How to improve your corporate communication skills
There are many ways to drastically improve corporate communication skills, but it is first important to be aware of its importance and the many misconceptions that exist about communication.
Our Communications Director Clare Christensen says having effective corporate communication skills is a must to achieving corporate objectives and personal goals.
“Communication is arguably one of the most important skills to have in a workplace to maintain strong relationships with colleagues, improve productivity and increase trust and reputation,” Clare said.
Regardless of whether you’re a natural extrovert or introvert, communication is a teachable skill so here are three tips to consider when improving corporate communication skills:
Learn to actively listen
A common misconception is that communication is just about how you speak or converse with peers, but that is far from the truth. Communication is a two-way street meaning that both parties should equally share the talking and listening.
Learning how to actively listen to colleagues is just as important as how you converse with them and is an easy way to improve your corporate communication skills.
Clare says it is important to be aware of what active listening looks like in order to improve.
“Active listening can be as simple as asking for clarification, providing feedback where necessary, taking notes and asking engaging questions,” Clare said.
“Employees who feel they are being actively heard will feel respected and appreciated, which can help businesses to achieve corporate communication best practices and overall goals.”
Learn how you communicate non-verbally
You may not be aware that your stance comes across as intimidating, or that your fidgeting can come across as a sign of no confidence. The majority of what you say is actually communicated by your physical cues, or body language, not by what you physically verbalise.
Understanding and being aware of your body language, facial expressions, eye contact, nuances of voice and other non-verbal cues is very important when considering your level of corporate communication skills.
Clare says adjusting minor habits can immensely improve your corporate communication skills.
“Improving your posture, maintaining eye-contact, confidently shaking hands, dressing the part and adjusting the tones and intonations in your voice can improve your corporate communication skills immensely,” she said.
Inspire action
Effective communication is about give and take, not just about instructing, lecturing and rambling. Whilst it is important to formally brief employees, corporate communication best practices involve inspiring action.
By including calls-to-action, motivational quotes, company goals and objectives – and providing incentives – employees are more likely to resonate with a message and drive action.
Media Training with Adoni Media is akin to having your own personal corporate communication coach and can be key to boosting the communication skills of both employees and managers in your corporate domain. It will help you prepare for the unexpected and give you the confidence you need to successfully deliver your key messages to your target audience.
To book a training session, contact us.