L33T Index
Effective Communication
Introduction
Effective communication is key to improving how people perceive what you say. In this newsletter we will touch on some of the types of communication, the barriers that may affect them and how to overcome them. Generally the types of communication are split into 3 different sections.
General Communication
General communication can be broke down into 3 categories:
- Cultural differences
- Adaption
- Audience
Cultural differences
If the recipient of your intended message is from another culture the way they perceive the message might be different to what you intend. In some culture such as ours we would point with an index finger and would be intended as a way to tell someone where something is or who someone is. In other cultures this is done differently. Japan for example would point with their whole hand. This is because in their culture pointing with an index finger is considered as rude.
Audience
The audience is another big influence to how you would choose to communicate to make sure you can keep them engaged. If you was talking to a friend you would talk informally and use slang. This is acceptable in a situation such as that. However, if you was having to send a message to a few colleagues at work would you talk in the same manner? You would send an email or memo out to communicate in the best and most effective way.
Interpersonal Communication
This type of commination we do on daily basis even if we didn’t know. It is said that we would use this type of communication 75% of the time in a workplace. This is when you are talking to someone face to face.
The way you come across when you’re communicating to can be affected in many ways:
- Body language
- Language
- Active engagement
- Questions
- Speed of your response
Active engagement is an effective way of communicating on an interpersonal level. When speaking to someone or being spoken too it is good to show that you are listening.
Different ways of doing this are:
- Nodding
- Paraphrasing
- Summarising
This will allow the person you’re talking too, to you feel engaged in the conversation and keep their interest in what you are talking about.
Language
The tone of your voice and the language you use can affect the whole way the conversation you have goes. This is broke down into two types:
- Positive language
- Negative language
If you speak with negative language to someone they will most likely misunderstand your intended purpose and have some uncertainty with you. If however, you speak positively the recipient will have more trust in you, have a good understanding of what you was trying to communicate with them.
Written communication
We use written communication on a day to day basis throughout our lives even if you didn’t notice:
- Texts
- Social media
- Emails
To have effective written communication you need to do a number of things to make sure it is received in the intended way you wanted. Some effective skills to better your written communication is:
- Proof reading
- Spelling and grammar
- Relevance
- Structure
Proof reading
It is always good to proof read what you have wrote. If you was to make any mistakes the message could have been perceive wrong by the intended recipient. It is always good practice too carefully read what you have done before you send it or pass the message on to the recipient.
Spelling and grammar
The spelling and grammar you use when using written communication can affect how the recipient receives your message. If your use good spelling and grammar then the recipient will understand what your trying to communicate to them clearly. If you make loads of spelling mistakes they might not understand what you are saying or perceive you differently if on a professional level.