Whether you’re the leader of a high performing team or a newcomer to the workplace, polishing your communication skills can make you stand out as the one to watch.
1. HONE YOU AGENDA-SETTING SKILLS
Who hasn’t suffered the pain of sitting through an hour-long business meeting that might have been twice as effective at half the length? If you’re calling a meeting, ensure that the allotted time and the accompanying agenda are fit for
purpose. If you’re on the receiving end of a meeting invite, ask for clarity on its objectives and what the facilitator expects of you – before you mindlessly click ‘accept’.
Learn how to avoid bad meetings.
2. KNOW WHEN MULTITASKING MEANS YOU’RE ACTUALLY GETTING NOTHING DONE
During a phone-call with your boss, you simultaneously scroll through your inbox highlighting high priority mails. When you’ve finished offering your team updates, you switch off from the rest of the meeting in order to mentally draft
your to-do list. There’s a time and a place for multitasking, but bringing it to bear on your conversations can seriously impact their quality. Read:
Is multitasking making you less productive?
3. OCCASIONALLY SWAP EMAIL FOR FACE TO FACE
Love or loath it, email is a cornerstone of office life, and very often, it’s the most effective method for communication. But that isn’t always the case – 60% of everywomanNetwork members say email overuse is the biggest communication
weakness in their team. If you’re about to compose a note that requires expedient action or deeper understanding on the part of the recipient, ask yourself if email is really the best channel, or if a phone call or face time would
ensure a better outcome.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR STAKEHOLDERS WANT
Your last boss insisted on being kept in the loop with every detail, but your new boss might not want to be inundated with updates. The most able communicators are those who can flex to the needs of the recipient, so hone your
observational skills to work out what communication methods will elicit the best results from your key stakeholders. Discover the benefits of
managing upward with success.
5. HELP YOUR DIRECT REPORTS TO GET THE BEST OUT OF YOU
When it comes to employer-employee relations, the everywomanNetwork puts the onus on the employee for ensuring an effective and powerful partnership. But as a line manager you can give your direct report a helping hand by setting some
ground rules. Prefer a print out left on your desk to an attachment sent by email? Require the agenda for your 1-2-1 at least 24 hours before the session? Tell them, and you’ll both be making inroads to a more effective working
relationship. Take the everywomanNetwork workbooks Making the most of your 1-2-1 – click here if you’re the manager;
here if you’re the employee.
6. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE
With flexible working on the rise, it’s easy to lose shared experiences and the opportunity to learn from one another’s successes and failures. As the manager of a virtual team, build time into your meetings for individuals to tell
stories that will positively impact the wider team. And as the individual, think about what you can share from your own experiences that will benefit your colleagues.
Discover the 7 ways you can make your employees feel more valued.
7. REFLECT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR MEETINGS
If the agenda of your team meeting remains static, it runs the risk of becoming less effective. Is it time to shake things up? Invite your colleagues to rate the current set-up, asking them what they’d change or discard. Just by taking
five minutes to reflect on what’s occurred over the last 60 minutes, you can really enhance the quality of your sessions. Read about
the creative ways you can get your colleagues sharing their best ideas.
8. START WITH REAL, ABSOLUTE ACTIONS
In your quest to become an all-round powerful communicator, ask yourself first how you can go from a five to a six or a six to a seven. What tangible mini goals can you set? Is there one email you can swap out for a phone call in the
coming week? Can you set aside time to consider how your contribution in the team meeting can become even more valuable to the group? Which of your workplace relationships could get a real boost from some informal face time?
Listen on demand: Our companion webinars on team communication Where are you now? and
Fixing the issues are available now.
Take the workbook for line managers: 60 minutes to improving your communication skills as a team
