Communicate with Power

I'd like to share wish you some insights and keys for effective communication skills. If you're ever been in a committee or business conference meeting, you know that communication skills vary from person to person. Some people talk and never listen. Others don't speak up at all. Some get angry and defensive. Others calmly state their opinions. One thing is for certain: Most team members could benefit from some further instruction on communicating effectively. When everyone in your company achieves better communication skills, your team will gain a happier work environment, better relationships between each others and greater productivity.

Good communication skills are critical to the success of any business. Effective communication breeds creativity, innovation, cooperation and high performance among team members. Ineffective communication breeds resentment, stalled growth and unhappy team. To become effective communicators we need to learn the appreciate skills. We need to feel comfortable expressing our needs, wants, like and dislikes. We need to learn self-control to remain silent when we would really rather speak. And we need to learn to speak our minds while not alienating our team.

With good communication skills, employees and leaders can advance their organization's strategic plan and attain their goals in a positive and supportive work environment. Everyone will benefit – from the team to the customers to the shareholders. To teach your team the right way to communicate, start by putting these seven tips to use. When you do, your company will become a place where honesty is valued, team members feel appreciated, and goals are achieved much more quickly than before.

1. Listen to learn: Listening shows you can care about what someone thinks. When you are tempted to give advice, ask, "Would you like advice or shall I only listen?" Often the speaker only needs to speak his or her thoughts aloud and then draw his or her own conclusion. When you are listening, give the speaker you undivided attention; push all other thoughts out of your mind. Close your office door. Switch your cell phone to vibrate mode and concentrate on the present moment. And don't forget to maintain good eye contact. All these little things add up to showing respect to your listener.

2. Think before you speak: Learn to delay your reaction to what you hear. If you feel an urge to react, stop; take a deep breath and count to ten. That pause will allow you to clarify your ideas and present them in an appropriate way. Always paraphrase what you think you heard and ask if that's what the speaker meant. If the answer is yes, and you still need more information, ask the person to tell you more. Rarely do you walk away from a conversation asking yourself, "Why did I listen so much?" Any regret you feel is usually the result of talking too much and not listening enough, so realize that some silence in a conversation is desirable.

3. Don't be judgmental: Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Listen to understand – you don't have to agree. Be open to others' differences. People want to feel heard more than they want you to agree with them. Respect the fact that people have right different opinions than you. When you can accept others, your communication skills will improve. The conversation will flow and criticism will disappear. Let others know that you care about them for sharing with you, and inquire how you can best offer your support. Now you will have gained your speaker's trust and you can move forward towards a solution.

4. Build trust with honestly: Building trust involves communicating openly and honestly. Honestly and credibility lay the foundation for engagement and high performance of your employees. Set a good example always by telling the truth. Give your team opportunities to share their ideas. Establish time for roundtable discussions. When you share information, involve others in dialogue, allow time for questions, and give clear answers. When you say you are going to do something, do it. When you forget to do something you promised, take responsibility and ask what you can do to make it up to them. Be a person of your word and be proud when your team models your behavior.

5. Give honest feedback: Don't pretend things are going well when they are not. People appreciate sincere feedback. Without it, team members fail to grow and develop. When you do give feedback, be honest – people will sense when you are not. If a person becomes upset at the feedback, try to minimize the discount. Realize that upset always involves fear. Address that fear and work on a solution.

6. Admit what you don't know: No one has all the answers all the time. Know when to say, "I don't know. I will get back to you on this." Then don't forget to follow up by providing the answers. Give sincere apologies and admin mistakes. Reveal your human side other team members will feel comfortable enough to do the same.

7. Voice your appreciation: Team members who are valued and accepted feel appreciated. Appreciated team members are loyal, happy, and productive. The person expressing the appreciation will feel good too. Let your team know that they matter as a person and the work they are doing is important. Don't just show appreciation to your favorite team members – difficult members typically need the most appreciation, yet they get the least. Look for opportunities to show appreciation and use words of kindness, encouragement and gratitude. Write personal thank you notes to your team members to acknowledge good work and success. Develop the desire to excel in your company by praising your team members in public but offering constructive criticism in privet.

Set a good example by becoming an effective communicator. Ask for feedback on your own communication skills and be willing to implement positive suggestions for improvement. Be honest! Give your team members reason to trust each other. Then they will learn to corporate and work together better as a team. When you place a priority yon good communication skills, you will be rewarded with a healthy, motivated and profitable organization, and happier team members.