how to improve communication skills assignment

8 Ways You Can Improve Your Communication Skills

Your guide to establishing better communication habits for success in the workplace.

Mary Sharp Emerson

A leader’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively with employees, within teams, and across the organization is one of the foundations of a successful business.

And in today’s complex and quickly evolving business environment, with hundreds of different communication tools, fully or partially remote teams, and even multicultural teams spanning multiple time zones, effective communication has never been more important — or more challenging.

Thus, the ability to communicate might be a manager’s most critical skill. 

The good news is that these skills can be learned and even mastered. 

These eight tips can help you maximize your communication skills for the success of your organization and your career.

1. Be clear and concise

Communication is primarily about word choice. And when it comes to word choice, less is more.

The key to powerful and persuasive communication — whether written or spoken — is clarity and, when possible, brevity. 

Before engaging in any form of communication, define your goals and your audience. 

Outlining carefully and explicitly what you want to convey and why will help ensure that you include all necessary information. It will also help you eliminate irrelevant details. 

Avoid unnecessary words and overly flowery language, which can distract from your message.

And while repetition may be necessary in some cases, be sure to use it carefully and sparingly. Repeating your message can ensure that your audience receives it, but too much repetition can cause them to tune you out entirely. 

2. Prepare ahead of time

Know what you are going to say and how you are going to say before you begin any type of communication.

However, being prepared means more than just practicing a presentation. 

Preparation also involves thinking about the entirety of the communication, from start to finish. Research the information you may need to support your message. Consider how you will respond to questions and criticisms. Try to anticipate the unexpected.

Before a performance review, for instance, prepare a list of concrete examples of your employee’s behavior to support your evaluation.

Before engaging in a salary or promotion negotiation, know exactly what you want. Be ready to discuss ranges and potential compromises; know what you are willing to accept and what you aren’t. And have on hand specific details to support your case, such as relevant salaries for your position and your location (but be sure that your research is based on publicly available information, not company gossip or anecdotal evidence). 

Before entering into any conversation, brainstorm potential questions, requests for additional information or clarification, and disagreements so you are ready to address them calmly and clearly.

3. Be mindful of nonverbal communication

Our facial expressions, gestures, and body language can, and often do, say more than our words. 

Nonverbal cues can have between 65 and 93 percent more impact than the spoken word. And we are more likely to believe the nonverbal signals over spoken words if the two are in disagreement. 

Leaders must be especially adept at reading nonverbal cues. 

Employees who may be unwilling to voice disagreements or concerns, for instance, may show their discomfort through crossed arms or an unwillingness to make eye contact. If you are aware of others’ body language, you may be able to adjust your communication tactics appropriately.

At the same time, leaders must also be able to control their own nonverbal communications. 

Your nonverbal cues must, at all times, support your message. At best, conflicting verbal and nonverbal communication can cause confusion. At worst, it can undermine your message and your team’s confidence in you, your organization, and even in themselves. 

4. Watch your tone

How you say something can be just as important as what you say. As with other nonverbal cues, your tone can add power and emphasis to your message, or it can undermine it entirely.

Tone can be an especially important factor in workplace disagreements and conflict. A well-chosen word with a positive connotation creates good will and trust. A poorly chosen word with unclear or negative connotations can quickly lead to misunderstanding. 

When speaking, tone includes volume, projection, and intonation as well as word choice. In real time, it can be challenging to control tone to ensure that it matches your intent. But being mindful of your tone will enable you to alter it appropriately if a communication seems to be going in the wrong direction.

Tone can be easier to control when writing. Be sure to read your communication once, even twice, while thinking about tone as well as message. You may even want to read it out loud or ask a trusted colleague to read it over, if doing so does not breach confidentiality. 

And when engaging in a heated dialogue over email or other written medium, don’t be too hasty in your replies. 

If at all possible, write out your response but then wait for a day or two to send it. In many cases, re-reading your message after your emotions have cooled allows you to moderate your tone in a way that is less likely to escalate the conflict.

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5. Practice active listening

Communication nearly always involves two or more individuals.

Therefore, listening is just as important as speaking when it comes to communicating successfully. But listening can be more challenging than we realize. 

In her blog post Mastering the Basics of Communication , communication expert Marjorie North notes that we only hear about half of what the other person says during any given conversation. 

The goal of active listening is to ensure that you hear not just the words the person is saying, but the entire message. Some tips for active listening include:

• Giving the speaker your full and undivided attention
• Clearing your mind of distractions, judgements, and counter-arguments. 
• Avoiding the temptation to interrupt with your own thoughts.
• Showing open, positive body language to keep your mind focused and to show the speaker that you are really listening
• Rephrase or paraphrase what you’ve heard when making your reply
• Ask open ended questions designed to elicit additional information

6. Build your emotional intelligence

Communication is built upon a foundation of emotional intelligence. Simply put, you cannot communicate effectively with others until you can assess and understand your own feelings. 

“If you’re aware of your own emotions and the behaviors they trigger, you can begin to manage these emotions and behaviors,” says Margaret Andrews in her post, How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence .

Leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence will naturally find it easier to engage in active listening, maintain appropriate tone, and use positive body language, for example.  

Understanding and managing your own emotions is only part of emotional intelligence. The other part — equally important for effective communication — is empathy for others.

Empathizing with an employee can, for example, make a difficult conversation easier. 

You may still have to deliver bad news, but (actively) listening to their perspective and showing that you understand their feelings can go a long way toward smoothing hurt feelings or avoiding misunderstandings.

7. Develop a workplace communication strategy

Today’s workplace is a constant flow of information across a wide variety of formats. Every single communication must be understood in the context of that larger flow of information.

Even the most effective communicator may find it difficult to get their message across without a workplace communication strategy.

A communication strategy is the framework within which your business conveys and receives information. It can — and should — outline how and what you communicate to customers and clients, stakeholders, and managers and employees. 

Starting most broadly, your strategy should incorporate who gets what message and when. This ensures that everyone receives the correct information at the right time. 

It can be as detailed as how you communicate, including defining the type of tools you use for which information. For example, you may define when it’s appropriate to use a group chat for the entire team or organization or when a meeting should have been summarized in an email instead. 

Creating basic guidelines like this can streamline the flow of information. It will help ensure that everyone gets the details they need and that important knowledge isn’t overwhelmed by extraneous minutia. 

8. Create a positive organizational culture

The corporate culture in which you are communicating also plays a vital role in effective communication. 

In a positive work environment — one founded on transparency, trust, empathy, and open dialogue — communication in general will be easier and more effective. 

Employees will be more receptive to hearing their manager’s message if they trust that manager. And managers will find it easier to create buy-in and even offer constructive criticism if they encourage their employees to speak up, offer suggestions, and even offer constructive criticisms of their own. 

“The most dangerous organization is a silent one,” says Lorne Rubis in a blog post, Six Tips for Building a Better Workplace Culture . Communication, in both directions, can only be effective in a culture that is built on trust and a foundation of psychological safety.

Authoritative managers who refuse to share information, aren’t open to suggestions, and refuse to admit mistakes and accept criticism are likely to find their suggestions and criticisms met with defensiveness or even ignored altogether. 

Without that foundation of trust and transparency, even the smallest communication can be misconstrued and lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict.

Communicating with co-workers and employees is always going to present challenges. There will always be misunderstandings and miscommunications that must be resolved and unfortunately, corporate messages aren’t always what we want to hear, especially during difficult times.

But building and mastering effective communication skills will make your job easier as a leader, even during difficult conversations. Taking the time to build these skills will certainly be time well-spent. 

Want to build your skills? Find the program that’s right for you.

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About the Author

Digital Content Producer

Emerson is a Digital Content Producer at Harvard DCE. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale University and started her career as an international affairs analyst. She is an avid triathlete and has completed three Ironman triathlons, as well as the Boston Marathon.

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How to Improve your Communication Skills, with Key Resources

October 22, 2021 - Sophie Thompson

“Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer.

Is the ability to communicate successfully something that is a natural part of human personality or something you can learn? Many believe it is a mixture of both.

Some of the greatest communications in history do seem to have been “born” speakers, and their tone, delivery and words leave an indelible stamp. Take for instance Martin Luther King Jr. His messages and phrases are still used today, in a multitude of ways. Especially “I have a dream” and his belief that people should “not be judged on the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.” He certainly had a charismatic character!

However, there are many business leaders, entertainers, politicians and well know orators who describe themselves as naturally shy. So, there’s plenty of evidence that you can develop effective, confident and successful speaking and writing abilities. Especially if you’re truly invested in what you want to say.

Everyone needs to communicate well to establish healthy relationships with loved ones, bosses, interview panels, colleagues and business contacts, to name but a few ‘audiences’.

Whatever your job, you will need to deliver information, with clarity and confidence. According to global professional development company Dale Carnegie – in the  organisation’s video  about improving communications skills – your wages depend on it!

The firm says that 85% of your financial success in life comes from your personality, and your skills in communication, negotiation and leadership. Leaving only 15% of your career achievements rooted in technical knowledge.

Effective communication skills are important to many aspects of your life and career, including:

• Being hired for a new job
• Working with clients and customers
• Working with teams, both internal and external
• Leading people
• Establishing relationships
• Securing new business at networking events

This is why this article brings together various methods and ideas for how to improve your communications skills.

Understand the fundamentals of communication

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” – Brian Tracy.

A great place to start in developing communications skills is to constantly consider, ‘What am I trying to achieve?’ before writing anything, or preparing for presentations, interviews and meetings.

All communication has a purpose. It could be to educate, inform, warn, entertain, influence or persuade for example. Sometimes more than one purpose is involved.

Focusing on the result you want to achieve can help you to frame and deliver what you say more effectively. You can also evaluate the outcome against your initial aim, to find ways to develop better communications skills.

Learn to listen to verbal and non-verbal communications

Developing a better ability to listen is not simply learning to stay quiet when someone speaks or reading documentation more thoroughly!

Active listening needs to be practised and improved. It involves engaging with a speaker, in an emotionally intelligent way.

For instance, being aware of your own responses and reactions, so you can stay calmer and more focused in situations of conflict or debate. Also, consider what’s behind the words you’re hearing. This can mean studying the speaker’s body language and giving thought to their views, motives, interests and preferences.

Good listening also involves encouraging people to supply you with more information or clarity, by using open-ended questions and prompts for instance.

Why is active listening so important?

William Ury, an author and one of the world’s best-known and respected experts on negotiation skills, argues that “listening is the essential, and often overlooked, half of communication.”

His TED talk video called  ‘The power of listening’  develops this view.

Primarily, the advantages of improving listening skills include:

• A better understanding of the speaker. As William Ury says: “How can you possibly change someone else’s mind if you don’t know where their mind is?”
• Creates connection – including rapport and a level of trust.
• Makes it more likely the speaker will be more receptive to what you have to say.
• It costs nothing and you could learn a lot!

Add structure, context and non-verbal cues to your communication

Of course, it’s hard to actively listen when you come across a waffler, rambler or tech-speak geek. This is why the best communicators keep their purpose sharply in mind and deliver their ‘messages’ in as few words as possible.

As well as being succinct, there are other ways to enhance the success of your communication, including strategic use of visual aids. However, don’t let the visual material speak for you, as the impact of your words could get diluted if your audience gets too distracted.

One of the most commonly used ways to frame a presentation (or even a short speech) has been handed down from ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle. It involves three steps:

• Tell them what you are going to talk about.
• Explain what you just said.

Also, keep in mind that even the most polished and well-presented speech needs to include a degree of flexibility, leaving space to respond to your audience, and invite discussion, questions and feedback.

You can also improve your communication by remembering that words – and even visual aids – can all be underpinned by your body language. Good non-verbal techniques to connect with your audience and hold their attention include natural smiles, plenty of eye contact and an open posture.

This is true of whether it’s one potential customer, an interview panel or a room full of your peers. Equally universal is the need to personalise what you say as much as possible.

For example, frequently (but seamlessly) addressing people by name in written or verbal communication and using ‘you’ ‘we’ and ‘I’ for example.

Use contemporary methods for improvement

“Although we live in an information technology age, we often find ourselves in failure to communicate situations.” – Johnny Tan.

Technology provides important communication improvement tools – more on this later.

However, it’s a double-edged sword according to world-renown communications expert Antoni Lacinai in his TED Talk video called  ‘6 communication truths that everyone should know.’

Antoni Lacinai has spent over 25 years studying human communication and psychology, and his mission is to reclaim and enhance ‘analogue’ skills in an ever more digital world. He argues this takes time, effort and willpower.

Especially as digital communications have added to our impatience, and we lose concentration quickly (particularly younger audiences). According to Antoni Lacinai average attention spans have dropped from 20 to 3.5 minutes in a matter of a few years!

This makes it even more important to constantly fine-tune and refresh the way you communicate. Including, (ironically) making the best use of technology, such as growing your familiarity with software and web-based platforms that support information sharing.

Much depends on the nature of your job. So, for instance, if you are an entrepreneur, this could include getting a firmer handle on the different demographics and values of separate social media platforms.

Also, you could grow your ability to use options such as Slack and Zoom to continuously improve communication efficiency. They offer a way to record discussions, so you can evaluate if you could have done things better, clearer and in a more engaging way.

These are also digital communications tools you can learn to adapt to tailor information to specific audiences, and managers can use them to measure speaker success and viewer engagement.

This sort of communication improvement is vital as workforces are now highly dispersed.  Research  shows that if you use communications properly, to connected office-bound and remote staff, your productivity will increase by 20-25%. Also, 97% of employees feel their daily tasks depend on effective communications.

Use traditional methods for improvement

Beyond technology, you can also improve the success of your communication using more traditional methods, including participating in training courses in public speaking and writing for business.

Even something as readily accessible as reading more – and watching more news and documentary programmes – can help. This will expand your vocabulary, appreciation of language, and awareness of other people’s motivations and behaviours.

Also, use observational research. Focus on the communications activities of others, and study how they engage with their audience and achieve their purpose. You could also get a coach or mentor, to help you hone your skills.

Another free way to improve as a communicator is to use online resources to study the biggest mistakes people make, such as  this article  by a public speaking consultancy.

There is an important rider to this. It is natural to be nervous and to make mistakes, especially when presenting to multiple people. Accept that as something that happens to even the most experienced communicators and don’t let it derail you from your purpose.

However, if you want to see some really cringy public speaking mistakes,  this series of videos  includes some toe-curling examples!

Invest in understanding your audience properly

“The best speakers in the world are the best storytellers. They have a gift to not only tell a great story but also share a lot of the details that many others wouldn’t.” – Larry Hagner.

To meet any of the purposes of communication, you must quickly establish a strong connection with your audience. Engaging them both intellectually but also at an emotional level. This is the basis of the much-used phrased that you need to win ‘hearts and minds’.

That is why traits of the best communicators are empathy, respect and warmth, alongside displaying competence. These attributes enable you to talk to people – not at them. Staying constantly alert to their responses.

For example, if it is a meeting and their eyes start to glaze and drift off, you can pause, or ask them a friendly question, then move on to something you feel is more engaging and relevant. In written communication, it could be choosing words, phrases and additional information to explain things in a way your audience will better understand and appreciate.

You can also use ‘storytelling’ techniques to frame when you say or write; making it personal, relatable and inclusive of good illustrations to drive points home.

The series of videos in this  article  show storytelling in action among successful TED talk speakers.

Showing empathy, respect and warmth makes people feel important and engages them more thoroughly. It is only possible if you consider the nature of your audience.

That means taking note of what their expectations, interests, motivations and behaviours may be. Also, what level of ability and understanding does your audience have?

If you invest time in considering all this, you are more likely to communicate at a sufficiently technical level, at a pace that matches your audience and using content most likely to achieve the result you want.

“When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective.” – Stephen R. Covey.

Work on timing, appropriateness and versatility

Great comedians, like all great communicators, understand timing. They also gain a sense of their audience as quickly as possible, to dictate their content and the pace of their delivery.

Whether you are speaking in a project meeting, job interview or room with hundreds of people, the pace and fluidity of your communications matters. As it does in exchanges of written information.

The basis of this is gaining a good understanding of your audience (see above) but also not being too prescriptive and rigid. Leave room for responses, questions and feedback.

Being versatile as a communicator involves adapting to real-time responses. Such as, repeating things when you sense confusion, or emphasising points if you find something that enlivens and fully engages your audience.

You may even find a particularly relaxed and responsive audience makes humour appropriate. Though this must be measured and tasteful of course! You’re trying to win their hearts and minds, but if you can get a few laughs too, it’s a bonus that helps you build your audience connection.

Focusing on appropriateness and timing also revolves around the system you use to deliver information.

Did you know that over 205.6 billion emails are sent worldwide, every day? Of, those,  only a third are opened .

It’s the perfect example of why you should decide the most effective way to communicate, to match your audience’s needs and expectations, and your purpose.

Such as, using the telephone or an in-person discussion to communicate, and then following it up with an email, to achieve a better result.

The best communicators are life-long learners

To come full circle then, personality is important, but you can certainly develop successful communications skills. In fact, even if it comes naturally, you must invest time in understanding your audience and purpose, and in choosing your words with care. This is why becoming a successful communicator is a journey, not a destination.

“Communication works for those who work at it.” – John Powell

Key resources to improve your communication skills

1. online courses.

• Improving Communication Skills  – You’ll learn how to develop trust, the best method of communication for negotiation, when to cooperate and when to compete, how to create persuasive messages, and more.
• Essential Public Speaking  – Learn all the fundamentals of public speaking, from building rapport to asking the right questions. You can then practice these techniques with interactive practice exercises.
• Business Communications  – Sharpen your writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills to help you succeed in the business world. You will learn strategies for honing your communication style, improving clarity, conciseness and impact.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work  – Improve your communication skills at work and learn how to navigate positive collaboration in the modern workplace.
• Communication Styles for Stronger Social Skills  – How to adapt your communication styles to improve your relationship and influence with the people around you.

