5 Practical Tips To Power Up Your Communication

Last week, we looked at some of the basic blunders we make in communication. In today’s newsletter, I’ll talk about how to cover them and put your best foot forward.

1. How to find areas of improvement

Find your areas of improvement. Listen to the zoom recordings of your meetings. Ask your peers and superiors for feedback on where you could improve.

Seek the help of a coach who can talk to you and help you understand what you could work on.

Once you understand your areas of improvement, set goals to work on them. Think of where you want to be in a month or in a quarter. Setting timelines will help you become more accountable towards them. 

Working with a coach will definitely help you understand the gaps faster and address them in a structured and goal oriented manner

2. How to set a practice routine 

Practice makes a man/woman perfect. Whether it’s training to be a driver or a chef, it is important to work on the skills consistently to get good. 

Set aside time everyday. Plan in advance what you’ll use that time for. 

Ideally, you could watch something for the first 20 minutes. Videos like TED Talks help understand nuances like modulation, body language, stage presence etc. 

You can read for the next 20 minutes. Reading helps develop articulation and word power. It also helps you write better. 

Read more about the 20-20-20 practice system that works

For concepts like modulation and articulation, practicing aloud is a must. Imagine you are in an actual meeting and get started. Watch the video below to know why this is important.

VIDEO: Why practicing under test conditions is important

3. How to develop listening skills

The importance that is laid on speaking well is a lot more compared to the importance put on listening. But the latter is equally important.

The next time it is your turn to listen, focus!

Jot down terms so that you can piece together the speaker’s train of thought.

Try to summarise and ask clarifying questions - this is one of the best ways to focus on listening rather than worrying about your response. 

If you are worried, that you may not have a response when the speaker stops speaking, learn to embrace the power of the pause.

When it’s your turn to talk, take a pause to gather your thoughts and then start talking.

The speaker will only appreciate you taking the time out to understand what he or she said and formulate a response accordingly.

READ: How to use effective listening skills in real life

4. How to use questions to enhance your communication

I can’t even begin talking about how important questions are in enhancing your communication. 

Whether it is a rhetorical question at the start a presentation - aren’t we all excited about this? - or getting a confirmation from everyone before you start - Shall we start?, questions help!

We are programmed to pay attention to the upswing tone of a question and this is one of the simplest speaking tool to add to your arsenal of communication tricks. 

Questions not only break the monotony of your presentations but they also add vocal variety automatically to your speech.

Questions are great for clarifying, for summarising and even introducing intrigue in a presentation. 

“Did you know” questions with an interesting fact can immediately bring your distracted audience mentally back to your presentation. 

Use this tip in your communication and I guarantee that you will not only become more effective but also get a better response form your audience. 

5. How to develop your writing powers

My post on LinkedIn yesterday was, in fact, about how we abuse the character limit on the platform with no regard for the principles of writing and readability. 

With the pandemic permanently altering how we communicate, writing skills have become even more important. 

Whether it is Slack chats, Zoom chats or emails written to internal and external customers, the written word has become a prime mode of communication. 

Get a book, read articles or work with a coach to develop strong writing skills. This is something that’s going to take time and patience. But it is going to be worth the effort.

Do you have any other communication gaps that I can help you cover? Leave your suggestions in the comments and I'll be happy to help.

As a tiny favour, subscribe to the newsletter and do share it with others who might find this useful.

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This is a weekly newsletter in which I uncover tips and strategies to communicate better in your work and life to achieve success. Hit subscribe to ensure you don't miss future posts!

If you wish to talk to me about improving your own communication, let's talk

You can also look up free resources on communication and soft skills on my blog