Hold face-to-face meetings

Open meetings make it simpler than email to express your enthusiasm and feelings to your colleagues. In addition to hearing your message, meeting in person allows people see you talk with their ears and even touch you. This strategy remains one of the best for team communication.

Know your audience

Use research if necessary to tailor your message to the wants and needs of your audience. Pay attention during the conversation. Make sure you truly understand other people’s points of view by questioning them.

Create a receptive atmosphere

In case the environment is open, then one can communicate better. Never find yourself in a tense situation because when spoken with anger, what you said may not be well received or remembered.

Don’t just hear, listen

The vital art of listening is not possessed by every person. Poor listening contributes much conflict at meetings. To share information with others you must hear what they say . Summary should accompany learning how to listen effectively so that this can act as evidence that one has been listening well and also ensure that one heard correctly.

Combine verbal and non-verbal communication

Let both vocalisation and non-verbal cues relay similar messages throughout the conversation.. If all have positive nonverbal signals such as nodding while somebody else speaks together with maintaining an open body posture during a speech will help flow of conversations amongst co-workers easily..

Use silence as a conversation tool

Silence makes people feel uncomfortable. They usually try to fill the voids although not always with helpful or relevant comments. Don’t panic when it stops. Take a deep breath, keep your cool and confidently use those calm moments. Pausing at specific moments can highlight important information and make sure everyone is listening.

Identify potential conflicts and handle them with diplomacy

Try to spot any possible points of disagreement early on in the meeting or conversation. Talk to that person immediately if you think they misunderstood what you said so as to prevent any distraction or an emergency coming up. When handling disputes, one should be open-minded and avoid offensive language. Focus on the issue instead of attacking the person if criticism is necessary. In order for you understand their point of view ask questions and listen attentively to what the other person says.

Do your time in a good way

The timing you use to send your messages can significantly affect how people will receive them. Ensure the timing is right before scheduling that meeting. Take into consideration the schedules of your colleagues and how the meeting will affect them. Does Friday afternoon or first thing Monday morning really make sense as the best time for this discussion? The fact that one says something, is less important than when it happens.

Praise constructively

Providing constructive criticism is an excellent technique for improving workplace communication. It will also improve perceptions made by others about you, trust-building and promoting open conversations. An overall positive outlook within the workplace will contribute to good communication which will make people see you more positively.

Reach a satisfying conclusion

Look out for signs that someone else wants to end the talk or switch topics. You may want to conclude this meeting successfully. Although first impression counts, often times individuals remember what was said recently over a long period of time.