2. YouTube tutorials

• 5 ways to improve your communication skills  – actionable insights form five different communication leaders, each addressing a different way to improve your skills.
• 7 tips to improve communication skills  – design art style of explaining ways to improve your speaking and communication skills.
• Think fast, talk smart: communication techniques  – Matt Abrahams, lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School, explains techniques that will help you speak spontaneously with greater confidence and clarity, regardless of content and context.
• 4 steps to improve Your communication skills  – If you’re someone who struggles to talk to people, because it feels forced, unnatural, and the conversation doesn’t really go anywhere, then this video is for you.
• TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking  – this book explains how powerful public speaking is achieved and equips you to give it your best shot. There is no set formula; no two talks should be the same. The goal is for you to give the talk that only you can give.
• How to Win Friends and Influence People  – a classic book on how to make people like you, change people to your way of thinking, negotiate without causing resentment and more topics are covered.
• The Art of Public Speaking  – this book covers classical and contemporary speaking theory, including practical applications relating to public speaking.

4. Blogs about communication

• MindTools  – learn about a wide range of communication skills, from giving feedback to negotiating with a customer, in detailed, well thought out articles.
• VirtualSpeech  – in-depth articles on how to improve communication skills and how virtual reality and be used to practice these skills.
• SkillsYouNeed  – detailed articles with plenty of examples and exercises to ensure you are learning actively.

5. Quiz – what is your communication style?

• Communication style quiz

Improve communication skills

With plenty of practice, you’ll notice significant improvements in how you speak and communicate with others:

• Your confidence around other people will grow
• People will pay more attention to what you’re saying
• You’ll be able to explain complex ideas and processes more clearly
• You’ll find it easier to communicate with people around the world in different cultures and with different ethnic backgrounds

10 Effective Ways You Can Improve Your Communication Skills

Want to become not only a powerful communicator, but an effective one? Here are the 10 most effective communication skills to help you improve!

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They say that communication is the most important factor in any work or romantic relationship… and they’re right!

Communication problems account for 65% of divorces in America.

But don’t fret.

What Are Communication Skills?

Communication skills help us share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with others. Great communicators are able to give and receive different forms of information via verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and body language signs. Communication skills help us relay instructions, messages, new ideas, or emotions.

Why Are Communication Skills Important?

Whether it be verbal, nonverbal, or physical, we communicate with people every day!

Communication skills help us clearly relay our thoughts and ideas to others.

In 1952, Scott Cutlip introduced the 7 C’s of communication to help people create more sound points of interest while talking with another person.

These 7 C’s include

• Clarity : What is your purpose in communicating with this person?
• Conciseness : Keep it short and stick to the point.
• Concreteness : Create a vivid picture of what you’re speaking about with facts and imagery.
• Correctness : Is what you’re saying error-free, and does it fit your audience’s level of comprehension?
• Coherence : Your topic and points are easily understood and logical.
• Completeness : Your audience has all the information that you spoke of and can act upon it.
• Courtesy : Practice open, honest, and friendly conversation.

With the 7 C’s , you can ensure that your audience can listen easily to your words and employ them directly and peacefully. With that, you’ll become a credible and reliable source of information simply because you can communicate it for the masses to comprehend.

Also, keeping the conversation creative helps listeners to keep the spark alive and devise a colorful picture of what you’re saying in their head, which will keep them from finding excuses to leave the conversation.

Just know that the more you effectively communicate, the better you become at it and the more people will listen and adhere to what you’re saying!

Types of Communication Skills

By now, you’re probably wondering, What are some different types of communication skills that I can use to make people listen!?

We’ll briefly cover the key types of communication from a Drexel University study so that you get the main points:

• Visual Communication : Physical or mental imagery that conveys your main points and explanations
• Written Communication: Using various forms of written communication to inform in a clear and concise manner
• Listening: Actively hearing words and phrases to connect points and comprehend the overall message
• Verbal Communication: Speaking your words or message directly to your audience
• Nonverbal Communication: Using your body to relay your point (e.g., facial expressions, pointing, eye contact, etc.)

These communication terms may seem familiar to you, but are you sure about how to use them?

If not, here’s how!

Visual Communication

Visual communication is said to be the easiest form of communication because our brains automatically create images of words and sounds that we hear. 

Between social media, ads, television, and our phones, our society has transformed into pictures with short and witty captions. These images convey a specific message that we want viewers to comprehend without thinking about it. 

As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and that’s because of the various interpretations that we can conjure just by seeing some shapes, lines, and colors.

Written Communication

Remember being in school passing notes to your friends so that the teacher wouldn’t hear you? That was probably one of your first forms of written communication , and, as you can see, it works!

If you’re in the workforce, did you know that 73% of employers seek workers with top-notch written communication skills?

Why? Because memos, social media posts, and those pesky emails you send every day are a part of business and help us to effectively communicate by slowing down and expressing ourselves concisely without the hassle of being interrupted.

Also, think about it: How cool is it that written communication saves you from having to speak?!

This is a major help, especially for introverts , in getting your point across without having to say a single word.

Attentive listening tends to be one of the most important types of communication because, according to a listening study , a whopping 40% of communication involves listening!

40% of all communication happens through listening.

Without listening to the words that are spoken, you literally lose out on almost half of what was communicated; therefore, you can’t effectively engage in the conversation with the person speaking unless you’re hearing them.

Thankfully, there are four types of listening that we engage in daily.

Peruse the list of effective listening styles and determine which kind of listener you are:

• Full Listening: Paying close attention to the words and tones of the speaker
• Therapeutic Listening: Allowing close friends and loved ones to express themselves
• Deep Listening: Focusing on learning the speaker’s core points and perspectives
• Critical Listening: Using reasoning, facts, and logic to analyze a message

Luckily, these listening styles can be developed and enhanced with practice and consistent communication.

Verbal Communication

You can be speaking to a coworker via Zoom or hanging out with your friends discussing the latest in the celebrity world. Either way, you’re engaging in verbal communication .

Being verbal is a great form of communication that allows others to hear and connect the points you’re trying to make via your words.

Sure, some people, like Kanye West, are said to be “full of themselves” when they speak and could use a moment to simply zip it, but where’s the fun in that?

Like Kanye, many people use complexity and intonations (cadence, tone, pitch) to connect their surface words to their core message, which helps the audience understand their point.

Interestingly, while face to face, you can’t help but also take into consideration your audience’s nonverbal communication.

Speaking of which…

Nonverbal Communication

Have you ever received the “death stare” from someone? You knew exactly what that meant, and that, my friends, is a form of nonverbal communication .

Simply put, nonverbal communication consists of using any part of your body—except your voice—to get your audience’s attention and the results that you desire .

You’ve most likely engaged in these nonverbal cues before:

• hand gestures
• eye contact

According to a Darioly and Mast study , “Nonverbal plays an important role in interpersonal communication in general and accounts for a majority (about 65 to 90%) of the meaning conveyed in social interaction.”

However, a recent study made a valid point that if this is true, it’s because people aren’t paying attention to the words or are simply not listening.

This is exactly why knowing the different styles of nonverbal cues is necessary, and why nonverbal communication will never go out of style.

Top 10 Effective Communication Skills

To become a better communicator, you have to have the tools and skills to create the right message for the right audience, right?

Here are the top 10 communication skills that will enhance the way you speak and listen.

 1. Clear Signaling

“Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer

In the realm of communication skills, clear signaling is the art of relaying your words directly and concisely to your listener .

It seems like an easy skill, doesn’t it?

However, it can be misconstrued based on interpretation, which leads to s ignal amplification bias .

Based on a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , signal amplification bias is also believing that a communication cue is worth more than its surface intention.

For example, many people aren’t sure others like them because they’re playing cool and undersignaling. In other words, many people are afraid others don’t like them. If you enjoy working with someone, tell them!

Signal amplification bias also stems from the misconception that you provided enough information to your listener when in fact you did not.

You can tell this bias is in effect when you hear statements like

• “It should have been obvious.”
• “This goes without saying.”
• “I shouldn’t have to tell you this.”

Overcoming the bias requires initiating straightforward clear signaling. 

• If you like working with someone, tell them.
• If someone did a great job on a project, tell them.
• If someone is making you uncomfortable, tell them!

Bottom line: Be honest with your intentions.

 2. Highlight Uniqueness

Uniqueness is the quality of being remarkable, special, or one-of-a-kind, and everyone has a special communicative trait that sets them apart from others. 

Whether it’s the inflection of your voice, an entertaining stature and body posture, or incredible clarity while speaking, you can improve your communication traits by highlighting your unique communication skills either verbally, physically, or nonverbally.

You can even show appreciation for others! Try highlighting other people’s uniqueness:

• Compliment them on their unique style of clothing.
• Send a message of appreciation about their orderliness or creativity.
• Show appreciation for their specific personality traits .

3. Reading Faces

Reading faces is a vital communication skill that allows you to understand a person’s feelings through their face instead of their voice . In fact, humans have 7 universal microexpressions, or facial expressions, that signal different emotions.

The 7 different microexpressions are

In accordance, the facial feedback hypothesis states that one’s facial expressions are directly related to their emotional and behavioral experience toward others and themselves. 

A study was conducted to test this hypothesis with humor. The results show us that under the right conditions, people feel free to express their emotions through their face, which influences their emotional and physical demeanor.

In short, changing your facial expression can literally influence the way you think and feel—and the message you’re getting across!

This communication skill of reading faces is so powerful that facial reading training is available for people who want to increase their know-how of guessing how people feel based on their emotional facial expressions.

4. Still-Face Experiment

If you’re like Rihanna and have been consistently told that you have RBF, then you’ll want to pay attention to this communication skill.

Have you ever heard of the still-face experiment ? In a nutshell, it was a study done to show how stressful behaviors affect facial expressions and, thus, the emotional development of infants and children.

By the end of the experiment, it showcased that if you are still and emotionless in the face, it becomes challenging for people to communicate with you simply because they can’t tell if you’re paying attention or not.

If you have RBF or “Still Face,” there’s hope for you yet!

There are some solutions that you can use to gauge a deeper understanding of what is being communicated so that you can have some movement in those stale muscles.

Check them out:

• Listen with empathy and verbally respond.
• Help people to label their feelings so that you can physically empathize.
• Recognize the speaker’s main point to connect on a deeper level.

You may get mad—heck, you may even chuckle at what’s being said—but the point is to stray from the Still Face and engage in facial reactions to show attentive listening and improved communication.

But if you’re REALLY struggling to fix that RBF, there may be hope. Check out our guide here: Resting Bitch Face: How to Fix Your RBF Forever (With Science) .

Let’s move on to the next skill.

5. Facial Absorption

Facial absorption is the face-to-face communication skill of taking in information and using your face to show your reaction . That’s it! 

Here’s the secret sauce to enacting this communication skill with other people: eye contact !

When you are focused on the person’s face while they are speaking, there is a chance that your mirror neurons will copy the speaker’s face and make you react in the same way. 

Facial absorption automatically shows coherent listening and courtesy, even if you don’t catch every single word that floods out of their mouth.

And the best part?

Facial absorption comes automatically. All you need to do is really pay attention to the other person during a conversation.

Here’s another tip: Use facial absorption during your next meeting, as it is one of the most impactful communication skills in the workplace .

6. Use Powerful Words

Words are very powerful, depending on how we say them and the specific words that we say.

In fact, using powerful words is one of the most valuable communication skills in the workplace because of the digital world we live in that simply requires us to look down and use our thumbs.

Social and corporate jargon can be a serious hindrance to effective communication, which is why words used should be powerful and easy to understand.

Here are some that you can try out:

• transparent
• challenging

You also use powerful words to increase your influence toward others and reveal the same communicative traits in others that you have within yourself, which is referred to as spontaneous trait transference . 

We’ll put it this way: The way you describe others is the way people will see you —that’s the transference. And the fact that it happens instantly is what makes it spontaneous!

In the workplace, examples of this can be seen when your boss gives you a compliment or when you hear someone gossiping about another person.

They can be positive or negative, but the point is to use strong words to convey your message with positive assertion and tact and improve your oral communication skills .

7. Embodied Cognition

You know when you go to the doctor’s office for a checkup and you see them set up the tools to give you a shot? Your body starts to tense and your heart starts to race a bit, doesn’t it?

There’s a reason for that, and it’s called embodied cognition .

It’s the latest sexy topic in social psychology, theorized as behavior emerging from the real-time interaction between our nervous system and our environment, which persuades our mind to think a certain way.

So what does this have to do with communication?

Through strategic messaging, certain sounds, imagery, or voice inflections can make your body react, which may convince your mind to think a particular thought.

Other examples can be as simple as seeing a chair and thinking, I should sit , or, even if you aren’t hungry, smelling food and having the thought of eating pop into your mind.

Embodied cognition has been described as “ internal suggestive communication. ” It’s simply saying that the body can influence the mind as much as the mind can influence the body .

For example, there used to be a student who told her team, “Let’s not be a sinking ship” or “Let’s not rip the bandaid off,” until she noticed that her team members visibly winced when she said it. Even though she said NOT, the metaphor was still physically painful. Be careful with your words and err on the side of positive.

You can even hang up photos around your cubicle in the workplace and listen to audiobooks of your favorite public speakers to persuade your mind.

8. Sharing Feedback

Sharing feedback is responding to a message or activity .

No one likes to feel like they are wasting their time speaking, which is why sharing feedback is a HUGE communication skill that proves you paid attention.

It’s also one of the safest and most effective oral communication skills and business communication skills to create an engaging dialogue about the topic at hand.

A 2017 study gives a list of the different types of feedback . Check to see if you’ve engaged in any of them:

• Informal Feedback : Basic verbal or nonverbal responses on performance or statements
• Formal Feedback: A structured assessment where people give direct critique or criticism to the speaker
• Summative Feedback: A detailed summary of the topic along with positive comments and solutions for enhancing shortcomings

Appropriate feedback is an important interpersonal skill because it contributes to development and confidence in receiving critique from people you know—and don’t know—while building your confidence in communication.

Action Step: Grab a “feedback buddy” and work on playing out imaginary scenarios, such as a job interview or giving a TED talk , while giving critiques and comments to each other.

9. Positive Body Language

Body language includes all communication through a physical channel and is a powerful form of communication—more powerful than words! 

Why? Because the body does not lie!

Social anthropologist Edward T. Hall (1959) maintained that there are more than 700,000 forms of body language , and during a typical conversation, 65% of social meanings are portrayed directly through body language .

Yet in different parts of the world, this number and body language will vary. 

Let’s break down what each body part could indicate while communicating (at least in Western cultures):

• Head: A subtle nod can mean agreement, while shaking the head no (even if someone says yes) can mean disagreement. How do you spot these subtle differences? Learn more about head behavior .
• Face: The face can give away subtle hints of anger, happiness, sadness, or even contempt! Cues can manifest in bared teeth or pursed lips. Learn more about facial expressions .
• Eyes: Depending on where the eyes are looking, a person can be feeling intimate or bored! How do you tell? Learn more about the eyes here .
• Mouth : Licking the lips draws attention through tongue movement. It also leaves the lips noticeably shinier and more attractive. What other mouth cues are there? Learn about mouth cues here .
• Hands: Greetings, farewell, or threat. Hiding your hands can signal a threat. Open palms, on the other hand, signal sincerity. Learn all the hand gestures you need to know: 60 Hand Gestures You Should Be Using .
• Legs/Feet: How do you know where someone wants to go? Simply look at their feet. Learn why in this article: 20 Leg Body Language Cues To Help You Analyze ANY Situation .

Learning how to improve communication skills by being sensitive to body language allows you to become aware of whether who you’re talking to is entertained or bored out of their spiritless mind.

It can help you spot contradictions between what is said and what is meant while also helping you to become more cognizant of your body language to determine what message you’re sending out to your audience.

And if you really want to master body language? Read our mega guide: The Ultimate Guide to Body Language .

10. Storytelling

Want to know how to improve communication skills at work , at home, or in society? Try the oldest form of communication that’s still used in many cultures around the world: storytelling ! 

Storytelling is a form of communication that creates colorful imagery backed by detailed words to both help your listeners understand your core message and keep them mentally entertained. 

It’s also a solid way to increase your verbal communication skills and one of the greatest active listening exercises for your audience.

Storytelling entails

• using visual cues, such as pictures or objects
• practicing rephrasing if someone doesn’t get your message
• increasing nonverbal cues with bodily movement and gestures

If you want to learn more about how to improve communication skills through storytelling, read our amazing article: How to Tell a Great Story: Learn Science of Storytelling .

Communication Really IS Key!

Why are communication skills important? Because they’re what we use to survive. You can choose to wave a hand, make a face, or speak your mind. In any case, you have to use vital communication skills to effectively get your message across.

And I know—some of these theories may be new to you, but practicing new interpersonal communication skills and nonverbal communication skills is a sound form of communication training !

Check out this guide: 9 Conflict Resolution Tips to Win An Argument Like a Jedi

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12 thoughts on “10 effective ways you can improve your communication skills”.

Thanks Vanessa

Thank YOU for reading!

Danielle | Science of People Team

Micro-Expression: I have a few friends that I can read but other times it feels like a struggle. One “friend” in particular usually displays the disgust expression, hence I do not spend a lot of time with her. We are friends when I see her, but out of site out of mind…until now. What can I do to tune into the micro-expressions with others?

Great question. Some people have what is called a facial punctuator meaning they display a certain expression (surprise, contempt, disgust) as a way to emphasize a point or idea. Keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean that that this person feels this specific emotion more often, but instead, it’s part of their baseline. It may take a little getting used to!

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Professional Skills

• Jan 17, 2024
• 14 min read

How to Improve Your Communication Skills (Tips & Examples)

Less “blah, blah, blah”, more “aha”.

Siôn Phillpott

Career & Entrepreneurship Expert

Reviewed by Chris Leitch

Communication is a  key skill  in the workplace. Companies can fail or succeed based on how effectively their people can convey vision or interpret direction, with something as simple as a poorly written email having the potential to cause major damage within that company’s culture. Conversely, a powerful, well-delivered speech can inspire and motivate an entire organization.

Not everybody is a strong communicator, though. While some people seemingly have a natural way with words, many have to develop this ability from scratch. Regardless of where you fit in on this spectrum, it’s crucial to recognize the  importance of communication  and to possess good speaking and listening skills.

So, whether you’re a jobseeker, a new hire unsure on  how to talk to the boss , or the head of the whole organization, there is always something to be learned. This is how to improve your communication skills, one small step at a time…

What are communication skills?

Communication skills are a group of soft skills that allow us to interact positively and efficiently with one another. We use communication, which can roughly be divided into the categories of verbal and nonverbal, to exchange ideas, accurately pass on information, express our needs and experiences, and ultimately connect with those around us.

