Communication Skills

Hi Friends,

Here Something Useful to Improve Our Communication Skills.
Go On...

Communication is a vital part of our daily routines.
We sit in school and listen to teachers. We
read books and magazines. We talk to friends, watch
television, and communicate over the Internet.
The workplace is no different. Experts tell us that
70–80 percent of our working time is spent in some
kind of communication. We’re reading and writing
memos, listening to our coworkers, or having one-toone
conversations with our supervisors.
Communication involves at least two people: the
sender and the receiver. In this book, we’ll look at
four types of communication between senders and
receivers: writing, speaking, listening, and conducting
meetings. Each one is important to your success
in the workplace.
For example, a poorly written cover letter can prevent
you from being hired for a job. On the other
hand, the ability to write effectively and make clear
presentations can make the difference between your
being promoted or being left behind. As Ken Matejka
and Diane Ramos explain in their book Hook ‘Em:
Speaking and Writing to Catch and Keep a Business
Audience, “You need effective, persuasive communication
skills for career advancement.”

communication skill that’s often overlooked is
listening. Yet recent surveys tell us that we spend 45
percent of our time listening. Do we listen carefully
to what people are telling us? According to one study,
we hear only one quarter of what’s being said. The
rest of the time we’re daydreaming or just tuned out
completely.

HOW WE SPEND OUR
COMMUNICATION TIME
writing 9%
reading 16%
talking 30%
listening 45%

One sales manager in a printing company tells the
story of needing a job rushed through in 24 hours so
his best customer could have it on time. He gave
careful instructions about the project to the production
supervisor. But before he could finish, the supervisor
had already stopped listening. He assumed that
the customer wanted the job three days later, which
was the usual deadline for most of these projects.
When the sales manager went to pick up the job the
next day, it wasn’t ready. As a result, he almost lost
the customer. Unfortunately, stories like these are
common in many organizations.
Listening, writing, and speaking are all skills we
use in meetings. Today, meetings are a common
method for making decisions. More and more work
is done by teams of people who come from different
areas of a company. They accomplish many of their
tasks in team meetings. In these situations, we must
be able to speak and write clearly so others can
understand us and listen carefully to what they say.
Sadly, we waste many hours in meetings because of
poor communication. A study by one university estimated
that $37 billion is lost annually through
unproductive meetings.

FACT
A recent survey by Beta Research Corp., on
behalf of the New York Times, asked several
hundred hiring managers to name the most
important behaviors that job seekers should
demonstrate during an interview. “Effective
communication skills” and “confidence in their
abilities” topped the managers’ lists.

Whether you’re writing, listening, speaking, or
attending meetings, communication skills are critical
to your success in the workplace. In this book, we’ll
look at some of the skills that will enable your communications
to be more successful. These include:
Understanding the purpose of a
communication
Analyzing the audience
Communicating with words as well as with
body language
Giving each communication greater impact


IMPROVE YOUR WRITING

Good writing will make you stand out. It will help
you excel at school, on the job, and in extracurricular
activities. How do you improve your writing?
Writing with a Purpose 41

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF GOOD WRITING

1. I realize that all good writing must have a clear purpose.
2. I recognize that less is more—too many words can bore
my reader.
3. I understand that the most important information
belongs at the beginning of my document.
4. I avoid all mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and
spelling.
5. I think about what my readers want before beginning to
write.
6. I make an impact on my readers by making my writing
powerful.
7. I don’t use complex words when I can use simple ones.
8. I leave out all information that does not relate to my
main purpose.
9. I use descriptive words to bring my writing to life.
10. I never assume that my readers know more than
they do.

IN SUMMARY . . .

Define the purpose of your writing in a few
summary sentences.
Find out who your readers are, what they
need to know, what their attitudes are, and
why they should care.

Implement the 4 Cs into your writing:
Compelling
Concise
Clear
Correct

Write a short and clear cover letter that
highlights your experience and skills and
tells the employer why you are a good
candidate for the job.

Create a detailed, professional-looking
resume in order to get a job interview.

Emails should be composed using the same
rules that other types of writing follow.

Present your information in short chunks;
large chunks of text do not appeal to
readers.

Lokesh.G.K




Speaking with Confidence ...Coming Soon