Effective Business CommunicationTo be a success as a supervisor you need to possess effective business communication skills. Effective communication builds bonds and relationships among your employees. On the other hand if you don’t possess good communication skills you run the risk of creating misunderstandings, conflict, and confrontation within the workplace. Here is something to remember, some common communication stats show that out of every message you send, 7% of that communication is through words, 38% is tone, and 55% is body language. Just by looking at this bit of information can you see which aspect of effective business communication is the most critical? Of course verbal communication is still very important so let’s start there. Verbal communication is the words and meanings that a person speaks to another. At the workplace, or any other place for that matter, when communicating verbally watch what you say, how you say it, what you meant by what you said, and how what you said may be perceived by the other person. At this point you are probably saying to yourself, “duh, I know that.” So let’s expand on the above a bit. Utilizing effective business communication is critical in the workplace. Think before you speak and listen to your tone on how you are speaking to the other person. In effective business communication if your tone is on the aggressive side your message may not be received well by your employee. Think of how many times your wife or husband said to you, “well I didn’t mean it that way.” Well they perceived your tone and what you said to mean what you said differently than you had intended. Well this can happen at work too. So watch what you say and how you say it. If you are uncertain about your tone try using the employees name in the conversation. For example, “Joe, you did a great job on crunching those numbers but I noticed something that doesn’t add up. Can we talk?” This is a great way to control your tone. It does work, give it a try. Effective business communication requires you to articulate the message you want to communicate to your employee or team. If you don’t know what you’re talking about neither will they. Avoid misunderstanding by asking if they have any question and need additional information. When it comes down to effective business communication it is about understanding how to assert yourself. Remember to speak for yourself and don’t hesitate with an answer or question. Keep your message on topic and if you have to disagree, do it tactfully. It is okay to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something. Speak with confidence and use “I” language. Use short sentences when ever possible and remember to use silence as a tool. Silence is not a bad thing. Body language is the most important aspect of effective business communication. When speaking to another individual have your shoulders focused at them. Give them your full attention. Be aware of you body language and how they may perceive your body language by watching theirs. Just because someone has their arms crossed doesn’t mean they are bored. It may simply mean that they don’t know what else to do with them or it is comfortable. Now if they have their arms crossed and are staring at the ceiling then “yes” they may be bored. The key is just to be aware of your body language and the message you are sending. In conclusion here are some business communication tips to use while in the workplace: Use the other persons name in the conversation. If you have to interrupt a person, start with their name. It makes the interruption less intrusive. If you need to cut a conversation short don’t look at your wrist catch while they are talking, that is rude. Wait to speak or interrupt politely, look at your wrist watch while you are speaking. That way you send the message that you’ve got to go and you didn’t do it while they were in the middle of a sentence. Resources for Managing People and the Workplace
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