Types of communication skills

Though we often associate communication with talking, there are several ways in which we can convey and exchange information. Let’s look at the six main forms of communication:

• Verbal communication , or using spoken words to pass on a message to another person.
• Written communication , which is used a lot in the workplace, from email exchanges and instant messages to reports, briefs and beyond.
• Active listening . As a listener, you carry half of the responsibility for a successful conversation!
• Nonverbal communication , as in body language, facial expressions and eye contact, which play a vital role in conveying information.
• Visual communication . This refers to utilizing visual elements, like graphics and fonts, to share information.
• Empathy , as it allows you to better “read the room” and get in the listener’s shoes, which is essential for communicating effectively.

Why are they important?

Effective communication between yourself and your clients or colleagues is imperative for carrying out your work efficiently. When you can clearly explain what you expect from others, as well as what your own needs, questions or limits are, you can prevent errors from happening that would require time and money to remedy.

Good communication is also essential in building trust and forming positive relationships with those around you. The more you can communicate calmly and with respect with fellow team members, the better; it will keep misunderstandings to a minimum and hopefully de-escalate situations before they become too disruptive.

How to improve your communication skills

Here are 15 ways in which you can become a more efficient and confident communicator in the workplace and beyond.

1. Understand body language

Body language , or nonverbal communication, is a subtle art that has the potential to say an awful lot and can be applied in any number of situations.

As a leader, for example, standing up straight and adopting a proper posture when addressing a room full of people suggests that you are confident and comfortable in your responsibility; all good orators understand that  how  you say something is just as important as  what  you say.

It’s just as important in a one-on-one situation, too. When you’re at a  job interview  or an appraisal, always maintain eye contact when you’re speaking to someone. Looking out of the window or at the floor suggests that you either don’t really believe what you’re saying or that you’re not interested.

Don’t just pay attention to how your own body language is coming across, either — try to read the other person’s. Somebody might be telling you that they agree with you out loud, but if they’re fidgeting or avoiding eye contact, it suggests that they actually might not.

Human beings subconsciously rely on nonverbal communication in their interactions, so never forget to read — and speak — between the lines.

2. Encourage interaction

From experience, sitting through a two-hour PowerPoint presentation on benefits realization management without falling asleep is a challenge. Seriously. Good communication is a two-way street, so make sure people get involved — nobody likes to be talked at for two hours straight on the world’s most boring topic, after all.

In the context of a group, ask questions (even if they’re hypothetical). Bring up interesting points that make people think, and physically utilize your audience members to keep everyone on their toes. Blaming the subject matter for being too bland is not an excuse — it’s your responsibility to communicate things in an effective and engaging way.

The same principles apply in a one-on-one situation as well. Drive the conversation by digging deeper into what the other person is telling you, while always seeking to clarify any instructions. If you’ve been given a task, don’t hesitate to send a follow-up email, either, clearing up any  potential confusion and miscommunication  over what exactly it is you’re meant to be doing.

3. Speak “extemporaneously”

It might look unpronounceable, but extemporaneous communication is highly effective.

Practiced primarily by lawyers when speaking in court, it is essentially the art of using minimal bullet point notes to keep your speech on track, without remembering or rehearsing word for word what you’re going to say.

Although this might sound like a strange approach (the conventional wisdom is that preparation is everything, after all), speaking in this manner allows you the flexibility and freedom to judge your audience’s reaction and engage in any points of debate as they happen. This results in a far more interesting and engaging discussion, and it makes the audience an active participant without them even realizing.

Be careful, though. If you’re not 100% comfortable with what you’re talking about, the potential for things to go wrong is very real; the last thing you want is for your mind to go blank without any notes to rely on!

4. Know your audience

In any situation, in any role, knowing  who  you are communicating with is key to understanding  how  to get your point across or ascertain the information you need.

Within a company, this may require time so that you can get to know individual team members and how they operate; some employees might respond well to criticism, for examples, but others might work better when encouraged.

On a broader scale, it’s usually enough to apply some degree of common sense. For example, if you’re  writing an email  to your boss, you should keep things courteous, professional and focused on work; when you then go to pick up the office post from the mail room, though, it’s perfectly fine to talk about the Minor League with Trevor the mail guy.

These might be two completely different styles of communication, but they’re relevant to the respective audience; they both also result in the cultivation and development of two different types of workplace relationships.

Always tailor your approach accordingly and understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to communication.

There is a wise, old saying — often propagated in military environments — that you have two eyes, two ears but only one mouth, and that you should apply their usage in that ratio. Put more plainly: to be an effective communicator, you should listen far more than you speak.

This is because it’s easier to create solutions when you’re more aware of the issues. This doesn’t mean listening passively, either; people can spot when you’re giving off the illusion of taking things on board.

Actually truly  listen  to what you’re being told and react to it accordingly; don’t disrespect their confidence by reeling off a formulaic response or batting their concerns away.

Finally, don’t be a terrible conversationalist. There’s nothing more annoying than talking to someone who constantly interrupts you or talks over you; this is a fundamental connection flaw on their part and demonstrates why it’s so important that you don’t make the same mistake. Always remember: without someone to listen, there is no communication.

6. Get to the point

We’ve all been there, waiting patiently for a simple answer to a simple question that soon morphs into the full-blown life story of the other party. While the more polite and tolerable among us may kindly nod and smile through gritted teeth, this approach isn’t conducive to a professional environment: instead, everyone needs to be straight to the point.

This doesn’t mean that conversation should be discouraged; it just means that communication is more effective when things are short, clear and concise. Waffling on for 10 minutes can make people switch off, or the most significant points to take away can get lost in the mire. By focusing only on what is important, nothing can get lost in translation.

Don’t be too vague, though; the idea is to be brief yet specific — not just short for the sake of it. Read over your emails before you send them to ensure you have the balance right, while in your verbal encounters focus on being coherent and succinct.

7. Avoid distractions

Nothing kills the art of conversation quite like pulling your phone out and reading a message (or, worse, scrolling through Facebook). Even if the offending party tells you that they’re still listening, everything about their behavior tells you that they’re not; whether it’s in a meeting, an appraisal or even on a date, it’s never acceptable, and you shouldn’t do it.

If you’re in the middle of something and you receive an important phone call, be polite and courteous and inform the other person that you have to take the call — otherwise, ignore it and call back later or quickly answer and let that person know you’re with someone and you’ll call back.

Everybody is busy and people feel that they need to  multitask  in order to manage their workloads, but reading emails when someone is trying to tell you something comes down to basic courtesy. Even for a couple of minutes, put everything else on hold and focus on the person (or people) that are in front of you.

8. Observe others

Whenever you’re trying to improve any skill, be it golf, cooking or communication, a useful approach is to study the experts in that field. Learning about how they do things and imitating or taking inspiration from their behavior and routines can sometimes offer an insight into what makes them so successful.

If you regularly speak to large groups of people, for example, study footage of renowned orators such as Barack Obama, Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey. You don’t have to start wearing a black turtleneck or adopting every single hand gesture, but you can get an idea of why their presence is so magnetic, such as the emphasis on posture, tone and delivery.

You can even learn a thing or two from stand-up comedians; the jokes might not be appropriate, but the air of confidence and the impeccable sense of timing they convey can be translated into any form of  public speaking .

Don’t ignore sources of inspiration that are closer to home, too. Are there any particular individuals that you feel completely at ease talking to? People who take on board what you say while getting their own message across respectfully and effectively? Utilize them. Take the best components of their approaches and employ them to your own.

9. Record yourself

This is a practical technique that can directly improve your communication skills, even if it may cause you to cringe at the sound of your own voice.

It’s extremely helpful, though, as it’s almost guaranteed that you will notice certain mannerisms or habits that you don’t realize when you’re actually speaking — and which nobody else will mention to you.

For example, if you say “um” or “you know” (as a lot of people tend to do) at the start of every sentence, this can be quite annoying to listeners; it’s only when you hear it for yourself that you can critique and improve how you come across.

Of course, make sure you have the other person’s awareness and permission first, and make it clear why exactly you are recording; when they find out, they may offer their own tips — or even follow your lead and do the same to develop their own skills.

10. Read more books

Reading more books or even listening to podcasts and audiobooks frequently can be a great way to add new words and expressions to your vocabulary, which in turn will allow you to express yourself more accurately and concisely.

Not only that, but the activity will expose you to new ideas and broaden your knowledge, too, which can enable you to simultaneously improve your cultural awareness and ability to interact with people from various backgrounds and with various interests.

Plus, reading can slow cognitive decline and even lower stress levels , which also benefits you professionally!

11. Mind your tone

Here’s one thing we wish more people accepted to be true: your tone of voice matters just as much as what you say.

Indeed, good communicators pay attention not only to their words but also to how they’re relaying them. It doesn’t matter if your intentions are great, if you speak curtly to a colleague or don’t even turn to look at them when engaging in face-to-face conversation, the information you’re passing on to them is bound to be “tinted” by the emotional impact your actions have on them.

If your aim is to be regarded as someone who has a way with words, you must start paying attention to the way you deliver them.

12. Take public speaking classes

If you’ve ever spoken to someone who’s taken public speaking classes, chances are that they’ll have talked your ear off about it. (Which is proof the classes do work!)

Toastmasters clubs, for example, incorporate various activities into their group meetups, such as the infamous “ah counter” , to help people develop better communication skills. If you don’t know what that is, it’s when you count all your long pauses, overused words and filler sounds — such as “um” and “ah” — so you start paying more attention to them and, over time, eliminate them from your speech.

13. Develop your empathy

Though some wouldn’t think it, empathy can indeed be said to be a type of communication skill. The reason is because this soft skill allows us to relate to the people around us, which is fundamental when we’re trying to transmit and receive information.

If a colleague is stressed, unwell or otherwise struggling, empathy can help you tailor your message as well as time its delivery in a way that will maximize the chances of arriving at a common understanding.

Likewise, it can help you establish and maintain good relationships with those on your team, which also enhances teamwork and collaboration.

14. Build your confidence

If you look at inspirational speakers, they have one thing in common: they sound wholeheartedly sure of what they’re saying, speaking with conviction. After all, you can’t convince someone to pay attention to what you’re saying unless you yourself first and foremost believe in its significance.

Some of the tips we listed already, like taking public speaking classes, reading more books and observing speakers you look up to can really help you develop communication skills which are enviable. The more you practice and expose yourself to different communication methods, the more confidence you’ll gain as a speaker, presenter and professional.

15. Be yourself

Which brings us to our final bit of advice: authenticity.

Part of developing effective communication skills is developing or amplifying your own unique voice. Don’t be afraid to share your experiences and incorporate opinions and personal insights into your conversations: these things can add valuable additional information to what you’re already saying, making your words more memorable and impactful.

Of course, it takes a certain level of practice (and confidence!) to get comfortable with being honest and vulnerable in your exchanges with others. But, like any skill, it’s very much doable if you dedicate yourself to it!

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are plenty of activities you can engage in to improve your communication skills. It’s worth taking the time, too, as  employers highly value people  who can both convey information and take it on board.

Being a strong and effective communicator won’t just benefit you at work, either; it will have a positive effect on every facet of your personal and professional life, and even when  communicating while remote working .

Do you have any other tips or ideas to help improve your communication skills? Let us know in the comments section below!

Originally published on February 22, 2018. Updated by Electra Michaelidou.

Soft Skills

Communication Skills

15 Communication Exercises and Games for the Workplace

Cooperation and collaboration underpin how we work together, and done brilliantly, can determine our competitive advantage.

At the human level, our social resources play a massive part in our happiness and well-being in the workplace.

We can brush it all off as too soft and fuzzy, or we can embrace communication as one of the keys to an emotionally intelligent workplace. But because the way we get along is so fundamental to organizational success and human flourishing, many more companies are focusing on the latter.

In this article, you will find 15 communication exercises, games, and tips to help you improve teamwork and collaboration in your workplace. If you have any great activities that we haven’t covered, do let us know!

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others.

This Article Contains:

What are communication exercises and games, the importance of communication in the workplace, 7 tips on improving communication skills at work, 3 games and exercises to improve workplace communication skills, 3 activities to improve communication between employees, 3 active listening games and exercises for the workplace, 3 team building communication games and exercises, 3 communication exercises and activities for groups, a take-home message.

Typically, communication is seen as a ‘soft’ skill—because it’s not easily quantifiable. Compared to profits, losses, and even risk, it is intangible. Unless it’s either terrible or completely absent. Communication exercises and games are interactional activities that aim to develop how we relate to one another, including how we share information and get along.

They can be one-on-one or team exercises, but the goal is the same: they help us develop our interpersonal skills and improve our capacity to relate.

Communication is a whole lot more than just talking—although, that is a fundamental part of relationship-building and knowledge-transfer. To really grasp how big of an impact it has, we can touch on some of the theory. Surprisingly, taking a step back to look at some theory can sometimes be just as helpful, if not more so, than ‘getting on with it’.

What are Workplace Communication Skills?

Succinctly, they help us convey information to others in an effective way. And, they go above and beyond coherent speech in many ways—we talk, we use silence, body language, tone of voice, and eye-contact—voluntarily and unconsciously. With a broad and beautiful rainbow of ways to communicate, then, how do we know what’s considered a skill? What’s noise and what’s a message? What matters?

Drawing on empirical literature on communication skills in the workplace, we can look at Maguire and Pitcheathly’s (2002) study of doctors for a good example. In medical professions, it’s particularly critical not just to extract and interpret information—often, from conversation partners who lack crucial information themselves—but to convey it empathetically and with clarity.

The authors described several key communication skills as follows:

– The ability to elicit patients’ problems and concerns.

Swap ‘patients’ with clients, co-workers, managers, and so forth, and we can see that this is readily applicable in many other work situations. That is, the ability to understand, explore and clarify what others are talking about, and to solicit more details if and when the situation requires it.

Doctors also described effective communication as being able to summarize what the patient/other had related to correct information and display understanding.

Benefits: In an objective sense, we need to extract information so we can channel our efforts accordingly. Deadlines, role boundaries, budgets, and the ‘why, how, what’ of tasks. But active listening encourages pleasant social interactions, which in turn, these boost our well-being and life satisfaction (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).

– The ability to deliver information effectively.

The doctors studied also checked with their patients what their beliefs were about what was wrong. In other workplaces, team situations call for clarity—a shared goal is the ideal, but very often we come at situations with at least a few different beliefs. Alternatively, we may be quick to assume that others understand what we are saying when situations actually require further explanation.

To deal with this, the doctors:

• Reorganized information where required (e.g. into categories);
• Checked that patients understood them before moving on; and
• Checked whether they wanted further information.

Benefits: Our messages need to make sense if we want to convey information in a meaningful way. That applies both to our language and the extent to which we empathize. Effective information delivery helps us define goals , transfer knowledge, and successfully accomplish shared tasks.

– Discussing treatment options.

Communication, in its most basic form at least, is dyadic—a two-way, and (one would hope) mutually beneficial flow of information. In this study, giving a diagnosis and treatment options was only one part of the job. Doctors described how important it was to see whether patients wanted to participate in choosing their treatment.

They determined their perspectives before decision-making; in other settings, this is inviting participation and engagement.

Benefits: As discussed, information delivery is crucial, but our focus here is opening up discussions. Giving others a chance to contribute allows us to factor in more perspectives and diverse opinions. We can encourage more engagement, commitment, and complement one another’s different skills for better results.

– Being supportive.

Doctors described empathy in terms of feedback and validation. They showed that they understood how their patients were feeling to relate at an interpersonal level; where they didn’t know, they at least made a stab at empathizing through educated guesses.

Benefits: We don’t need to look too far to find sources of workplace stress that might be impacting our colleagues. By empathizing, we not only build better relationships, but we show that we are available as key ‘job resources’ – social support for those around us to reduce the negative impacts of our job demands (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007).

Put even more simply, we make work a nicer place to be while avoiding unnecessary conflict.

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These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to improve communication skills and enjoy more positive social interactions with others.

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Maguire and Pitcheathly’s (2002) clinical review offered several learning tips, the first of which was an emphasis on proper communication skills training. As well as identifying key communication deficits and their root causes, these included several that relate to our knowledge of positive psychology and communication.

3 Tips for Creating a Supportive Learning Environment

First, we need to create an optimal learning environment if we want to maximize our improvement; in this sense:

• Communication skills need to be modeled and practiced, not simply taught – a nod to experiential learning, which is frequently emphasized in emotional intelligence learning (SEL) (Haertel et al., 2005; Kolb, 2014);
• They are best learned and practiced in safe, supportive environments, which studies show are central to learning behavior (Edmonson et al., 2004); and
• Constructive performance feedback is helpful, but “only once all positive comments have been exhausted” (Maguire & Pitcheathly, 2002: 699). Peer feedback is also a useful job resource when it comes to work engagement; as a form of social support, it can help stimulate our learning and development—that includes communication skills (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007; Bakker et al., 2008).

4 Tips for Enhancing Communication Skills

We can also look at the business literature for some more support of what we identified earlier as key communication skills. Breaking these down into tips, here are 4 fairly broad ways we can enhance our communication skills to increase our effectiveness and well-being.

– Work on your emotional perception

Perception of emotions is a key component of Mayer and Salovey’s emotional intelligence framework and covers the ability to read others’ non-verbal cues as well as their potential moods (Salovey & Mayer, 1990).

At the individual level, we can make conscious use of this EQ skill to gauge how others are feeling. Is your colleague overwhelmed, perhaps? Is now the best possible time to ask them for help on a task? Or, have you noticed someone in the corner of the room who has been dying to contribute to the meeting?

– Practice self-awareness

Our non-verbal behavior and the way we speak is critical. Different studies vary on exactly how much of our intended message (and credibility) is non-verbal, but it’s undoubtedly important (DePaulo & Friedman, 1998; Knapp et al., 2013).

When the words we speak convey one message and our body another, we risk confusion and potentially, we jeopardize our intended impact. To enhance our influencing skills and the quality of our working relationships with others, it helps to practice being aware of your own non-verbal behaviors.

– Give others a chance to engage

Communication is a two-way street, at the very least. And as more than one collective intelligence researcher has pointed out, teams are more than the sum of their parts (Woolley et al., 2010).

