Increasingly complex relationships in customer focused companies will place even greater demands on our communication skills - yet poor communication skills are already a major cause of inefficiency in organisations today, and a significant time waster
Communication - Basics
· Most people do not listen well
· Part of the time they are thinking of what they will say next
· They will often misunderstand what is said by misreading the context
· Words which seem unimportant will go in one ear and out the other - we notice only the patterns and meanings
Barriers to Good Listening
· Anger, Fear, Discomfort
All that matters is that your message is received and understood. The most common mistake in communication is the assumption that it has taken place.
Minimise the Risk of Misunderstandings:
· Make your message easy to understand
· Use the same language and terminology as the other person
· Base your message on their assumptions, needs, wants and fears
· Check regularly to confirm that you are being understood
Written communication is:-
· One way
· No immediate feedback
· Therefore a weak form of communication
· Sending an email is not communication
On Longer Documents
Sir John Harvey Jones said -
"If you cannot communicate adequately the main points that you want to get across on two sides of paper, you have almost certainly not thought the problem out properly"
If you must write lengthy reports provide your reader with a one page summary with your conclusions at the beginning