Whether you are trying to become an aspiring leader in your workplace or in your personal life, developing strong communication skills is essential. Having better communication skills can significantly improve your success rate.
In any workplace, communication is the key to command your employees labor, and even your partners. Now if you do not communicate properly, you won’t achieve your goals and most situations will be misinterpreted. Better communication skills along with better performance will ultimately make a quality public performance for the whole workplace. A lot of times, it has been seen that communication can bring people together from different backgrounds, build trust and respect among them and finally create a space for creative ideas and solutions to many problems.
In the modern dynamic workplace, we see many communication gaps between Gen Z and millennials. There are many differences between them. For example, Gen Z is digitally native however millennials are familiar with the digital world, but they lack certain skills. When both of them work together along with older generations, there are bound to be some conflicts and miscommunication. With global technological reach and means, most of the communication is done through virtual platforms. So how to become a better communicator and leader in the workplace with modern means? Let’s see some of the ways that can help people in this department.
1- Get Comfortable With Modern Communication Tools
Whether you fall under the category of millennials or older, it is time to get comfortable using modern communication tools. You don’t have to join a school for that because with your smartphone and laptop, you have unlimited access to communication. By this time, everyone has had some experience with video calls, virtual conferences, as well as conventional methods including emails and audio calls. Using these means for communication will allow the leaders to convey their thinking on time without delaying an important decision. On the other hand, the employees can put their best foot forward given the support on the backfoot.
To get fully proficient in virtual communication and video conferencing, you need to do the practice. With time you will get a hang of it and in time, you will be able to handle day-to-day virtual meetings and conferences.
2- Try Precise & Effective Writing
Lately, our formal writing has changed into short texts and slangs written in capital letters. And we can’t blame it on millennials and Gen-Z for this because it is cool for them to write like this. However, in the workplace, it is not acceptable. It is okay to save time and be culturally aware to write personal texts to bridge up the communication gap but for the workplace let’s stick to precise and effective writing.
Effective writing refers to following the proper etiquette of writing an email that conveys the right information in a respectable manner. Use proper grammar, sentence structure, concise language and all the points for a comprehensive email. Lastly, avoid writing a whole story and try to convey your query through bullet points for a precise summary.
3- Listen
You cannot become a better communicator or leader if you don’t listen. Listening is very important for effective communication. In a workplace where thousands of things are being operational, you need to listen first and then act accordingly. And by listening, don’t just emphasize listening to face-to-face conversations. Read emails, reports, and employees’ complaints as well if you want to be a better leader. Listen and think it through before communicating your plan.
It may not be written on your pay stub but in the long run, it is an important trait for personal and professional growth.
4- Pay Attention to Body Language
Instead of verbal communication, there is another way to communicate and that is through body language. Being a leader, you should be able to understand someone’s body language as soon as he/she enters the room. This is equally important in personal and professional life. Be reasonable and open to suggestions so that when your employees are having ambiguities, they know you won’t be a tough critique and help them resolve a situation.
5- Take Control of Your Emotions
In a workplace when you have a bunch of responsibilities, it is normal to become anxious because it comes with the job. Making decisions can be difficult sometimes because of your feelings but it is advised to stay objective and take control of your emotions. If you do not take control of your emotions, you will be giving off a negative vibe through your body language which can’t be good for any workplace.