When we get together as humans, we need a chance to communicate just as much as we need our individual ‘smarts’, and essentially, it comes down to social sensitivity—emotional perception once again. We can look at Leary’s Rose for more insights on how and why, but this time, the tip is to understand when to communicate or step back (Leary, 2004).

– Practice listening

Talking is essentially a form of content delivery, and it’s not really communication unless we listen. Active listening involves engaging with our co-workers and bringing empathy to the table to enhance the quality of our dialogue.

Sometimes mentioned along with ‘reflective questioning’, it involves, “restating a paraphrased version of the speaker’s message, asking questions when appropriate, and maintaining moderate to high nonverbal conversational involvement” (Weger Jr et al., 2014: 13). It helps us create more clarity, take in information more effectively, and develop our workplace relationships through empathetic engagement (Nikolova et al., 2013).

Some of these activities will require a facilitator, and some just a group of colleagues. None of them require professional facilitation per se, and any participant can easily volunteer to keep the process on track.

1. Back-to-Back Drawing

This exercise is about listening, clarity and developing potential strategies when we communicate. In communicating expectations, needs, and more, it helps to clarify and create common ground. This can show what happens when we don’t…

For this activity, you’ll need an even number of participants so everybody can have a partner. Once people have paired off, they sit back-to-back with a paper and pencil each. One member takes on the role of a speaker, and the other plays the part of the listener.

Over five to ten minutes, the speaker describes a geometric image from a prepared set, and the listener tries to turn this description into a drawing without looking at the image.

Then, they talk about the experience, using several of the following example questions:

Speaker Questions

• What steps did you take to ensure your instructions were clear? How could these be applied in real-life interactions?
• Our intended messages aren’t always interpreted as we mean them to be. While speaking, what could you do to decrease the chance of miscommunication in real-life dialogue?

Listener Questions

• What was constructive about your partner’s instructions?
• In what ways might your drawing have turned out differently if you could have communicated with your partner?

2. Effective Feedback in “I” Mode

Defensiveness is a root cause of miscommunication and even conflict in the workplace. We’re not always ready to receive and learn from criticism, especially when it’s delivered insensitively. This exercise introduces “I” statements, which describe others’ behavior objectively while allowing the speaker to express the impact on their feelings.

Employees can pair off or work alone, in either case, they will need a worksheet of imaginary scenarios like this one . Together or solo, they can create “I” statements about how the imaginary scenario makes them feel. When done in pairs, they can practice giving each other feedback on ‘meaning what you say’ without triggering defensiveness in the other.

3. Storytelling with CCSG

Storytelling is an engaging way to convey information; when it’s positive information, narratives are also highly effective means of motivating and inspiring others (Tomasulo & Pawelski, 2012). Appreciative Inquiry, for example, is one type of positive psychology intervention that uses storytelling in a compelling way, as a means to share hopes and build on our shared strengths.

Through this exercise, we can practice structuring our narratives—essentially we’ll have one ‘information delivery’ tool to draw on when we feel it might help (like the doctors we looked at earlier). CCSG is a structure, and it involves:

C : Characters C : Conflict S : Struggle G : Goal

To use the structure as an exercise, participants simply relate a narrative using CCSG. For example, one team member might describe a past success of the group or team, where their collective strengths helped them succeed. The Characters would then be whoever was involved, the Conflict may be a challenge the team faced (a new growth opportunity, perhaps).

The Struggle might be something like geographical distance between team members, and the Goal would be just that: their objective or success.

Visit this site for more details.

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

Because communication is so multi-faceted, we’ve included a selection of different activity types. These interpersonal and team communication games cover topics such as misinterpreting information, awareness of our assumptions and engaging others.

1. Direction Direction

This activity is a slight twist on Chinese Whispers in that it uses a complex set of instructions rather than just a sentence. And here, we have only one link rather than an entire chain of people. Otherwise, the idea is identical—information gets misinterpreted thanks to noise, but we can improve our verbal communication and listening skills to minimize this risk.

First, pick a game with enough instructions that the information is a challenge to memorize. With 2+ co-workers, pick one person (a speaker) to whom you’ll explain the instructions. They are responsible for passing the information on to the rest of their team. The group then needs to play the game with only the instructions from the speaker.

Once they’ve finished the game, start some dialogue about what happened:

• Was there any lack of clarity around the instructions?
• What might have contributed to this confusion?
• What are some key things to be aware of when we give or listen to instructions?

This activity comes from The Wrecking Yard of Games and Activities ( Amazon ).

Here’s an exercise on the pivotal role of clarification. When it comes to tasks and expectations, it goes without saying that clarity helps us avoid lots of unwanted things. And clarity plays a role on a larger scale when it comes to our roles more broadly, in fact, it’s a psychological resource under the Job Demands-Resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007).

Succinctly, ambiguity contributes to stress, and clarity is empowering—something that is easy to overlook and which this game reminds us of.

Any number of co-workers can participate in this very simple mime game. You’ll need a list of topics for people to act out, then invite players to break off into groups of two. In these pairs, they will take turns being a mime and being an asker. The mime reads the card, then attempts to act out what’s on it (you’ll first need to decide on a theme, like weather, activities, or what have you).

While the asker can pose questions, the mime can only act out their answers.

It might unearth an awareness of implicit assumptions, bringing our conscious attention to the role these play in our judgments. Potential discussion questions will help you unpack this further:

• How did your questioning skills help you comprehend what was going on?
• What value do questioning skills have when we’re trying to understand others?
• What factors sometimes prevent us from asking questions when they might actually be useful?

3. Let’s Face It

This exercise from The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games is about self-awareness . How large of a role does it really play, and how does it influence our communication?

There is no limit to the group size for this game, which requires only enough pens and paper for everybody. It doesn’t take very long, either, and can be played in as little as ten to twenty minutes—perfect for breaking up the day.

Start with groups (or sub-groups) of between four and ten players; in each of these, someone will need to volunteer as a facilitator. This facilitator simply keeps the game on track and gets the discussion going afterward.

Each player writes down a feeling on a small piece of paper, folds it, then passes it to the volunteer facilitator. From him or her, they take another piece that someone else has written, and tries to act out that feeling to the rest of their group—using only their facial expressions. The other participants try to guess that emotion and this should lead to a talk about the role of expressions. Useful discussion points include:

• What feelings do we understand the easiest, when only facial expressions are used? Why might that be?
• Describe some contexts where facial expressions play a particularly important role in communication?
• In what ways can facial expressions influence our ability to deal with misunderstandings?

How to improve communication skills at work – Adriana Girdler

Through active listening, we can enhance our understanding of other people’s perspectives (Drollinger et al., 2006). Practicing it during our interactions with others enables us to validate their feelings and potentially avoid the stress of misunderstandings.

Exercises that boost our active listening skills help us engage better, through empathy, body language, and non-judgment where required (Rogers & Farson, 1957).

At the end of the day, active listening games can impact positively on our relationships by encouraging us to practice specific techniques, and these, in turn, find support in the empirical literature (Weger et al., 2014).

1. Concentric Circles

This large group exercise works best when you already have a topic for discussion. It is used a lot during inclusive strategy sessions, where diverse opinions are valuable but team size can hamper rather than facilitate good communication. For this exercise, everybody has a handout that summarizes the goals of the discussion.

Two circles of chairs are set up, one inside the other. Participants who sit in the middle are ‘talkers’ while those in the outer ring are ‘watchers’, and these roles should be allocated prior to the exercise. Armed with their handouts, talkers begin to engage with the topic. They use the goals as a guide for the conversation, while the watchers listen carefully and make notes.

After fifteen minutes of discussion, the watchers and talkers switch circles—those who were listening before now sit on the inner circle for a fifteen-minute conversation. It can be on the pre-chosen topic or on a different one, but the activity must conclude with a debrief.

During this debrief, they reflect collectively on the experience itself:

• How was being a watcher, compared to being a listener?
• What did you feel when you were observing from the outer circle, listening but not contributing? How did this influence your learnings, rather than providing your own input?
• In what ways did being a watcher impact your perspectives of the talkers? What about their dynamics?

This gamestorming communications exercise is based on a team coaching technique by Time To Grow Global .

2. 3-minute Vacation

Here is another talker and listener exercise that can be done in pairs. In a larger group of participants, this can be done multiple times as players pair up with different conversation partners. And in each pair, of course, team members will take turns being listener and talker.

The talker discusses their dream vacation for three minutes, describing what they would like best about it but without specifying where it should be. While they talk, the listener pays close attention to the explicit and underlying details, using only non-verbal cues to show that they are listening.

After the 3-minute vacation, the listener summarizes the key points of their conversation partner’s dream vacation—as a holiday sales pitch. After they’ve ‘pitched’ the ideal vacation spot in the space of a few minutes, the pair discuss how accurately the listener understood the talker.

They outline how they could improve their dialogue with regard to active listening, then swap roles. A twist on this team coaching exercise might involve allowing the listener to make notes during the talker’s description, revealing them as a point of discussion only after they deliver the ‘sales pitch’.

Used with permission from Time To Grow Global .

3. Pet Peeve

How about a chance to blow off some steam and get that empathetic listening ear at the same time? And at the same time, helping your co-worker practice active listening?

In this game, one colleague has a full 60 seconds to rant about something which irks them. It’s best if this isn’t inappropriate for the workplace, but at the same time, it doesn’t have to be work-related. If you hate pop-up ads, for instance, you’ve already got great material for your rant.

The first colleague (Player A) simply lets loose while the second person (Player B) listens carefully, trying to cut through the noise by singling out:

• What Player A really cares about – for instance, smooth user experience on the internet;
• What they value – e.g. clarity and transparent advertisements;
• What matters to them – e.g. getting work done, doing their online shopping in peace, or a more intuitive, user-friendly adblocker.

Player B then ‘decodes’ the rant by repeating it back to Player A, isolating the key positive points without the fluff or negativity. They can use some variant on the following sentence stems to guide their decoding:

• “You value…”
• “You care about…”
• “You believe that…matters a lot”

Then, they can switch over and repeat the game again. As you can probably see, the activity is aimed at helping teammates appreciate that feedback has positive goals.

When we give attention to our relationships as well as the task(s) at hand, we create trust and collaborate more effectively. The games and exercises in this section are about connecting on a human level so that we can communicate with more emotional intelligence in the workplace.

1. Personal Storytelling

In large organizations especially, we may only bring a part of ourselves to the workplace. If we want to communicate empathetically and build relationships with co-workers—important social resources—personal storytelling is one way we can build our teams while developing communication skills.

There is no set time or place for storytelling, but it works best when a story is followed by an invitation to the group to give input. Feel free to use the CCSG technique described earlier in this article, and that the speaker uses a reflective tone, rather than purely informative, when addressing the group.

To try out personal storytelling, set aside a team-building afternoon, meeting, or workshop. Ask the group to each prepare a reading that they will share. Here are some ideas that nicely blend the emotional with the professional:

• Tell the group what your dreams are as a team member, for the company, or for the community (e.g. Whitney & Cooperrider, 2011);
• Tell them about your first job, or your very first working experience;
• If you’ve got a budget, give team members a small amount of money each to do something good with. Then, let them share the story of what they did with it;
• When onboarding new people, invite the group to bring in an object which symbolizes their wishes for the new team member. Then, let them share the story behind the object.

2. I’m Listening

We learn from our peers’ feedback, and that learning is most productive in a supportive work environment (Odom et al., 1990; Goh, 1998). Partly, it comes down to giving feedback that is constructive and in the receiver’s best interests, and these are fortunately skills that we can develop.

I’m Listening can be played with an even number of participants, as they will need to find a partner for this one-on-one game. In the book mentioned below, there are also hand-outs, but you can prepare your own for this activity. Ideally, more than one ‘Talker Scenario’ and more than one ‘Listener Scenario’:

• A ‘Talker Scenario’ will describe something like a bad day at work, or a problem with a client. In a small paragraph, it should outline what’s gone wrong (maybe it’s everything from a cracked smartphone screen to a delay during your commute). This scenario is followed by an instruction for the Talker to play a role: “ You call up your colleague for some support ” or “ You decide to let off some steam by talking to your co-worker ”.
• A ‘Listener Scenario’ is a bit different. In several sentences, the scenario outlines a situation where they are approached by a colleague with problems but might have other things on their plate. They might be up to their ears in work, or their colleague’s complaints might seem trivial. After reading the scenario of their context (e.g. it’s a hectic day, your computer’s just crashed), the Listener’s role is to act it out while they respond, for example: “ Show with your body language that you’re far too busy ”.

The exercise is a good starting point for a conversation about constructive listening strategies. Together, the pairs can come up with more productive, empathetic, and appropriate responses, with the acting experience fresh in mind. Some discussion points include:

• As Talker, what feedback did your Listener appear to give?
• How did you feel about the feedback you received?
• How might you create some listening and feedback approaches based on this?

This game comes from The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games ( Amazon ).

3. “A What?”

Inspired by the kid’s game Telephone, this exercise draws on different elements of effective communication between team members, while highlighting where things often go wrong. It works with any sized team and requires only a facilitator and some novel objects that can be passed between participants. So, plush toys, tennis balls, or similar—but the more imaginative they are, the better.

Players stand in a circle and pass two of the objects along to each other. One object should be passed clockwise, and the other counter-clockwise. Prior to passing on the toy, ball, or what have you, players ask something about the object and answer a question about it.

Essentially, the message will change as the object gets passed along, and players will need to stay sharp to remember who they are passing and talking to.

For instance:

• The facilitator starts out by handing one of the items to the person on their right, saying “Ellen, this is a tattered elephant with pink ears.”
• Ellen then needs to ask “A What?”, prompting you to repeat the item’s name.
• Taking the item, Ellen turns to her right and repeats the same with Pedro: “Pedro, this is a tattered elephant with pink ears.” Pedro asks, “A What?”
• Before she passes the item to Pedro, however, Ellen’s answer to his question must come back to the facilitator, who says it aloud. This way, it’s possible to see if and how the message changes as it goes around the group. By the time it reaches Hassan, who is Person 5, for instance, it might be “A grey elephant with tattered ears.”
• Once people get the gist of how to play with one item, the facilitator adds in the second by passing it to the left.

Debrief with a chat about the communication that went on. Did anybody end up with both items at once? How did they cope? Did others help them?

Other questions include:

• How did communication look with a longer or shorter chain? Where was the weakest link, and why?
• In what ways did players support each other?
• How did you feel during the game? What was the impact of that emotion on you and on others?

This exercise comes from a Teambuilding Facilitation Manual: A Guide to Leading and Facilitating Teambuilding Activities , by Penn State University.

17 Exercises To Develop Positive Communication

17 Positive Communication Exercises [PDFs] to help others develop communication skills for successful social interactions and positive, fulfilling relationships.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

A lot of team situations are about creativity. We each have unique experiences, competencies, and viewpoints, the way we collaborate inevitably decides whether we synergize or fall flat. Here are two activities that will help your team work together creatively to solve a problem, as well as one about the role of silence.

1. Crazy Comic

This is a fun game in communication skills that will also give team members some creative freedom. They will need to communicate those creative ideas to one another, but also engage in joint decision-making for the activity to be a success. And that activity is to create a comic together, using their complementary skills and communication to realize a shared vision.

You’ll need more than 9 participants for this activity, as well as paper, drawing, and coloring materials for each colleague. From your larger group of co-workers, let them form smaller groups of about 3-6 participants and tell them their task is to produce a unique comic strip, with one frame from each person. So, a 6-person group will make a 6-frame strip, and so forth.

Between them, they need to decide the plot of the comic, who will be carrying out which tasks, and what the frames will contain. The catch is that they all need to draw at the same time, so they will not be seeing the preceding frame in the strip. Make it extra-hard if you like, by instructing them not to look at one another’s creative progress as they draw, either.

Afterward, trigger some discussion about the way they communicated; some example questions include:

• How critical was communication throughout this exercise?
• What did you find the toughest about this activity?
• Why was it important to make the decisions together?

This exercise was adapted from 104 Activities that build ( Amazon ).

2. Blindfold Rope Square

This is similar in some ways to the Back-to-Back Drawing exercise above. That is, the Blindfold Rope Square exercise challenges us to look at how we communicate verbally, then think about ways to develop our effectiveness. In a large group of participants or employees, particularly, we often need to cut through the noise with a clear and coherent message—and this game can be played with even a large group of people.

You will need about ten meters of rope and a safe place for employees to walk around blindfolded in. So, flat and ideally with no walls or tripping hazards.

• Explain first up that the goal of the task is effective verbal communication, and give each participant a blindfold.
• Once they have gathered in your chosen ‘safe space’, invite them to put on their blindfolds and turn around a few times so they are (reasonably) disoriented in the space.
• Coil the rope and put it where at least one participant can reach it, then explain that you’ve put the rope ‘somewhere on the floor’.
• Tell them their shared aim is to collaborate: first to find the rope, then to lay it out into a perfect square together on the floor.
• Let the participants go about it, taking care not to let any accidents occur. Tell them to let you know once they’ve agreed that the job is done.
• Finally, everybody removes their blindfolds, and it’s time for feedback. This is the perfect opportunity to congratulate them or start a discussion about what they might do differently the next time around.

Find more information on the exercise here .

3. Zen Counting

Silence is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it gives us a chance to reflect, in others it creates a space for others to take the floor. Nonetheless, we’re often inclined to view it as awkward—a gap to be filled or avoided—rather than a chance to listen. According to Shannon and Weaver’s Theory of Communication (1998), this simply creates more ‘noise’ and negatively impacts our ability to reach resolutions at work (Smith, 2018).

Zen counting is incredibly straightforward: team members simply sit in a circle but face outward. With nobody in particular starting first, they are asked to count from one to ten as a group, but each member can only say one number. Nothing else is said. When someone repeats or interrupts another group member, they start again from one.

The idea is to facilitate a sense of ‘okayness’ with being uncomfortable and silent, while team members practice letting others speak.

Imagine attending a communication workshop, in purely lecture format. Or, reading about how to communicate without actually trying what you learn. Communication exercises may not feel 100% natural at first, but they let us work with—rather than live in fear of—that discomfort. Whether it’s Chinese Whispers or making a rope square blindfolded, we can shake up old habits and create new ones by stepping into our ‘stretch zones’.

Try out activities that are best suited to your organizational goals so they have the most relevance. If you’re focused on innovation, try a creative communication exercise like Mime. If you’re a cross-functional team, why not try out an activity that challenges assumptions?

