Nowadays, more and more companies prefer hiring people with developed soft skills. Technical skills still matter, but recruiters won’t consider you for a position if your communication skills are poor. Many managers are sure that you can teach a person to make them a good specialist, but you can’t change a person’s character. Because communication skills development is more complicated than obtaining new knowledge in a professional field. But still, you can make it happen by following the tips below!
Practice Networking
Having a network of people in your business field can be the key to career development. Classic job applications (through the job aggregator websites) may lead you nowhere. What’s the alternative, you may ask? More and more companies launch referral programs because they believe that talented people surround their qualified employees.
Getting new connections is possible at job conferences, business meet-ups, and lectures. These events have coffee breaks, where you can chat with new people and gather their business cards. Your new contacts can not only put in a good word for you but also suggest the professional cv creation service to help you create a professional resume. But don’t stop making a network of connections after getting hired, because good contacts will support you throughout your whole career path.
2. Be a Good Listener
Work is not a place for fun, you will say. But still, a workplace can be a pretty pleasant place to come every day. As in every community, the office is hanging on to interpersonal relationships. When you have a conversation during a business meeting or just a cooler talk, it is essential to pay attention to other people’s emotions, words, and feelings.
You may think that to be a good listener, you must not interrupt the person talking to you. But, you can hear a person speaking and still be somewhere else with your thoughts. That’s not working! Listen to people not out of generosity but curiosity. Please pay attention to things that matter to your colleague, and mention them in your future chat. In such a way, a person will believe that you care for them, and you will build your relationship on trust.
3. Show Your Interest
During the job interviews, recruiters can question candidates for hours, and at last, kindly offer them to take their turn—the same during work meetings with your boss. Asking questions is a simple way to show your interest in the business. Employers value enthusiastic workers who are not afraid to take matters into one’s own hands.
4. Mind Your Body language
Non-verbal cues such as posture, body gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements can give others more information on your thinking or feeling than your words. Positive body language signs include a firm handshake, eye contact, open posture, and head nodding.
Every meeting with a new person starts with a handshake. Offer someone a firm handshake, and express your confidence and respect to this person. Keep eye contact and nod your head during the conversations. It will show you as an attentive listener. When you have an upright and open posture, it always signals friendliness and openness.
5. Win Fear of Public Speaking
Workplace success goes along with your ability to speak to the audience. Sooner or later, you will have to pitch your idea to your team or give a lecture about the work in your industry. Presenting in front of many people is always stressful for the first time. So it is essential to start practicing right now to feel confident during public speaking. Then you’ll obtain your unique style as a speaker on any occasion to any audience And as you consistently refine your public speaking skills, you might even find yourself on the path to becoming a TED Talk speaker, sharing your expertise and insights with a global audience, further solidifying your reputation as a compelling communicator in your field.
6. Express Empathy
Many modern coaches claim empathy to be the most crucial leadership skill. Empathy in action is understanding the struggles of your teammates and offering your help. Those who practice compassion in communication are more likely to prevent conflicts in the workplace. When people fall for their friends and teammates as profoundly as they fall for themselves, they strengthen their community’s connection. To express empathy, try to put yourself in another person’s shoes and make your decisions approaching from this.
7. Attend Corporate Parties
Most employees are waiting for corporate parties like the year’s biggest celebration. But office parties are not only about enjoying complimentary refreshments and drinking champagne. Its primary aim is to build a connection between workers. Collective activities make a perfect atmosphere for quality networking.
If you’re not a party person, you’ll try to avoid such events and leave home strictly after finishing all your tasks. Then you will miss a significant opportunity to get closer with your team and people from your field. They can share their experiences with you and give you some insight info you won’t learn during casual business lunches.
8. Be Open-Minded
Open-mindedness is the ability of a person to tolerate new ideas, arguments, and information without prejudice. Learning things that conflict with our existing beliefs is always stressful, but your reaction to them at the workplace must be positive. It is essential to show how flexible you are because people who can handle complex changes are precious for business.
9. Show Respect
In the workplace, respect is important because it is reciprocal. If you respect people around you, they will approach you with the same attitude. There are several ways to win someone’s respect, for example, during brainstorming. Support the idea of your co-worker and help them pitch it. Also, be very polite while criticizing the work of others. Pick up correct words not to depreciate the results of your co-worker.
10. Ask for Feedback
From the first weeks at the workplace, ask your manager to give comments and suggestions on your work. It is always painful to hear that you’re doing something wrong, but you’ll be able to fix things immediately and not make mistakes that can cause problems for the whole business. When you ask for feedback, you show how responsible you are. The boss won’t doubt you and will trust you with more complex tasks.
To Sum Up
These communication skills will help you get a job, guarantee promotions, and build a successful career. To master them, you have to be ready to challenge yourself and gather your courage. In return, you will be on good terms with your boss, get along with your colleagues and obtain valuable connections for your future.
