Communication is Key

Hey there, friends!

This week we are focusing on personal interactions. Whether you're a manager, a team member, or an individual contributor, communication is the backbone of how you interact with others. It helps you clarify your thoughts and ideas—and it gives clarity to the person or group you're conversing with. It's what keeps us all on the same page, and it's what helps us make sure we're not sending mixed messages. Communication matters in your professional life, personal life, and is especially important in the workplace.

Professional life and the Workplace

Communication is important at every level of the organization, from the CEO down through every level of management and into the ranks of employees. Your ability to communicate well will determine whether or not people see you as a leader who can get things done or someone who is just blowing smoke up their butt—or worse, someone who doesn't know what they're doing at all.

It doesn’t matter if you're working in sales, the lead lawyer at your firm, the head doctor/nurse at the hospital, or the person who just wants to do their work then go home. Communication is an essential skill for success in business. Communicating well is the key to getting your ideas across, building relationships with coworkers, and making sure everyone is on the same page. When you communicate effectively, you give clarity to both yourself and the person or group you are conversing with. 

When working on a team, it can be difficult to know what everyone else is thinking if a person doesn't talk about it! If you don't communicate, things will fall through the cracks, and you'll end up feeling like no one cares about your ideas or thoughts. If you want to be successful in your career, you have to learn how to communicate clearly and effectively.

Here are some quick tips on how to do that:

1. Find common ground with your audience
2. Be clear and concise
3. Use active voice instead of passive voice

When you’re communicating with someone at work, common ground is not the fact that you both like apple pie or work out at the same gym. Common ground is the understanding that you both have jobs to do, and both have some part to play in the completion of a task. A person has to make sure they are sharing information clearly and concisely—that way, there's no room for confusion or misunderstandings. Lastly, it's not just about talking—it's about listening. If you want to be effective at communicating, you need to understand what the other person is saying, and why they're saying it. You need to be able to look at a situation from their perspective and adapt your approach accordingly.Good communication is one of the most important skills you can have as a professional. It's crucial to be able to communicate effectively in order to be successful in business and in life.

Personal Life and relationships outside of work

Communication with friends and family should be a two-way street. You should never feel like you have to sugarcoat things or avoid talking about something that might be uncomfortable for the other person. If something is bothering you, it's okay for them to know! This shows that you trust them enough to share what's going on with you, which will then allow them trust you enough in return. Communicating your ideas and thoughts is important for a variety of reasons. Expressing how you feel helps you to process your emotions, which can help you to feel more at ease. In addition to being able to convey what's going on in your head, it's equally as important to listen to how the other person feels—this will allow you to understand them better and not make assumptions.In fact, this can be more difficult than it seems! But when you're able to really hear what your friend or family member is saying and understand them—and they do the same for you—you'll find that there's no better way to strengthen your bond. Relationships are never easy, but communication is one way to strengthen our relationships with others.

Communication matters in business because it helps build relationships with coworkers, clients, and even people outside of work.You'll need good communication skills when interacting with family members and friends, which means these skills will help you maintain healthy relationships in and outside of work as well. It's important to practice good communication techniques, because it can make things easier. There will always be a time where something is missed in communication, don't be upset, just remember to communicate your thoughts, actions or commands accurately.

I hope this newsletter helps everyone understand how important communication is in business and personal relationships. I also hope it helps someone develop skills that will help them communicate better with everyone around them !

This is Kortay Powell, Live from the 6