Tell us if any of these are particularly useful, and let us know if you’ve got tweaks for this current set of activities. What has worked in the past for your team?

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free .

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• Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117 (3), 497-529.
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• Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23 (2), 161-180.
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• Goh, S. C. (1998). Toward a learning organization: The strategic building blocks. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 63 , 15-22.
• Haertel, C., McWilliams, J., & Ma, R. (2005). Developing emotional intelligence in high potential middle managers: The role of experiential learning. In EURAM Conference, Munich, Germany.
• Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. A., & Horgan, T. G. (2013). Nonverbal communication in human interaction . Cengage Learning.
• Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development . FT Press.
• Leary, T. (2004). Interpersonal diagnosis of personality: A functional theory and methodology for personality evaluation . Wipf and Stock Publishers.
• Maguire, P., & Pitceathly, C. (2002). Key communication skills and how to acquire them. British Medical Journal, 325 (7366), 697-700.
• Nikolova, N., Clegg, S., Fox, S., Bjørkeng, K., & Pitsis, T. (2013). Uncertainty reduction through everyday performative language work: the case of coaching. International Studies of Management & Organization, 43 (3), 74-89.
• Odom, R. Y., Boxx, W. R., & Dunn, M. G. (1990). Organizational cultures, commitment, satisfaction, and cohesion. Public Productivity & Management Review, 157-169 .
• Rogers, C. R., & Farson, R. E. (1957). Active listening. Industrial Relations Center of the University of Chicago .
• Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, cognition and personality, 9 (3), 185-211.
• Shannon, C. E. (1998). Communication in the presence of noise. Proceedings of the IEEE, 86 (2), 447-457.
• Smith, K. (2018). Silence: The Secret Communication Tool. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/silence-the-secret-communication-tool/
• Tomasulo, D. J., & Pawelski, J. O. (2012). Happily ever after: The use of stories to promote positive interventions. Psychology, 3 (12), 1189.
• Weger Jr, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). The relative effectiveness of active listening in initial interactions. International Journal of Listening, 28 (1), 13-31.
• Whitney, D., & Cooperrider, D. (2011). Appreciative inquiry: A positive revolution in change . ReadHowYouWant. com.
• Woolley, A. W., Chabris, C. F., Pentland, A., Hashmi, N., & Malone, T. W. (2010). Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. Science, 330 (6004), 686-688.

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Very useful, insightful, and helpful. Great simple and applicable source on communication topic. Many thanks for share, and nice to looks for how far you go with other valuable topics

Thanks Cathy for putting up this article. It is simply amazing. I intend to use three of your exercises in my upcoming workshop on communication in the 2nd week of June, 2022 🙂

I think this is an excellent resource with a great outcome. Thanks for putting this together. Very useful for my Communicare sessions.

Such an informative article

Excellent content and I can’t wait to use some of this content as well. Crediting the source(s) of course

Thank you so much for creating and sharing these tools. I too would like to be able to utilize them as a resource for my workshop. Sources credited/included. I am a firm believer in the power of soft skills, especially listening and communication. The world will be a better place once we’ve mastered them.

Very insightful and interesting ways of training people for better workplace communication skills. Enjoyed it.

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18 Tips for Improving Communication in The Workplace

Struggling with how to improve communication in the workplace? From processes to styles, explore our 18 ways to improve effective communication in your workplace.

Justworks is a technology company that levels the playing field for all small businesses. Through our software and as a partner, we help our customers take care of their teams, streamline their operations, and navigate the complex aspects of managing a workforce with confidence.

How to Improve Communication in the Workplace

1. Establish a rapport with employees -1

2. Build trust with employees

3. meet regularly with your employees, 4. provide enough context around assignments, 5. really listen to employees, 6. avoid making assumptions, 7. learn employee strengths & weaknesses, 8. learn employee communication styles, 9. consistently set expectations & follow up, 10. set the tone for meetings, 11. give constructive feedback thoughtfully, 12. give compliments thoughtfully, 13. keep workflows transparent, 14. make project roles clear from the start, 15. choose the right channels, 16. enhance effective communication with the right tools, 17. seek out & accept feedback regularly, 18. simplify & streamline effective communication processes, justworks can help.

Effective communication in the workplace is key if you want to establish strong relationships and get important projects done. Of course, everyone struggles with communicating effectively from time to time. But improving workplace communication can lead to stronger teams —and stronger results.

Looking at the landscape of workplace communication today, a 2021 Gallup study found that only 17% of employees strongly agree that "there is open communication throughout all levels of the organization."

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Conducting an employee happiness survey is a great way to get direct feedback you can use to launch employee engagement strategies. Get started with this template.

To help address the communication issues that these employee perceptions stem from, we’ve outlined easy ways you can start improving the communication skills between you and your team.

1. Establish a rapport with employees

The more an employee trusts their employer, the more likely they are to come forward and communicate when they’re experiencing a problem. One great way to lay that foundation for open communication is to establish a rapport with your employee right away.

For example, managers can take new hires out for lunch with their new teammates. Instead of talking about the business, they can prompt everyone to share things about their lives and personal interests. Even though it may be a small gesture, it can function as a great icebreaker by helping to open up the lines of communication between everyone on the team.

According to The Workforce Institute at UKG,  nearly two thirds (64%) of employees say trust has a direct impact on their sense of belonging at work . It almost sounds too simple, but it’s true — proving trustworthy to your employees can result in more effective business communication time and time again.

There’s plenty to say on the topic of  how to improve trust , but the core of the matter is straightforward. Show a genuine interest in your employees, empathize with their roadblocks or challenges, and follow through on identifying and taking action on the ways you can help. Your employees will be much more likely to communicate issues when they know they can trust you to stay level-headed and work with them to find a solution.

Sometimes, all it takes to open up the lines of communication with your employees is setting up time for them to speak their mind. If there isn’t already time scheduled, your employees may worry they’re burdening you — this may mean a missed opportunity to hear their most recent challenges, concerns, or even triumphs. By setting up a recurring meeting to touch base with your employees, you’ll learn more about what’s going on with your team, which makes it easier for you to iron out any kinks that arise.

For example, having a weekly one-on-one between a manager and their direct report gives the employee a chance to review how work is going overall and discuss big-picture ideas. Adding a monthly one-on-one with the director of the department to grab coffee together or go for a walk can create a more relaxed space to air concerns or share wins without the pressure of asking a superior for a meeting outright.

While it may be clear to a manager why a certain task must be completed, the reasons may not be as apparent to your employees. It’s important to provide enough context when giving out assignments. As you set expectations with employees, it can be helpful to note details like deadlines, examples of similar assignments, and any teams that might be impacted by the final output.

Intentionally giving your employees the opportunity to ask questions is also important. They may hesitate to ask for clarity on something, so opening up the floor enables them to do so. This can also help you build that trust with your employees.

Many people might think the primary goal of communication is getting their own message across, but effective communication is really a two-way street. If you’re only focused on your message and not actively listening to what the other person is saying, it’s difficult to end up on the same page.

To be a more active listener, ask questions for clarification and give the conversation your full attention. Avoid multitasking and thinking about your response before the other person is done talking. Active listening can be challenging at times, but it’s worthwhile.

Did you know that some of the biggest barriers to effective communication in the workplace are missed signals and quickly formed assumptions? If you have concerns about your employee’s performance or behavior, avoid making assumptions about the cause.

Instead, provide a non-confrontational setting to dig into where the problem is stemming from. When you give your employee an opportunity to share, you may learn they’re moving and have had a hard time focusing at work, or that they’re not used to juggling six projects at once and need to de-prioritize something. When your ears are open, so are the lines of communication.

Sometimes, it can be hard to admit that there’s more than one way to do things. But it’s worth learning what your team members are strong at and where they need a little help. Not only will this help you improve the way you communicate with them, but it will also help your team work better together.

When assessing strengths and weaknesses, there’s also the route of personality tests. After taking the tests, the results might help you and your employees understand each other better which, in turn, makes for more effective communication in the workplace.

Do you know your team’s preferred ways to communicate? Maybe some of your employees rarely use Slack, whereas others respond to emails instantly. Learning how your employees communicate, and what tools they prefer to use will only support improved communication.

It can be easy to drop regular check-ins when work gets busy, but  maintaining those and using them to follow up and set expectations  is key to effective workplace communication. Make sure your employee knows you’re going to follow up about tasks on a regular basis, and what you expect to see in their work. Doing this can help your employees better meet your expectations, and it also goes a long way in helping them feel supported.

When it comes to meetings, it’s crucial to set the right tone for everyone involved to help ensure you’re getting the most out of the time scheduled. Set an agenda so everyone’s on the same page — what’s the purpose of your meeting? Confirm the necessary stakeholders who should be part of the discussion — who will be invited? Setting the right tone and expectations ahead of time helps everyone involved be better prepared to tackle the agenda during the meeting.

We’ve all been there before, right? Getting aggressive, tone-deaf  feedback from a manager  can ruin the trust and cause the lines of communication to close. That’s why it’s so important to carefully consider the way in which you relay important feedback.

If you’re not sure where to start, focus on the behavior you’re discussing, not the person’s character. Once you’ve shared your feedback, always give the other person an opportunity to share their thoughts and contribute to building a positive feedback process moving forward.

Giving compliments may seem straightforward, but to communicate them thoughtfully is important. If you simply tell an employee they did a great job, that’s not as helpful as speaking to a specific skill, or task that was done. Your employee may be left thinking, “What was great about it? How can I replicate it if I don’t know?”

By being specific, you can zero in on exactly what made the employee so successful. “You did a great job explaining how leads convert into customers in that presentation. The visuals really helped the audience understand the process.”

Say your team is working on a big project together. Do they know the project’s deadline, who is responsible for what parts of the project, and when they’re expected to hand those parts off to other teams? Communicate these details clearly by organizing a clear walkthrough of the workflow by using a program like  Asana ,  Google Sheets , or  Trello . This can help ensure all your team members are on the same page and not frustrated by any miscommunications.

Communication in the workplace can break down very quickly when people don’t understand their roles and responsibilities. This goes hand in hand with keeping workflows transparent. At the very start of each project, it’s helpful to establish the key stakeholders, who has final approval, and what channels the project needs to go through for completion.

The communication channel you use matters. Most people probably know to avoid asking about someone’s family emergency in front of the whole team. But how does one go about choosing the right space to discuss team decisions or announce role changes? Sometimes discussing with your team which modes of communication work best for them can help you determine which situations require what channels.

For example, teams may want to avoid making big decisions over Slack, since it can be hard to get an overall feeling for a situation, and people may not be present for the discussion until a decision has been made. On the other hand, Slack can be a great way to chat about who wants to work together at a coffee shop.

Video conferencing, messaging platforms, and email are all great  tools , to a point. However, if they’re ineffective, continually using the same tools can lead to communication issues. Don’t be afraid to take conversations off Slack or Zoom and have them in person instead, if possible. Shifting communication methods can simplify the task at hand and prevent miscommunications.

Actively seeking out  constructive feedback  is one of the best ways to improve communication in the workplace. Looking for an easy way to do this? After every one-on-one you have, ask each other if there is any additional feedback to give.

Some may be positive, while other pieces may be more constructive. However, receiving that feedback is an opportunity for growth — and stretching those communication muscles.

If you’re working on a massive project with multiple stakeholders, chances are there’ll be a lapse in communication at some point or another. Take that lapse as an opportunity to improve upon the process the next time around. When you communicate the changes to the process, you can also solicit  feedback  on what is working for people and what isn’t so you can continue improving as you go.

When you focus on making communication more effective in the workplace, your efforts help build a foundation for success, both for your company and overall employee happiness. Keep your team’s communication successful with these ideas as you work to build your own strategies.

If you're a small business owner or HR leader struggling to find the time to focus on effective communication, solutions like Justworks can help you get some valuable time back. Use Justworks PEO or Justworks Payroll to streamline administrative tasks, like payroll, many HR functions, and offering access to employee benefits. With Justworks in your corner, you'll have fewer back-office tasks to deal with, and more bandwidth to improve communication in the workplace. Get started today .

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8 methods for effectively improving student communication skills

If you still believe cellphones are a distraction best left out of the learning environment, then you may be limiting your students’ development. In this article, we’ll walk you through how using the Remind texting app feature for teachers and parents can help improve your students’ communication skills.

The importance of communication skills for teachers, students, and families

Communicating is an essential skill used in every aspect of our lives. Whether It's placing a restaurant order, answering job interview questions, or apologizing to a friend, the ability to effectively and clearly express yourself is integral to making the interaction a success.

Communication is important to ensure a good learning environment. Teachers know their relationships with students don't end at the end of the school year. Some may even think that the parent-teacher relationship ends after meeting them in a conference twice a year. This undermines the importance of communicating with parents and students. 

For a parent, knowing how their child is doing in school can be a source of pride or of shame. If their child is struggling with schoolwork, it’s important they hear about it before the end of the school term, when it may be too late for them to help.However, if they are involved more often with teachers communicating via calls or texts, they can contribute to their student’s learning at home.

For a student, learning good communication skills—which involve reading, writing, listening, and speaking—will not only help with socialization and classroom performance, but will serve them well in all areas of their life.

For a teacher, communication skills are vital. They are responsible for demystifying complex information s and responding to student questions about the material. They also must help their students develop their own communication skills. The following section gives examples of methods for achieving this.

Methods for teaching communication skills

The role of teachers in classroom communication is an essential one. If you’re a teacher constantly in search of improvements to communication techniques for the classroom, here are some methods you can use for effectively improving student communication skills:

• Use material that showcases conversation skills. If you watch films or videos in class, look for moments where characters are conversing and teach students about elements like body language, eye contact, summarizing, paraphrasing, and responding.
• Create a learning environment that fosters critical thinking. Instead of asking, “did you like the movie?”, ask “what did you like most about the movie?” in order to encourage discussion and allow students to come up with their own answers. 
• Promote teamwork through group assignments. In smaller groups, some students may be more encouraged to communicate their ideas and connect with their peers.  
• Promote active listening. Listening is as integral to communication as speaking. You can lead by example by asking clarifying questions when talking to students and encouraging them to do the same.
• Offer feedback. Giving positive feedback is a good way to build confidence and promote the right behavior. Another method for feedback is recording or videotaping presentations so students can reflect on their performance and learn to receive constructive criticism.
• Use every moment as a teaching opportunity. There is no need to be confined to a lesson plan when thinking of ways to teach students. Teaching communication skills can start with something as simple as reading through a textbook and asking students about any unfamiliar concepts or words and clarifying them.
• Turn Taking. An essential to any effective use of communication is learning to take turns.  Use an object, such as a talking stick as a signal for turn-taking. Teach your students that when they have the object, it is their turn to talk or pass while others are expected to listen.” It is a wonderful idea to involve students in other activities that practice the skill of turn-taking, such as board games.
• Make the most of technology—use an SMS message app for schools. Now in the digital age, many tools are available to make teachers’ jobs easier. One such tool is an SMS app such as Remind , which allows for effective communication between administrative teams, teachers and students, and teachers and parents. This also models appropriate, professional use of digital tools.

While all of these methods should be used in tandem to truly create the best space for teaching students communication skills, one is always evolving and it is the one concerning technology. 

With the recent need to move towards online learning, some teachers and parents may be struggling with how to look after the students’ learning in the ways they were accustomed to before. This is where you can use an app for SMS messages to help bridge the gap and open up a more direct line of communication.

Using a teacher-student messaging app to improve communication

If you’re unfamiliar with using a teacher messaging app, there’s no need to worry. A texting app for teachers and parents is as easy to use as your regular SMS app for sending a text message. However, unlike a simple SMS texting app, it comes with features designed with students, families, and educators in mind.

With Remind , whether you are an educator, student, or a parent, you can directly connect with everyone involved in the learning process. You can send messages to individuals or groups without publicizing anyone’s personal information. There is also a feature to translate your messages into more than 70 languages, which is ideal for classes that have exchange students that don’t understand the local language.

With the ease of staying connected, parents and teachers can coordinate to make sure that the students are supported both at home and at school. Having consistency between the teachings in class and the environment at home can help reinforce the personal, academic, and social development of the student. 

Teachers can text parents about the skills they are teaching in school, and advise them on allowing the child to practice them in a setting outside of the classroom. Aside from parents, it also allows students to reach their teachers more easily, fostering a more comfortable relationship where students feel as though they can communicate freely. To students that may feel too shy to talk in person, this is an extremely helpful space to let them grow their communication skills.

Remind is also highly valuable for sending messages that students and parents can’t miss. Whether it’s a reminder for an exam schedule or an encouraging message, the read receipts will let you know exactly who’s been reached.

With regular communication between the student, teacher, and parent through the SMS app, a collaborative community will naturally form. This collaboration ensures that everyone is on the same page and offers the student an opportunity to improve their communication skills with every interaction.

Essential communication skills

With communication skills being essential to the success of a student, it’s important to make full use of the tools available for teaching (such as an SMS text app) and reinforce them. The Remind texting app for teachers, parents, and internal administration is simple to use—as easy to adopt and use as sending a text message. It creates instant two-way communication and a direct line between the people who matter most to student success. Remind was built for education and designed with students, families, and educators in mind.

Reach out to learn more about connecting to your students and their families today. 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/remind

https://blog.futurefocusedlearning.net/8-methods-improving-student-communication-skills

https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2019/05/30-useful-communication-apps-for-your-school

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Documents/Messaging%20Apps%20and%20Websites%20for%20Students,%20Teachers,%20and%20Parents.pdf

https://www.theasianschool.net/blog/how-to-improve-effective-communication-skills-in-students/  

https://www.owis.org/blog/the-importance-of-communication-between-our-teachers-and-the-parents

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships

https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/communication-skills-for-teachers/

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-01-09-how-can-online-instructors-get-students-to-talk-to-each-other

• Employee Engagement

23 Effective Ways To Improve Communication In The Workplace

According to studies, over 8 in 10 employees consider lack of effective communication as one of the top reasons for workplace errors.

But improving communication in the workplace doesn’t have to be complicated.

Even with a few simple tweaks, you can drastically improve how your team communicates and collaborates with each other.

In this guide, we’ll cover the 23 most effective strategies and tips to help you create a better communication environment in the workplace.

Top 23 Ways To Improve Communication In The Workplace

1. listen actively and attentively.

