Communication as Fuel for Success

In order to achieve success in any field, strong communication is essential. Communication is the bridge that links our intentions with our actions and allows us to interact with others as we move towards our goals. By learning to effectively communicate we create an environment of trust and cooperation which help us to achieve more than we could on our own. In this blog post we will explore the importance of communication and look at some techniques to expand your skills.?

Good communication skills are imperative, especially for leadership. And we all know that most of us think good communication skills are being able to talk to people, either one on one or in groups. And that's true, we do need to be able to talk to people, yet one of the most important parts of communication skills is often overlooked. And that's listening.?

When we talk to people, and we're trying to accomplish something, any kind of project, in any situation, we need to make sure that each of us are on the same page.??

You have probably been in a situation at work where someone talked and talked and talked and talked to you and then sent you off to do something. If you’ve got good communication skills, you’ve made sure you understand the directive. And to be able to confirm your directive, there's a back and forth, an exchange of talking and listening. Regardless of how much the other person has talked, you may ask to clarify your understanding or affirm the directive.?

Having a back and forth, listening/talking exchange produces two valuable effects.?

Once having listened we can clarify the situation and build a stronger relationship. We're showing somebody that we respect them by listening to them; and that it's important to us to have the information they need to get the job done. The second element is that we're smoothing the path for getting the job done quickly by restating the directive and allowing for any correction. It takes a little longer, but it is worth it.?

One repeating theme I hear in many situations is I just don't have that kind of time. When we’ve changed our perspective and recognize that the more upfront time we spend on gaining clarity, the easier it is to achieve success. With the back and forth communication we are able to understand what everybody believes, or expects from the situation.??

It’s very similar to advice, “measure twice, cut once”. Once you've cut something, you can't fix it, you can't put it back together. And communication where both parties talk and listen, helps eliminate that type of situation, something that you have to throw out simply because the person moved too quickly.?

Another way to look at back and forth communication is you're building rapport with your team, developing strong communication skills with everyone, and creating trust and rapport.??

And with trust and rapport, just those two elements, people are more likely to do the right things, and trust you by coming to you directly if there is a problem.?

Are you ready to increase your communication skills and eliminate operational fires that are wasting your time? If so, then we should chat, because communication matters and poor communication leads to conflict. That’s exactly how I can help you. Shoot me a message.