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Elite Communication can be the difference between scoring a half-million-dollar contract and losing big in business. It can also alter customers' perceptions of your business. According to 2024 market data by Gitnux, an estimated $38 billion per year is lost due to poor communication
There have no doubt been times when you have had misunderstandings due to a momentary lapse of poor communication. One of the hallmarks of elite business delivery and top-notch performance is how a business and its leaders communicate.
Let's discuss three ways to improve your communication style and delivery and become an elite communicator in your business.
Embrace Active Listening
Active listening involves hearing what a person says and considering their emotions and motives. It can be a superpower if you take what they have said instead of thinking of ways to respond to the person talking to you, digest it, and then respond.
Some techniques can assist with becoming a better active listener:
1) Make eye contact with the person speaking: If you look away when someone is talking to you, down at your shoes, or off in the distance, you could communicate that you lack interest in what they are saying.
2) Nodding as they speak: Physically responding to a person when they are talking to you through a slight nod signals to them that you are in lock-step with what they are attempting to communicate with you.
3) Paraphrasing: You don't have to repeat everything a person says to you because that can come across as condescending. However, you should be able to provide a retort that summarizes their overall points so they can understand that you heard what they said to you.
4) Asking Clarifying Questions: This one is a personal favorite of mine because it covers paraphrasing to a degree and shows personal interest in what a person said to you. Also, by asking clarifying questions, you reduce the risk of completely missing the mark with what the person just told you.
Foster Open Communication Culture
If you want your employees to feel comfortable addressing issues with you as they come up, you must remain approachable. Creating an environment in which your employees can openly and honestly express frustrations and excitement will foster more communication.
By locking yourself in your office with the door closed you signal to the rest of your employees that you are unavailable and don't want to be bothered. Unless you are in a meeting or busy, why not leave your door open? You can also email your employees on a regular basis and remind them that you are always open to talking about challenges they may be having and that you value answering questions.
Find a way to create feedback loops in your business where employees can leave suggestions, like a suggestions box. Also, reserve the last ten minutes at the end of staff meetings for a town hall-style discussion where your employees can express themselves.
When launching an initiative in the company, why not openly and honestly address some of the upcoming challenges that the employees may face? Discussing some challenges early on in a process creates the expectation that employees may need to show more patience and resilience with the latest initiative.
According to market data from Gitnux, 92% of employees feel more loyal and committed to their work when a manager communicates goals and expectations well.
Leverage Technology To Enhance Communication
There is plenty of communication technology now. From Slack, zoom, Trello, basecamp, or Asana, you can manage projects and work from beginning to end while maintaining high employee engagement.
The one caveat to using technology is that you still must choose the right tool for your business. The process of choosing technology is a chance for you to use employee collaboration. If your employees are going to be doing most of the heavy lifting, they should have a say in the adoption of technology that affects their work output.
However, the key to successful technology implementation in a firm is not losing the human touch. You must maintain a personal connection along with the adoption of the technology you choose to use.
By leveraging your communication skills, you reduce time waste, poor performance, and confusion. When you are an elite communicator, you will achieve elite performance and continual growth.