Active listening is one of the most important skills for effective communication in the workplace.

Study shows that on average, we listen at only about one-fourth efficiency of what we can.

So even if we think we already practice active listening, there’s always a scope of improvement!

Essentially, active listening means giving your full attention to the person speaking, without interrupting or thinking about what you want to say next.

Highlight that you’re engaged by maintaining eye contact, nodding, and asking relevant questions. Say in your own words what you’ve heard to ensure you understand the message correctly.

When you listen actively, you make the other person feel valued and respected . This builds trust and encourages open communication.

Active listening helps you gather all the necessary information, reduces misunderstandings , and enables you to respond appropriately.

For example, when a team member comes to you with a problem, listen carefully to their concerns before offering a solution.

This shows that you care about their perspective and are committed to finding the best resolution.

To improve your active listening skills, minimize distractions during conversations . Put away your phone, close your laptop, and find a quiet space to talk.

Practice empathy by trying to understand the other person’s point of view. Ask open-ended questions to gain clarity and encourage the speaker to share more.

Remember, active listening is not just about hearing words, it’s about understanding the complete message and showing respect for the person communicating with you.

2. Be Clear And Concise In Your Messages

Clarity and conciseness are essential for effective communication in the workplace.

Whether you’re sending an email, giving a presentation, or having a one-on-one conversation, make sure your message is easy to understand and straight to the point.

Use simple language and avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse your audience.

Organize your thoughts logically and focus on the most important information.

Being clear and concise helps your colleagues grasp your message quickly and take appropriate action. It saves time and reduces the risk of misinterpretation.

For instance, when assigning tasks to your team, provide specific instructions and deadlines.

Instead of saying, “Please take care of this project,” say, “Please complete the market research report by Friday at 3 PM and send it to me for review.”

To improve clarity and conciseness in your communication, start by defining your key points.

• Cut out any unnecessary details or repetition.
• Use short and simple sentences to make your message easier to read.
• Consider using points or numbered lists to break down complex information.
• Before hitting send or speaking up, review your message and ask yourself if it’s clear and concise. If not, revise it until it meets those criteria.

3. Avoid Any Assumptions And Ask Questions Instead

Making assumptions can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication in the workplace.

Instead of assuming you know what someone means or what they need, ask questions to clarify. This shows that you value their perspective and want to ensure you have a complete understanding of the situation.

Asking questions helps you gather more information, reduces the risk of errors, and demonstrates your engagement in the conversation.

It also encourages the other person to share their thoughts and ideas, which can lead to better problem-solving and decision-making.

For example, if a colleague makes a suggestion that you don’t fully understand, ask them to explain their rationale instead of assuming you know their intent.

To avoid making assumptions, practice active listening and pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues.

If something is unclear, ask open-ended questions that encourage the other person to elaborate.

For instance, instead of asking, “Did you mean this?” ask, “Can you tell me more about what you meant by this?” This approach allows for a more complete understanding and shows that you’re open to learning from others.

4. Give Timely And Constructive Feedback

Providing timely and constructive feedback is crucial for growth, improving performance , and maintaining open communication in the workplace.

Feedback should be given regularly , not just during annual reviews. It should focus on specific behaviors or actions rather than personal characteristics.

When giving feedback, balance positive comments with areas for improvement .

Start by acknowledging what the person has done well, then provide constructive criticism that helps them understand how they can grow.

For example, instead of saying, “Your presentation was terrible,” say, “Your presentation had a strong introduction, but I think it could be improved by adding more visual aids and summarizing the key points at the end.”

To give effective feedback, be timely. Don’t wait too long after an event or behavior to handle it, as this can reduce the impact of your message.

Be specific and provide examples to help the person understand what you’re referring to. Focus on the future by offering suggestions for improvement and setting clear expectations. 

Pro-Tip: Deliver feedback in private and with a supportive tone. Encourage the person to ask questions and share their perspective to create a dialogue and foster a culture of continuous learning.

5. Choose The Right Communication Channel For The Message

Selecting the proper communication channel is key to ensuring your message is received and understood effectively.

Different channels, such as email, phone calls, video conferences, or in-person meetings, have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Choosing the right one depends on the nature of your message , the urgency, the audience, and the desired outcome.

For example, if you need to discuss a sensitive issue or provide feedback, an in-person meeting or video call may be more appropriate than an email.

This allows for real-time communication, nonverbal cues, and immediate clarification if needed.

On the other hand, if you need to share a quick update or a simple question, an email or instant message might suffice.

To choose the right communication channel , consider the complexity of your message.

Complex topics may require more interactive channels like meetings or phone calls, while straightforward information can be shared through written channels. Think about the audience and their preferences.

Some people may prefer email, while others may favor face-to-face communication. Consider the urgency of the message. If you need an immediate response , a phone call or instant message may be more appropriate than an email.

6. Encourage Open And Honest Feedback From Your Team

Creating a culture of open and honest feedback is essential for fostering trust, improving communication, and driving growth in the workplace.

Encourage your team members to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns regularly.

This helps you identify areas for improvement , make informed decisions, and create a more inclusive and collaborative work environment.

To encourage open and honest feedback, start by modeling the behavior yourself.

Share your own thoughts and ideas, and be receptive to feedback from others.

Create a safe space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment. This can be done through regular one-on-one meetings, team discussions, or anonymous surveys.

When receiving feedback, listen actively and avoid becoming defensive. Thank the person for sharing their perspective and ask questions to better understand their point of view.

Use the feedback to identify areas for improvement and take action to resolve them. 

Share the outcomes with your team to show that their feedback is valued and leads to positive change.

To build a culture of open and honest feedback, celebrate those who speak up and contribute ideas.

Recognize their efforts publicly and show appreciation for their input. Encourage your team members to give feedback to each other as well, promoting a culture of peer-to-peer learning and support.

As you build an environment where feedback is welcomed and valued, you’ll improve communication, build stronger relationships, and drive better results for your team.

Pro-Tip: If you need any specialized guidance don’t hesitate to connect with our HR experts. With years of experience, they can easily identify your problems and suggest customized solutions helping you create a better workplace. Contact us now to learn more!

7. Lead By Example And Model Effective Communication

As a leader, your communication style sets the tone for your team.

Once you start modeling effective communication practices, you inspire your team members to follow suit and create a positive, productive work environment.

Consistently demonstrating active listening, clarity, empathy, and openness in your interactions encourages your team to adopt these behaviors as well.

For example, if you want your team to be more concise in their communication, make sure your own messages are clear and to the point.

If you want to foster a culture of active listening, give your full attention to others during conversations and avoid interruptions.

By walking the talk, you show your team that effective communication is a priority and an expectation.

Leading by example also means being aware of your nonverbal communication. Your body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice can convey just as much as your words.

Make sure your nonverbal cues align with your verbal messages to avoid confusion or mixed signals.

To model effective communication, be transparent and authentic in your interactions. Share information openly and honestly, and admit when you don’t have all the answers.

This vulnerability builds trust and encourages others to be more open in their communication.

Regularly look for feedback on your own communication style and be receptive to suggestions for improvement.

8. Create A Safe Space For Sharing Ideas And Concerns

If you want your team to communicate openly, you need to create a safe space where they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and worries.

This means making sure everyone feels respected and valued , no matter what they have to say.

When people feel like they can speak up without being judged or punished, they’re more likely to share ideas that can help the team succeed.

One way to create a safe space is to have regular check-ins with your team members. This could be through one-on-one meetings or group discussions.

During these check-ins, encourage everyone to share what’s on their mind. Listen carefully to what they have to say and thank them for their honesty. If someone brings up a concern, work with them to find a solution.

Another important part of creating a safe space is to lead by example. If you want your team to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, you need to be open and honest too.

Share your own ideas and concerns , and show that you value the opinions of others. When someone speaks up, give them your full attention and avoid interrupting or dismissing what they have to say.

Remember, creating a safe space takes time and effort. You need to build trust with your team and show them that their voices matter. Keep working at it, and over time, you’ll see your team become more open and honest in their communication.

9. Set Clear Expectations And Goals For Your Team

If you want your team to communicate effectively, everyone needs to be on the same page. That means setting clear expectations and goals from the start.

When your team knows what’s expected of them and what they’re working towards , they can communicate more easily and work together to achieve success.

Start by defining the goals for your team. What do you want to accomplish in the short-term and long-term?

Make sure these goals are specific, measurable, and realistic.

Once you have your goals in place, communicate them clearly to your team. Explain why these goals matter and how they fit into the bigger picture of the company.

Next, set expectations for how your team will work together to achieve these goals. This includes things like communication standards, deadlines, and roles and responsibilities.

Make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them and how their work fits into the team’s overall success.

It’s also important to regularly check in on progress towards goals.

Have meetings to discuss what’s been accomplished and what still needs to be done. If there are any roadblocks or challenges, work together to find solutions. And don’t forget to celebrate successes along the way!

10. Use Visuals To Clarify Complex Information

Sometimes, words alone aren’t enough to get your message across. That’s where visuals come in.

Using things like charts, graphs, and diagrams can help make complex information easier to understand and remember.

Think about the last time you tried to explain a complicated process or idea to someone. It probably wasn’t easy to do with just words.

But if you had a visual to help illustrate your point, it would have been much clearer.

Visuals are especially helpful when you’re dealing with data or technical information. Instead of trying to explain numbers and statistics verbally, put them into a chart or graph. 

This makes it easy for people to see patterns and trends at a glance. You can also use visuals to break down complex processes or systems.

Create a flowchart or diagram that shows each step in the process and how they fit together. This helps people understand how things work and what their role is in the bigger picture.

When creating visuals, keep them simple. Use clear labels and avoid clutter. And make sure to explain what the visual is showing and how it relates to the topic at hand.

11. Focus On Body Language And Tone Of Voice

Communication isn’t just about the words you say.

Your body language and tone of voice also play a big role in how your message is received.

In fact, according to studies , here’s what the breakdown of communication looks like:

So, when you’re communicating with your team, pay attention to your body language.

Are you making eye contact? Are you standing up straight with an open posture? These things can show that you’re engaged and interested in the conversation.

On the other hand, if you’re slouching, crossing your arms, or avoiding eye contact, it can make you seem uninterested or unapproachable. This can shut down communication before it even starts.

Your tone of voice is also important. The way you say something can change its meaning entirely.

For example, if you say “great job” in a flat, monotone voice, it won’t come across as sincere. But if you say it with enthusiasm and a smile, it will feel like a genuine compliment.

When you’re communicating with your team, try to use a friendly, approachable tone. Avoid sounding angry, sarcastic, or bored. Instead, speak with warmth and interest.

One way to improve your body language and tone of voice is to practice active listening.

• When someone else is speaking, give them your full attention.
• Nod your head, make eye contact, and use facial expressions to show that you’re engaged.
• And when it’s your turn to speak, use a clear, confident voice.

As you start focusing on your body language and tone of voice, you can improve the way you communicate with your team and build stronger relationships.

12. Celebrate Wins And Learn From Failures Together

Now, when you’re working as a team there will be times when you succeed and times when you fall short. What matters is how you handle both the wins and the losses together as a team.

When your team achieves a goal or milestone, take time to celebrate.

Acknowledge the hard work and effort that went into the success.

This could be as simple as sending out an email congratulating everyone on a job well done, or as big as throwing a party or giving out awards.

Celebrating wins together helps build morale and motivation . It shows that you value your team’s contributions and are proud of what you’ve accomplished together. It also strengthens the idea that you’re all working towards a common goal.

But it’s not just about celebrating the good times. It’s also important to learn from the failures and setbacks.

When something doesn’t go as planned, take time to reflect on what happened and why . What could you have done differently? What can you learn from the experience?

Encourage your team to share their thoughts and ideas on what went wrong and how to improve.

This helps create a culture of continuous learning and growth . It also shows that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.

When you’re discussing failures, focus on the facts and avoid placing blame. Instead, look for ways to work together to find solutions and move forward.

And remember to celebrate the small wins along the way, even if you haven’t reached your ultimate goal yet.

As you celebrate wins and lessons from failures together, you create a strong, resilient team that can handle anything that comes your way.

13. Encourage Participation From All Team Members

In any team, there will be some people who are more outspoken than others. But just because someone is quiet doesn’t mean they don’t have valuable ideas and opinions to share.

As a leader, it’s your job to encourage participation from all team members, not just the loudest voices in the room.

One way to do this is to create opportunities for everyone to speak up. This could mean going around the room and asking each person to share their thoughts on a topic, or using a tool like a talking stick to make sure everyone gets a chance to talk.

Another way to encourage participation is to ask open-ended questions . Instead of asking yes or no questions, ask questions that require more thoughtful responses.

For example, instead of asking “Do you agree with this idea?” ask “What do you think about this idea and why?”

It’s also important to create a safe space for people to share their thoughts.

Make it clear that all ideas are welcome and that there are no stupid questions.

When someone does speak up, make sure to listen actively. Give them your full attention and avoid interrupting or talking over them.

Show that you value their ideas by asking follow-up questions and incorporating their suggestions into the discussion.

Finally, make sure to recognize and reward participation. This could be as simple as thanking someone for sharing their thoughts or as big as giving them a shoutout in a team meeting.

When people feel like their contributions are valued , they’re more likely to speak up in the future.

And by encouraging participation from all team members, you create a more inclusive and collaborative team culture.

14. Avoid Interrupting Others And Let Them Finish Their Thoughts

We’ve all been in a conversation where someone cuts us off mid-sentence. It’s frustrating and can make us feel like our ideas don’t matter.

As a leader, it’s important to model good communication skills by avoiding interrupting others and letting them finish their thoughts.

When someone is speaking, give them your full attention.

Don’t start formulating your response or thinking about what you want to say next. Instead, focus on listening to what they’re saying and trying to understand their perspective.

If you find yourself wanting to jump in with a comment or question, take a breath and wait until they’re finished speaking. This shows that you respect their ideas and are willing to hear them out.

Pro-Tip: If someone is taking a long time to get to their point or is going off on a tangent, it’s okay to gently steer the conversation back on track. But do so in a way that doesn’t discount what they’ve already said.

For example , you could say something like “That’s an interesting point, but I want to make sure we stay focused on the topic at hand. Can you tell me more about how that relates to our current discussion?”

It’s also important to be aware of nonverbal cues that might indicate someone has more to say. If they pause or take a breath, don’t assume they’re finished speaking.

Give them a moment to collect their thoughts and continue.

As you avoid interrupting others and letting them finish their thoughts, you create a more respectful and collaborative team culture. It shows that you value everyone’s ideas and are willing to listen to different perspectives.

15. Be Open To Different Perspectives And Ideas

In any team, there will be people with different backgrounds, experiences, and opinions.

As a leader, it’s important to be open to these different perspectives and ideas , even if they differ from your own.

When someone shares an idea that you disagree with, resist the urge to dismiss it outright.

Instead, ask questions to better understand their perspective.

Why do they think this is a good idea? What evidence or experience are they drawing from?

By showing genuine curiosity and interest in other people’s ideas, you create a more inclusive and collaborative team culture. It shows that you value diversity of thought and are willing to consider different approaches .

Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to agree with every idea that’s presented. But it does mean giving each idea a fair hearing and considering its merits before making a decision.

If you do disagree with an idea, do so respectfully. Avoid personal attacks or dismissive language. Instead, focus on the facts and explain your reasoning clearly and calmly.

It’s also important to be open to changing your own mind when presented with new information or perspectives. Don’t be so attached to your own ideas that you’re unwilling to consider alternatives.

Encourage your team members to be open to different perspectives as well. Create a culture where it’s okay to respectfully disagree and where everyone’s ideas are given equal consideration.

16. Show Empathy And Respect For Others’ Feelings

When you work on a team, it’s important to remember that everyone has feelings. If you want to communicate well, you need to show that you care about how others feel. This is called empathy.

Empathy means putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Try to understand what they’re going through and how they might be feeling.

For example, if a team member seems stressed or upset, take the time to ask if they’re okay. Listen to what they have to say without judging them.

Showing respect for others’ feelings means treating them with kindness and understanding. 

Don’t dismiss or ignore someone’s emotions, even if you don’t agree with them. Instead, acknowledge how they feel and offer support if you can.

When you show empathy and respect, it helps build trust and stronger relationships with your team. People feel valued and heard, which makes them more likely to communicate openly and honestly with you.

Here are some tips for showing empathy and respect:

• Use a kind and caring tone of voice.
• Give people your full attention when they’re speaking.
• Avoid interrupting or rushing to give advice.
• Offer help or support if someone is struggling.

Remember, everyone wants to feel understood and respected. So, by making empathy and respect a priority, you can create a more positive and productive team environment.

17. Follow Up On Important Conversations In Writing

Have you ever had an important conversation with someone, only to forget what you talked about later?

It’s a common problem, especially when you’re busy with work. That’s why it’s a good idea to follow up on important conversations in writing.

After you have a meeting or discussion with your team, take a few minutes to write down the key points.

This could be in an email, a memo, or even just a quick note. Include any decisions that were made, action items that need to be done, and deadlines that were set.

Following up in writing has a few big benefits.

First, it helps everyone remember what was discussed. People can refer back to the written record later if they need to.

Second, it holds people accountable. When you put something in writing, it’s harder for people to forget or ignore it.

Following up in writing also helps prevent misunderstandings.

Sometimes people leave a conversation with different ideas about what was agreed on. By putting it in writing, you can make sure everyone is on the same page.

Here are some tips for following up on important conversations in writing:

• Do it soon after the conversation, while it’s still fresh in your mind.
• Keep it brief and to the point.
• Use clear, simple language that everyone can understand.
• Highlight any key decisions or action items.
• Ask people to confirm that they received and understood the message.

18. Provide Regular Updates On Projects And Priorities

When you’re working on a project, it’s easy to be too involved in your own tasks and forget about the bigger picture.

But if you want your team to communicate well, it’s important to keep everyone informed about what’s going on.

One way to do this is to provide regular updates on projects and priorities. This could be in the form of a weekly email, a monthly report, or even just a quick check-in at team meetings.

In your updates, share information about the progress you’re making on projects. What tasks have been completed? What’s still left to do? Are there any roadblocks or challenges you’re facing?

You should also communicate about priorities. What’s most important for the team to focus on right now? Are there any deadlines or milestones coming up that everyone needs to be aware of?

