How to communicate?

They say the real world will begin after finishing college. Many things must be prepared by ourselves to face all of the things that will be happen in the future. There are also many skills that need to be sharpened and improved to be able to help us survive in the industry that we will dive into. Soft skill must also be applied to the work environment, which also needs to be balanced with hard skills that we have already learned during school. More than just research and reading book, Soft skill must be applied and honed in everyday life. This blog post will discuss communication skill that can help you guys and also me to success in workplace.

Picture Source: The Balance, 2018

As a person who lives side by side with one another, we must have good communication skill. So what it communication skill? It is the ability to communicate effectively with people around you like superiors, colleagues, and clients. As workers who live in the development of sophisticated technology, we must be able to convey and receive messages properly and effectively via telephone, email and social media. There are several essential communication skills for your career, which includes listening, friendliness, open mindedness, feedback, confidence and non-verbal communication.

01. Listening

Being a good listener is one of many ways to be a good communicator. We must be able to take the time to listen for others as a sign of caring where no one is happy by feeling ignored while talking. To sharpen this skill we must practice actively to listening other and digesting information correctly in order to create the right and appropriate answers. Listening can include paying attention to what is being said, asking to clarify the questions when ambiguity occurs and repeating what is said to ensure the understanding.

02. Friendliness

Through friendly tones and approaches such as personal questions or just simply a smiles can encourages colleagues to engage in open and honest communication with us. Being friendly is very important at workplace since it is included in politeness, which is the main factor to be assessed. Friendliness is mostly done for face-to-face communication but it does not reduce the possibility for written communication. Slipping motivational sentences at the beginning of the e-mail that will be distributed to coworkers or employees can make the recipient feel more valued.

03. Open-mindedness

As a good communicators we must be able to stand in communication with open and flexible mind. We need to become a person who understands every point of view and the situation of the person who is telling the story. An open-minded dialogue can make a conversation become more honest and productive. People around will be more willing to express their ideas and opinions if they feel valued.

04. Feedback

Being able to give and receive feedback gracefully is a very important communication skill for everyone to have. Feedback must be in the form of something motivate so it can be a reflection to further improve themselves. If there is feedback that is felt to be unclear, we also have the right to ask question as a way to clarify the problem.

Confidence

Having confidence is important to interact with others. Your confidence aim to show your colleagues that you believe in what you say and optimistic about the work you have done. Exuding confidence can start with as simple as making eye contact or using a firm but still friendly tone when talking or presenting. Avoid making statement that sound like questions and also be careful for not to appear too arrogant or aggressive.

Non-verbal communication

Non-verbal communication includes body language, eye contact, hand movements, and tone of voice when you convey information. A relax attitude, open minded and friendly tone will encourages other to feel comfortable when talking to us. Eye contact is an important element since this thing will show that you are focused and pay attention to the ongoing conversation. Non-verbal communication is also become a way to convey how a person feels.

In conclusion,communication is one of my weaknesses where I am a person who is quite shy.However, the industry that I choose now requires me to be able to communicate well because I will be involved with many parties.Without good communication, this can lead to errors in the work of a project.Therefore, I will improve my ability to communicate during this 1 year degree and apply some of the essential communication skill that discuss above.

Source: These Are the Communication Skills Employers Look for in Employees. (2019). Retrieved 11 February 2020, from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/communication-skills-list-2063779