Unlock the Dynamic Duo of Workplace Communication Superpowers

Communication is key in the workplace. Employees and bosses alike who possess strong communication skills benefit in these ways:

• Enables them to fully and clearly elucidate their thoughts, ideas and perspectives to others
• Fosters better, clearer understanding of and ability to cooperate and collaborate with coworkers
• Reduces misunderstandings and potential conflicts keeping everyone working collaboratively
• Saves time and increases productivity by using concise, accurate and comprehensive language to explain tasks, methodology and systems
• Creates a more cohesive, self-reliant and engaged workplace with higher job satisfaction

The better one’s communication skills, the more successfully one can navigate working with others. Once the basics discussed above are mastered, how can your communication skills be supercharged? Enter the Dynamic Duo of Active Listening and Reading Non-verbal Cues. Honing these abilities will help you read people better and in doing so:

• develop a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the needs and wants of your colleagues and clients
• strengthen professional relationships
• nurture an environment that’s highly cooperative and collaborative because people feel heard and acknowledged

What is Active Listening?

Beyond simply hearing the words someone is saying, active listening entails fully focusing on the message being shared, comprehending its meaning - including any underlying elements and emotional components. Active listening techniques include:

Give your full attention to the speaker. Be fully present by eliminating all distractions so you can comprehend the entirety of the message being shared.

Demonstrate your engagement in the interaction with your body language. Make and maintain eye contact; lean in, signaling that you are interested in - and understand - what is being said.

Ask questions about what is being discussed to indicate your interest in understanding fully. Curiosity about the topic demonstrates that you are determined to understand as thoroughly as possible.

Repeat back a summary of what you heard. Paraphrasing what was said confirms that you were paying attention and have an accurate comprehension of the issue stated.

Refrain from judgement. This is not the time for your own opinions to be formulated or stated. Listen openly and avoid interrupting the speaker with your thoughts on the subject.

How to Read Nonverbal Cues

There’s more to being present and listening during a conversation. It’s important to pay close attention to other physical aspects the speaker employs so as to gain a more comprehensive insight into what they’re really saying, beyond the words they use. Reading non-verbal cues includes attending to these characteristics as well:

Tone of voice - It’s not only what they say but how they say it. Pay attention to the speaker’s tone and how they implement these elements to be more expressive.

• Pitch - The highness or lowness of a voice conveys emotions and intent. Higher (excitement, surprise, or nervousness), lower (seriousness, authority or boredom).
• Volume - The loudness or softness of a voice conveys state of mind. Loud (assertiveness, aggression, insensitivity or passion), soft (intimacy or subtlety).
• Pace - The speed of a voice’s delivery affects the listener’s understanding and engagement. Moderate pace (clarity and comprehension), quick (overwhelm or confusion), slow (demeaning or offensive).
• Intonation - The patterns of the rise and fall of a voice convey emotions and emphasize certain words or phrases.

Facial expressions - Look for cues that indicate emotions reflecting upon their face like happiness, excitement, fear or sadness and how they complement - or contradict - what they are conveying with words.

Eye contact - Making eye contact may signal that they are engaged and comfortable in the conversation; avoiding it might indicate they feel uncomfortable, disengaged or are not being totally forthright.

Hand gestures - Moving hands can emphasize points or convey emotions.

Overall posture - An open stance conveys ease and confidence while closed stance indicates defensiveness or uneasiness.

Enhancing your professional communication with the Dynamic Duo of Superpowers - whether you’re listening to a colleague or you’re the one doing the talking - will help you have more meaningful and satisfying exchanges, leading to an atmosphere more conducive to success, productivity and workplace harmony.

How can you benefit from the Dynamic Duo of Workplace Communication Superpowers?