Providing regular updates has a few key benefits. First, it keeps everyone informed and on the same page.

People know what’s going on and what’s expected of them. Second, it helps identify problems early on.

If someone is falling behind or facing challenges, you can address it before it becomes a bigger issue.

Regular updates also help build trust and accountability.

When you’re transparent about what’s happening, people feel more invested in the work . They know their contributions matter and they’re more likely to take ownership of their tasks.

Here are some tips for providing regular updates:

• Set a consistent schedule
• Keep updates brief and focused
• Highlight key achievements and challenges
• Use visuals like charts or graphs to make information easier to understand
• Encourage team members to ask questions or provide their own updates

19. Use Positive Language To Encourage And Motivate

The words you use can have a big impact on how people feel and perform. If you want to create a positive and productive team environment, it’s important to use language that encourages and motivates people.

One way to do this is to focus on what people are doing well, rather than what they’re doing wrong.

When someone does a good job, take the time to acknowledge and appreciate their efforts.

Say things like “great work on that report” or “I really appreciate how you handled that difficult conversation.”

Using positive language doesn’t mean you have to completely ignore areas of improvement.

If someone makes a mistake or needs to improve, it’s still important to handle it. But instead of focusing on the negative, frame it in a way that emphasizes growth and improvement.

For example, instead of saying “you really messed up on that presentation,” try saying “I know you can do better next time. Let’s talk about what you can do differently.”

Another way to use positive language is to emphasize the benefits of the work you’re doing. Instead of just focusing on the tasks at hand, talk about how the work is making a difference. 

For example, instead of saying “we need to finish this project by the end of the week,” try saying “by finishing this project, we’ll be able to help our clients solve a big problem they’ve been facing.”

Using positive language has a few key benefits.

First, it helps people feel valued and appreciated. When you acknowledge people’s efforts and contributions, they feel more motivated to keep doing their best work.

Second, it creates a more optimistic and strong workplace culture .

When you focus on the positives and emphasize growth, people are more likely to come back from setbacks and keep pushing forward.

20. Make Sure Everyone Understands Their Roles And Responsibilities

One of the biggest communication challenges on a team is making sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing.

When people are unclear about their roles and responsibilities, it can lead to confusion, duplication of effort, and important tasks falling through the cracks.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure everyone on your team understands their roles and responsibilities. This starts with clearly defining each person’s job duties and expectations.

• What specific tasks and projects are they responsible for?
• What skills and experience do they bring to the team?
• How do their responsibilities fit into the bigger picture of the team’s goals and objectives?

Once you’ve defined roles and responsibilities, it’s important to communicate them clearly to everyone on the team. This could be through a team meeting, a written document, or one-on-one conversations with each team member.

It’s also important to revisit roles and responsibilities regularly, especially as the team and its projects evolve over time.

Check in with team members to make sure they still understand and feel comfortable with their responsibilities. If there are any changes or updates, make sure to communicate them clearly.

Making sure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities has a few key benefits.

First, it helps people focus their time and energy on the most important tasks. When people know what’s expected of them, they can prioritize their work more effectively.

Second, it helps prevent misunderstandings and conflicts . When everyone knows who’s responsible for what, there’s less likely to be confusion or disagreements about who should be doing what.

Here are some tips for making sure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities:

• Clearly define each person’s job duties and expectations.
• Communicate roles and responsibilities to the whole team.
• Revisit roles and responsibilities regularly and make updates as needed.
• Encourage team members to ask questions if they’re unsure about anything.
• Hold people accountable for their responsibilities, but also offer support and resources when needed.

21. Avoid Gossiping Or Speaking Negatively About Others

Gossip and negative talk can be toxic to a team. When people talk behind each other’s backs or spread rumors, it creates an atmosphere of mistrust and negativity.

It can also lead to hurt feelings, damaged relationships, and decreased productivity.

As a leader, it’s important to set a good example by avoiding gossip and negative talk yourself. If you hear someone else engaging in this kind of behavior, don’t participate or encourage it. Instead, try to steer the conversation in a more positive direction.

If you have concerns or feedback about someone’s behavior or performance , it’s important to handle it directly with that person, rather than talking about it with others.

This shows respect for the person and gives them a chance to respond and make changes if needed.

It’s also important to create a team culture that discourages gossip and negative talk. Make it clear that this kind of behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Encourage people to communicate openly and honestly with each other, and to bring concerns or conflicts to the appropriate channels for resolution.

Avoiding gossip and negative talk has a few key benefits. First, it helps build trust and respect among team members.

When people know they won’t be talked about behind their backs, they feel more comfortable being open and honest.

Second, it creates a more positive and productive team environment.

When people focus on their work and supporting each other, rather than tearing each other down, they can accomplish more together.

Here are some tips for avoiding gossip and negative talk:

• Set a good example by not engaging in this behavior yourself
• Discourage others from gossiping or speaking negatively
• Address concerns or conflicts directly with the person involved
• Create a team culture that values open, honest communication
• Focus on people’s strengths and contributions, rather than their flaws or mistakes

22. Be Proactive In Handling Conflicts Or Misunderstandings

Conflicts and misunderstandings are a natural part of working on a team.

People have different personalities, communication styles, and ways of working, which can sometimes lead to tension or disagreements.

As a leader, it’s important to be proactive in handling these conflicts and misunderstandings before they escalate into bigger problems.

This means being aware of the dynamics on your team and looking out for signs of trouble, such as people avoiding each other or seeming tense or stressed.

When you notice a conflict or misunderstanding, it’s important to handle it as soon as possible .

This could mean having a conversation with the people involved to understand their perspectives and help them find a resolution.

It could also mean bringing in a neutral third party, such as a mediator or HR representative, to help facilitate the conversation.

When resolving conflicts or misunderstandings, it’s important to stay calm and objective. Avoid taking sides or making judgments about who’s right or wrong.

Instead, focus on understanding each person’s perspective and finding a solution that works for everyone.

It’s also important to create a team culture that encourages open communication and healthy conflict resolution.

Encourage people to speak up if they have concerns or disagree with something, and provide training and resources on effective communication and problem-solving skills.

Being proactive in handling conflicts and misunderstandings helps prevent small issues from turning into bigger problems that can damage relationships and productivity.

Secondly, it shows that you value your team members and are committed to creating a positive and supportive work environment.

When people feel heard and supported, they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated in their work.

Here are some tips for being proactive in addressing conflicts and misunderstandings:

• Be aware of the dynamics on your team and look out for signs of trouble.
• Handle conflicts and misunderstandings as soon as possible.
• Stay calm and objective, and avoid taking sides.
• Focus on understanding each person’s perspective and finding a solution.
• Create a team culture that encourages open communication and healthy conflict resolution.
• Provide training and resources on effective communication and problem-solving skills.

23. Encourage Team Building And Informal Communication

While formal communication channels like meetings and emails are important, they’re not the only way for teams to communicate and build relationships.

Informal communication and team building activities can also play a big role in creating a positive and productive team environment.

Informal communication refers to the casual conversations and interactions that happen outside of structured meetings and formal channels.

This could be chatting with a colleague over coffee, having a quick check-in before a meeting starts, or sending a friendly message on a team chat app.

Encouraging informal communication can help build stronger relationships and trust among team members.

When people feel comfortable talking to each other about non-work topics and sharing a laugh or a personal story, they’re more likely to feel connected and invested in the team.

Team building activities are another way to encourage informal communication and build relationships. These could be things like team lunches, after-work happy hours, or fun activities like escape rooms or volunteering together.

The goal of team building activities is to create opportunities for people to interact and get to know each other in a more relaxed and fun setting. This can help break down barriers and create a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

Encouraging team building and informal communication helps create a more positive and enjoyable work environment.

When people feel connected and supported by their colleagues, they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated in their work.

Furthermore, it can lead to better collaboration and problem-solving.

When people feel comfortable communicating and working together informally, they’re more likely to share ideas and find creative solutions to challenges.

Here are some tips for encouraging team building and informal communication:

• Create opportunities for casual conversations and check-ins throughout the day.
• Encourage people to take breaks together and socialize in common areas.
• Plan regular team building activities that are fun and inclusive.
• Lead by example by participating in informal conversations and activities yourself.
• Create a team culture that values relationships and supports work-life balance.

Final Thoughts

Effective communication is crucial for a productive and positive workplace.

From active listening to providing regular updates and encouraging team building, we covered a lot of strategies to improve communication in the workplace.

As you put these tips in action, you’ll be able to improve workplace communication and build stronger teams. Want to grow faster in your HR career? Check out top HR training courses and certification programs at hrtech . With special discounts and offers, these courses are a great way to enhance your HR skill sets. Explore now to learn more!

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10 Tips For Effective Communication In The Workplace

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Table of Contents

What is effective communication, benefits of effective workplace communication, 10 tips for effective communication in the workplace, frequently asked questions.

Ineffective workplace communication costs U.S. businesses $1.2 trillion annually, according to a report by Grammarly . Not surprisingly then, it is a top concern among businesses–including the most successful businesses. But getting communication right can be a challenge between people with varying backgrounds, vantage points, and cultures. So the experts at Forbes Advisor detail the top tips for effective communication in the workplace to help.

Communication in the workplace is the exchange of ideas and thoughts concerning work, but effective workplace communication is more than that. Effective communication is clear, and the receiver understands its purpose. So, both the sender and receiver of the message are satisfied.

Two-way Communication

Effective communication in the workplace is not just relaying information to a team member, but explaining it in a way they understand. The receiver also focuses on gaining the entire meaning of the conversation and makes the other person feel heard and understood.

Solution-providing Communication

The exchange of ideas and information is done efficiently and effectively, enhancing collaboration on given tasks. So, teams can better come up with the required steps to achieve their goals.

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Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2022 Report reveals that out of the 31 million employees interviewed, only 13% of their leaders practiced effective workplace communication. Yet, if you can’t communicate organizational goals and operational changes, convey culture and values to new hires or those crossing teams or share business updates properly, it becomes challenging to achieve set goals.

Effective communication in a workplace will boost employee motivation, engagement and satisfaction, which will reduce workplace conflicts and enhance productivity.

Increased Employee Engagement

One of the benefits of effective communication is that it creates better relationships between management and employees as well as amongst employees, and promotes employee engagement. When the management considers employee needs and motivations and speaks to them correctly, it’s easier to get them to use their skills and talents toward the same goal.

Enhanced Motivation to Work

Nearly 30% of the time , organizations experience low retention because of ineffective communication between management and staff members. But when employees understand their tasks and how their roles affect the team’s overall success, they’re motivated to take necessary steps. Not only will your organization enjoy longer employee retention, which strengthens your company, employees will stay motivated, which makes all the difference.

Improved Productivity

By ensuring that information is communicated in the right manner, employees understand their roles better and perform their functions competently. That will increase productivity throughout your company.

Fewer Workplace Conflicts

Since workplaces have persons of various cultures and beliefs, conflicts will naturally arise. Still, most conflicts are from ineffective communication tactics. Workplaces that embrace open communication and refined communication styles should therefore expect less conflict between managers and employees, and even among employees.

With a solid understanding of how crucial effective communication in the workplace is, let’s look at the top tips for effective communication, including the key communication skills you need to adopt, how to prioritize two-way communication, how to organize communication and more.

1. Communicate the Right Way

For more effective communication, first, ask these questions.

• What is the goal?
• Who needs to hear this?
• How should I pass the message across?

Ineffective communication often occurs when managers talk to the wrong employees or share information in the wrong workplace setting. So, make sure the communication purpose directs you to relevant recipients. Also, choose the most appropriate communication method out of the different communication channels for the employee and situation. For example, an employee may prefer email , while another person likes a physical interaction, where there’s eye contact, and they can read your body language.

Generally, though, you should communicate urgent information or instructions, major news or sensitive news such as a promotion or transfer face-to-face.

2. Prioritize Two-way Communication

Effective communication in the workplace involves speaking, active listening and feedback. Both parties need to understand each other. Now, how can you make that possible?

• Practice active listening: To avoid missing important information, don’t listen to a coworker just so you can reply. Instead, listen to understand them. Maintain eye contact with the speaker, jot down whatever comes to your mind while they’re speaking, and respond with relevant gestures to show you’re listening.
• Embrace feedback: Ask your team members for feedback on your message and communication style, and note their comments and concerns. They can share such information during meetings or drop them anonymously in suggestion boxes. You can also offer feedback, but do it thoughtfully. Just don’t do it harshly or in public.

Also, adopt constructive feedback by first appreciating their work and then pointing out how to improve. Allow them to share their thoughts on your feedback, too.

3. Build Your Communication Skills

Effective workplace communication starts with you developing good communication skills. Here are the vital ones.

• Be clear: To communicate effectively, be clear about your goal, use easy-to-understand words and avoid incomplete sentences. Also, provide context when communicating with your team. For example, when setting expectations, share samples and highlight the groups that should be involved and those that will be affected by the output. Also, encourage employees to ask questions to minimize errors and maximize productivity.
• Remain courteous: To enhance effective communication in the workplace, you need to practice respectful communication and work through differences positively. Even during disagreements, try to stay polite, avoiding offensive words. Also, watch your body language and facial expressions, and use the right tone, so you don’t give off unintentional cues.
• Stay open-minded: Make sure your employees feel comfortable approaching you with ideas or concerns. That means you must keep considering their thoughts and attending to them respectfully, even when busy. And if you have concerns about an employee’s behavior or performance, discuss it with them instead of making assumptions.

4. Embrace the Uniqueness of Each Employee

One of the most important things to improve communication and employee engagement at your workplace is embracing each employee’s unique communication style. That means you need to learn about their preferred communication channels and style. Then, tailor your communication methods to their select style. While the sales team seeks endless data analytics , the analytics team might not want detailed stories about how to land clients.

5. Have One-on-One Interactions

To improve workplace communication , you need to be intentional about relationships. Schedule one-on-one meetings with your team members. These meetings show your employees that you value them and are willing to connect with them more personally. Plus, the timid or reserved ones tend to be more open and share valuable information and feedback in private settings.

6. Schedule Weekly Team Meetings

To foster good communication amongst team members, schedule weekly meetings where employees can speak their minds. Team managers can meet with team members to review each week’s accomplishments, challenges and concerns. They can also set goals and tasks for the following week and even discuss big-picture ideas. You can also take a step further by documenting important conversations and sharing recaps to clarify points and help the team remember recommendations and action points.

7. Make Time for Team Building

Team building activities often create a dynamic working environment, where people feel safe and build their confidence. So, get creative—offer employees an escape from usual activities by promoting casual interactions such as nonwork Slack channels or out-of-office events. Let them socialize and collaborate through activities such as icebreaker games, puzzle-solving games, fitness sessions, team lunches and movie dates. Team members will loosen up and improve communication and team collaboration, promoting employee retention .

8. Show Appreciation

Businesses with engaged and happy workers make 23% more profits than those with miserable employees. To move closer to achieving your goals as an organization, you need to appreciate employees and show you care. Thank them for their brilliant ideas or for completing a task quickly. And that includes zeroing in on exactly what made you happy. It will show that you’re genuine, and they can replicate it, too.

For instance, you can say, “You did great highlighting the customer segmentation steps in your presentation. The examples you gave helped the team understand the process.”

9. Get a Team Communication App

Without good team communication, there will be miscommunications, especially since many organizations are now hybrid or remote. But with team communication platforms, whether UCaaS or CPaaS , employees can communicate, stay up to date and collaborate on projects. They can meet to carry out their tasks, share relevant information and discuss upcoming tasks. Communication apps include project management tools , video conferencing tools and voice-over-internet-protocol services.

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10. Organize Communication Training Sessions

Consider holding regular communication training sessions so that both team leaders and employees can grasp basic communication skills that improve workplace communication. Hold training sessions physically or meet online over Google Meet or Zoom or any other communication platform. You can also use webinar tools for training so that old and new employees can always access them.

Bottom Line

Communication in the workplace should exceed exchanging information. It should include intentional communication exercises that enhance confidence, promote engagement and improve an organization’s overall productivity. So, use the given tips to retain your best employees and nail your goals.

Why is it important to have effective communication in the workplace?

Without effective workplace communication, there’d be confusion and conflicts. But with effective communication in the workplace, you’ll enjoy benefits such as enhanced employee motivation, engagement and productivity.

What are the seven Cs of communication?

The seven Cs of communication are:

• Conciseness
• Concreteness
• Correctness
• Completeness

What are good communication tools in a workplace?

Good communication tools include:

• Project management tools
• Business phone systems
• Video conferencing tools
• Emailing software
• Webinar tools

They’ll help you communicate with team members without issues.

How does communication affect teamwork?

Communication enables team members to know the tasks they need to perform and why and how to do them so they can achieve set goals.

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12 tips for effective communication in the workplace

Effective communication transcends simple information exchanges. Understanding the emotions and motives behind the given information is essential. In addition to successfully conveying messages, it's important to actively listen and fully understand the conversation, making the speaker feel heard and understood.

Today, we’re in almost constant contact with our coworkers. You might not put a lot of thought into saying “hi” to your coworker, grabbing virtual coffee with a remote team member, or sending a gif of a cat wearing pajamas to your team—and that’s ok. Even though you’re communicating at work, there’s a difference between these types of messages and communication in the workplace.

Communication in the workplace refers to the communication you do at work about work. Knowing when and how to effectively communicate at work can help you reduce miscommunication, increase team happiness, bolster collaboration, and foster trust. Teams that know how to communicate effectively about work are better prepared for difficult situations. But building good communication habits takes time and effort—and that’s where we come in. Here are 12 ways to take your workplace communication skills to the next level.

What is effective communication?

Effective communication is the exchange of ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and information so that the message is received and comprehended clearly and purposefully. When we communicate effectively, all stakeholders are fulfilled.

Developing effective communication skills requires a delicate balance of active listening, verbal communication, nonverbal cues, body language, and emotional intelligence to ensure messages are clearly transmitted and understood.

It's about more than just talking; effective communication involves listening skills and a deep understanding of interpersonal dynamics. Individuals can use these communication skills to bridge gaps, make informed decisions, and strengthen relationships. 

What does “workplace communication” mean?

