Words are not enough.

Communicating effectively in business.

International business and the organisations within it are going through what some describe as “creative destruction.”

The pandemic has brought many challenges.

This is a time of great change and the way we communicate in our working life could affect us for years to come. Organisational behaviour is being uprooted and many are curious about what direction this will take. Interaction has taken many forms, it goes without saying that the online world is shaking things up. Fast.

One thing is for sure, communicating effectively is more important than ever.

So when and where does our communication journey start?

On the surface, communication seems to be about the words we use and how successful we are at using them. In reality, there is so much more to it than that.

In this newsletter Im going to explain and evaluate some of the fundamentals that make you successful in communicating.

When you communicate it is important to show who you are.

Primarily, communicating starts with you, how you feel inside gives off an energy transfer that cannot be hidden, Communication is emotional, if we like it or not.

What drives you and the enthusiasm you have for life?

With this in mind, you may have to work on yourself before you can communicate effectively. This maybe your fixing your own issues such as mindset and self awareness or even just plain exhaustion.

You need to own how you receive it.

This leads on to my second point, which is to look inside yourself and think about your own values.

If you want to be listened to, you have to know how you will receive information that you might not want hear.

Knowing your own thoughts with conviction before you respond, matters greatly. This may take a bit of ground work and self reflection.

Furthermore, you need to know your audience, what are their values and what makes them tick?

A bit of planning goes a long way.

Listen to hear, not to respond.

This is an age old problem in communication and one that most people have got wrong at some point.

It clarifies the need for the above mentioned skills. Knowing oneself , our strengths and weaknesses can help to stop us trying to prove our worth in a conversation. We are less judgemental and it creates a mutual respect.

Choose your platform.

Communicating effectively with your team, colleagues or customers also depends on the situation in hand. Sending an email about an emotive subject can lead to more problems further down the line.

How many managers have lost good members of their team by leading this way?

Be prepared to not like everything you are about to hear.

Encourage people to express and be transparent. It might not make things easy at the time but when niggles get hidden in the work place, they have a tendency to grow bubbling under the surface and then erupt at a later date.

Having an open culture of respect, is one that leads to growth and expansion.

Don’t close the door, ask open questions.

It’s easy to bypass difficult subjects, but in reality we are never going to know the truth if we don’t search for the answer. Communicate authentically, be open about who you are and find out about the person you are communicating with. Build a relationship and develop it over the time you have with them. You could miss a serious consideration if the correct questions are not answered.

Recap, recap, recap.

Be courageous, if there’s something you don’t understand, say so. Ask for clarification of any details. feeling confused when communicating just makes matters more complicate. Dom’t be afraid to speak out, no one will think the worst of you for doing this. It shows you care.

Andrea Sharp