Communication in the workplace can happen face-to-face, in writing, over a video conferencing platform, on social media, or in a group meeting. It can also happen in real time or asynchronously , which happens when you’re communicating about work over email, with recorded video, or on a platform like a project management tool . Some examples of workplace communication include:

Team meetings

1:1 feedback sessions

Receiving information

Communicating about project status or progress

Collaboration on cross-functional tasks

Nonverbal communication

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Explore key traits that have made the most effective teams in the world successful: their strategies, techniques, and tips for working well together.

What makes communication effective?

Now that you know what type of communication can be included in workplace communication, how do you start getting better at it? There are a few key tenets of effective communication that you can use, no matter what type of communication it is. In particular, good communication:

Aims for clarity. Whether you’re sending a Slack message, drafting an email, or giving an off-the-cuff reply, aim to be clear and concise with your communication.

Seeks to solve conflicts, not create them. In the workplace, we're often involved in problem solving and collaborating on projects or tasks. Good communication in the workplace can involve bringing up blockers or providing feedback—but make sure the goal is to get to a better place than where you are now.

Goes both ways. Every instance of effective communication in the workplace represents an exchange of information—even when the information is communicated solely through nonverbal cues.

Benefits of effective communication in the workplace

Clear, effective workplace communication can:

Boost employee engagement and belonging

Improve interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence

Encourage team buy-in

Increase productivity

Build a healthy workplace and organizational culture

Reduce conflict

Increase retention

7 tips for more effective communication in the workplace

Effective communication in the workplace is all about where, how, and when you’re communicating. Try these seven tips to develop better communication skills.

1. Know where to communicate—and about what

Communication happens in many different forms—face-to-face, over email, via instant messages, and in work management platforms. To be most effective, make sure you’re following communication guidelines and messaging about the right things in the right places.

Sometimes, knowing where to communicate is half the battle. Your company may have different communication tools , which makes knowing which tool to use all the more important. Which tool is appropriate for your question or comment? Do you need to communicate in real time, or is it ok to send an asynchronous message? If you’re not sure, ask a team member or manager where you should be sending different types of messages. It is important for everyone to be on the same page. For example, at Asana, we use:

2. Build collaboration skills

Collaboration is the bedrock of effective teamwork. In order to build strong team collaboration skills , you need to practice open and honest communication. This doesn’t necessarily mean always agreeing on things—knowing how to disagree and work through those differences is a key part of collaboration, too.

Collaboration and communication skills are kind of a “chicken and egg” scenario. You can build good collaboration by communicating effectively, but knowing how to collaborate is a key component of strong communication. Essentially, this just means you’ll have to practice improving both collaboration and communication skills over time. As you improve team collaboration, you’ll get better at conveying information and opinions in a work environment—and as a result, that honest communication will make collaboration feel more effortless.

3. Talk face-to-face when you can

Perhaps the most tried-and-true way to avoid miscommunication is to talk face-to-face. If your team is virtual, speaking via video conferencing also works. Eye contact is particularly important if you know a conversation is going to be hard. Tone can be difficult to communicate through writing so ideally, you want your team member to be able to see your facial expressions and body language.

If your team is remote or distributed, communicating via a phone call instead of a video conference could work as well. Video conferencing fatigue is real, and it can make collaboration and communication particularly difficult for remote teams. Communicating over the phone reduces some of the visual strain, while still giving you the ability to hear your team member’s voice and tone.

4. Watch your body language and tone of voice

Communication isn’t just about what you say—it’s also about how you say it. Make sure you aren’t crossing your arms or coming off as curt. Oftentimes, your body language may have nothing to do with the current situation—maybe you’re tired or stressed about something in your personal life. But your team members, who might not have that context, could see your actions and assume you’re angry or upset about something. Particularly for hard conversations, try to relax your body language and facial expressions to avoid giving off any unintentional cues.

5. Prioritize two-way communication

Listening skills are just as important to communication in the workplace as talking. Part of being a collaborative team member is listening to other people’s ideas instead of just trying to put your own ideas out there.

There are two common types of listening : listening to reply and listening to understand. When you listen to reply, you’re focusing on what you’re going to say next, rather than what the other person is saying. With this type of listening, you risk missing key information or even repeating what the other person just said.

Instead, try active listening—that is, listen to what the other person has to say without thinking about how you’re going to reply. If you do think of something you want to say, jot it down so you can go back to listening to understand , instead of trying to remember the thing you want to say next.

6. Stick to facts, not stories

“Facts vs. stories” is a technique recommended by the co-founder of the Conscious Leadership Group, Diana Chapman. In this case, “facts” are things that have actually happened—things that everyone in the room would easily agree on. A “story,” on the other hand, is your interpretation of the situation.

For example, say your manager gives you live feedback during a small team meeting. That is a fact. You weren’t expecting the feedback, and you feel like your manager shared the feedback—instead of saving it for your 1:1—because they’re dissatisfied with your work. This is a “story” because you have no way of knowing if it is true or not.

Stories are inevitable—we all create stories from facts. But try to separate stories from facts, and avoid acting on stories until you’re able to validate them. For example, in this case, you might want to talk to your manager during your next 1:1 and ask why they shared feedback in a team meeting.

7. Make sure you’re speaking to the right person

Effective workplace communication is as much about who you’re talking to as it is about what you’re saying. Poor communication often occurs when you’re talking to the wrong people or trying to share information in the wrong setting.

To avoid this, make sure the right people are in the room or receiving the message. If you aren’t sure who that would be, go through an exercise to identify any important project stakeholders who might be missing.

5 tips to build effective communication skills in the workplace

If you’re a leader, you have the power to set and establish communication conventions on your team. Effective communication skills can build healthy company culture , foster trust among your employees, and break down silos between cross-functional teams. Here’s how:

1. Address any underlying changes

Before you start improving your team’s communication skills, ensure there are no underlying issues that keep everyone from communicating honestly. Does everyone feel comfortable talking openly? Is there anything that might make a team member feel like they can’t be their full selves?

One of the most valuable things you can do as a leader is to make sure your employees feel comfortable showing up to work as their whole selves (or as much of themselves as they want to bring). Whether that means voicing disagreements, talking about their passions outside of work, or being honest about what type of communication works best for them, make sure to understand each team member’s needs and ensure they’re being met in the team environment.

One theme that kept coming up in our employee engagement surveys was that we could improve information sharing and communication across the organization, so we looked for a way to do that.”

2. Frequently ask for feedback

If you don’t ask for feedback on your communication style, you may never get it. Even though communication in the workplace impacts every other interaction, team members might not immediately think of it as something to provide feedback on. By asking your employees for feedback on your communication style, you can continue to improve and develop clear communication strategies for your team.

3. Understand team communication styles

Another effective way to communicate with your team is to ask them how they want to communicate. Communication preferences shouldn’t be a secret—or a guessing game—and knowing off the bat if your team members prefer video conferences or phone calls, early morning meetings, or afternoon jam sessions can help you create an environment where they can thrive.

Important questions to ask include:

Are they an early bird or a night owl?

Do they like structured meetings or prefer free-flow brainstorming sessions?

Do they do their best thinking out loud, on the spot, or on paper?

What personality type do they identify with: introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Do they feel like they know their team members, or would they prefer more team bonding activities?

What types of meetings or tasks are most energizing for them?

4. Make time for team building or icebreakers

Getting to know your team is critical to developing good communication skills. It’s particularly important to make time to get to know your team outside of a workplace setting. Icebreaker questions can help bring an element of personality and fun to every meeting, so consider starting with a light chat before diving into your meeting agenda.

5. Set the tone

Remember: the way you communicate and collaborate will impact your entire team. It’s up to you to set the standard for open and clear communication in the workplace. Once you establish this standard, your team will follow suit.

Every few months, make a note to follow up with how everyone is feeling about team communication. Are there any habits that have cropped up in the last few months that you want to cull or encourage? Regularly thinking about how your team communicates—instead of “setting and forgetting” your team practices—can help you be more intentional about your communication methods.

As an organization grows, communication starts to bottleneck. At Hope for Haiti, we’ve seen those inefficiencies hurt us: when we can’t run like a well-oiled machine, we’re not serving as many people as we could be—and it’s our responsibility to improve upon that.”

More types of workplace communication

Most discussions about communication in the workplace assume the “workplace” is in person. But there are various forms of communication across different locations—from global offices to remote teams. Most effective communication best practices still apply to any type of team, but there are a few additional considerations and best practices you can use to help team members truly connect.

Distributed teams

Distributed teams work across multiple national or global offices. These teams might span different time zones and languages, and each office will have its own culture and habits. Don’t expect each distributed team to communicate in the same way—in fact, one of the advantages of distributed teams is the variety of thought you’re exposed to by working with teammates from all over the world.

If you work on a distributed team, it’s critical to over-communicate so that team members in different time zones and offices stay in the loop. Make sure to document everything in a central source of truth that team members can access when they’re online, and look for a tool that updates in real-time so no one has to slow down due to information lag.

Keep in mind that time zones might affect how people come to a conversation. Try to schedule meetings when everyone is available, or offer recordings and notes if team members can’t make it. It’s also critical to double check that the right people are in the loop, and that they aren’t just being left out because they’re in a different office than the majority of your team.

Online coworkers

If you’re working with a virtual team, it’s critical to establish where you’re going to communicate and how frequently. Knowing exactly what each communication tool should be used for can help team members feel connected—even while they’re remote.

While working remotely, we’ve had to re-learn how to communicate in many ways. Slack, Asana, and integrations between these tools has replaced or supplemented a lot of in-person ways we used to communicate.”

Remote team members can feel isolated and disconnected from one another, so consider doing an exercise with your entire team about preferred business communication habits. Some team members might love cold calls, while others might prefer scheduled meetings with concise agendas. Because team members have fewer chances to interact in person, it’s critical to establish these forms of communication as a team so you can keep the communication channels open.

Finally, make sure to bring team members in for regular team bonding events. Whether you’re doing icebreaker activities at the beginning of every meeting or scheduling some time to just chat at the end of each week, dedicated team time can help team members connect, no matter where they’re dialing in from.

The cherry on top of effective workplace communication

The last component of great communication is having a central source of truth for all of your communication and work information. Using a centralized system like a work management tool can help you coordinate work across all levels of your team. Learn more about how work management makes project coordination and communication easier in our introduction to work management article .

FAQ: Effective communication in the workplace

What are the best ways of communicating with your work colleagues.

The best ways of communicating with your work colleagues involve concise, respectful, and timely exchanges. This can be achieved through various channels, such as emails, instant messaging, face-to-face meetings, and video calls. Selecting the right medium based on the context of your communication (e.g., using emails for formal requests or Slack for quick queries) and ensuring you're concise and to the point can enhance the effectiveness of your communication.

Why is effective communication important?

Effective communication ensures that information is accurately conveyed and understood, resulting in improved efficiency, fewer misunderstandings, and better working relationships. It promotes teamwork, decision-making, and problem solving, which makes effective communication a cornerstone of successful operations and a positive work environment.

What constitutes effective communication?

Effective communication is characterized by clarity, conciseness, coherence, and considerateness, also known as the 5 Cs of communication. It means the message is delivered in a clear and understandable manner, is direct and to the point, logically organized, and sensitive to the receiver's needs and perspectives. It also involves active listening, openness to feedback, and the ability to adjust or paraphrase the message according to the audience and context.

How can you become an effective communicator?

To become an effective communicator, focus on clarity and brevity in your messages, actively listen to others, and provide constructive feedback. Pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues, such as body language and tone, to ensure your message is received as intended. Practice empathy by considering the receiver's perspective, and be open to feedback to continuously improve your public speaking skills.

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Communication Skills: 25 Performance Review Phrases Examples

By Status.net Editorial Team on July 26, 2023 — 6 minutes to read

Effective communication is a crucial skill in the workplace: it fosters healthy relationships, clear information exchange, and a positive work environment. Although some employees excel at communication instinctively, others may need guidance in refining their skills. Performance reviews provide an ideal avenue for evaluating and guiding employee communication skills on a regular basis. To assist managers and supervisors during these assessments, this article offers an organized structure of performance review phrases and paragraphs examples with a focus on communication skills.

By following the provided examples and breaking down the various aspects of communication skills, managers and supervisors can ensure that performance reviews are effective and consistent. The aim is to promote growth, constructive feedback, and a better understanding of workplace communication expectations for every employee, thus resulting in a more successful and harmonious work environment.

Questions to determine an employee’s performance review rating for communication skills:

• Does the employee communicate effectively with team members, managers, and clients?
• Does the employee actively listen and provide thoughtful responses?
• Does the employee express ideas and opinions clearly and concisely?
• Does the employee use appropriate tone and language in written and verbal communication?
• Does the employee adapt their communication style to different situations and audiences?

Based on your assessment of the employee’s performance in these areas, you can assign a rating that reflects their communication skills. For example, if the employee consistently communicates effectively, listens actively, and adapts their communication style to different situations, they may receive a high rating. Conversely, if the employee struggles to communicate clearly or appropriately, they may receive a lower rating.

Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples for Communication Skills

5 – outstanding, phrases examples.

• Exceptional ability to convey complex ideas in a simple and easily understandable manner
• Consistently demonstrates active listening skills and responds appropriately
• Facilitates open and honest discussion, promoting a positive work environment
• Frequently praised for engaging communication style and active listening skills
• Leveraged excellent communication skills to resolve conflicts effectively and efficiently
• Regularly sought out for advice regarding effective communication strategies
• Demonstrated exceptional skill in written and verbal communication across multiple channels

Paragraph Example 1

“John consistently demonstrates outstanding communication skills. His ability to articulate complex concepts in a simple and understandable manner is truly exceptional. He actively listens during conversations and is well-regarded for his engaging communication style. His skills in conflict resolution and providing guidance in effective communication strategies are frequently sought out by his peers. John has shown mastery in communicating across multiple channels, with excellent verbal and written communication.”

Paragraph Example 2

“Jane consistently displays outstanding communication skills. She is able to take complex ideas and present them in a simple, easy to understand manner, allowing her team to effectively grasp new concepts. She actively listens to others, showing genuine interest in their input and responds with thoughtfulness. Her ability to facilitate open and honest discussion fosters a positive and inclusive work environment.”

4 – Exceeds Expectations

• Effectively conveys thoughts and ideas, making sure everyone is on the same page
• Often engages in active listening, providing constructive feedback when necessary
• Promotes a positive work environment by openly communicating with team members
• Continuously expanded communication skills through self-learning and workshops
• Mastered the art of tailoring communication to suit diverse audiences
• Took initiative to lead presentations and meetings with clarity and confidence
• Enhanced team communication by introducing new collaboration tools and techniques
• Created a positive and inclusive environment by communicating effectively with team members

“Jane has exceeded expectations in communication skills. She continually improves her abilities through self-learning and attending workshops. Jane has a strong command of tailoring her communication to suit diverse audiences, routinely leading presentations and meetings with confidence. She was instrumental in enhancing team communication by introducing new collaboration tools and techniques. Jane’s effective communication skills create a positive and inclusive environment that fosters strong team relationships.”

“John exceeds expectations in his communication skills. He effectively shares his thoughts and ideas, ensuring everyone on the team is aligned and informed. John actively listens to his colleagues, offering constructive feedback and support. His open communication style contributes to a positive work environment and strong team dynamics.”

3 – Meets Expectations

• Adequately communicates thoughts and ideas with coworkers
• Typically engages in active listening and responds to feedback
• Contributes to a positive work environment by maintaining open lines of communication
• Consistently communicates information in a clear and concise manner
• Effectively balances active listening and speaking during discussions
• Demonstrates good written and verbal communication skills
• Proactively seeks to improve communication skills through feedback from colleagues
• Successfully adapts communication style to various situations and audiences

“Sam meets expectations in his communication skills. He consistently communicates information clearly and concisely in both written and verbal communication forms. Sam is effective in his ability to balance active listening and speaking during discussions, and he adapts his communication style as needed to diverse situations and audiences. He takes feedback from colleagues seriously and proactively works to improve his communication skills.”

“Susan meets expectations in her communication skills. She adequately conveys her thoughts and ideas to coworkers, and generally engages in active listening, responding to feedback when necessary. Susan keeps open lines of communication with her team members and contributes to a positive work environment.”

2 – Needs Improvement

• Struggles to clearly convey thoughts and ideas to coworkers
• Has difficulty engaging in active listening and responding appropriately to feedback
• Could improve upon fostering a positive work environment through better communication
• Struggles to clearly articulate thoughts and ideas
• Difficulty in adapting communication style to different audiences
• Limited development of written communication skills
• Inconsistent in providing timely responses to messages and inquiries
• Needs to improve active listening skills during meetings and discussions

“James requires improvement in his communication skills. His ability to articulate thoughts and ideas is not clear, and he has difficulty adapting his communication style to different audiences. James should focus on improving his written communication skills and ensuring that he is consistent in providing timely responses to messages and inquiries. Additionally, it is vital for James to enhance his active listening skills during meetings and discussions.”

“Tom’s communication skills need improvement. He often struggles to clearly express his thoughts and ideas to his coworkers, leading to confusion and misunderstandings. When engaged in conversation, Tom has difficulty actively listening and responding appropriately to feedback. An improvement in Tom’s communication would help foster a more positive work environment.”

1 – Unacceptable

• Consistent failure to convey information accurately and effectively
• Unable to adapt communication style to suit the audience or the situation
• Ignored or dismissed valuable feedback from colleagues regarding communication issues
• Disrespectful and unprofessional communication with peers and supervisors
• Habitual absence or disengagement during team meetings and discussions
• Frequently fails to effectively communicate thoughts and ideas.
• Does not engage in active listening or provide appropriate responses to feedback.
• Negatively impacts the work environment through a lack of effective communication.

“Lucy’s communication skills are currently unacceptable. She frequently fails to effectively articulate her thoughts and ideas, causing disconnects within the team. Lucy does not engage in active listening and often provides inappropriate responses to feedback. Her lack of communication has a negative impact on the work environment, and it’s crucial for her to address this issue.”

“Sara’s communication skills are unacceptable. She consistently fails to accurately and effectively convey information, and she is unable to adapt her communication style to suit various audiences or situations. Sara has also dismissed valuable feedback from her colleagues regarding communication issues. She exhibits disrespectful and unprofessional communication with peers and supervisors. It is crucial that Sara takes immediate steps to improve her communication skills, including addressing her habitual absence and disengagement in team meetings and discussions.”

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