According to recent reports<\/a>, both business leaders and knowledge workers agree that effective communication<\/a> increases productivity, confidence, and even job satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, is there a way to learn how to become an effective communicator? Well, to begin with, you should focus on honing effective communication skills <\/strong>such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Going forward, we\u2019ll discuss the importance of these core communication skills<\/a> and share some expert tips to help you develop them.<\/p>\n\n\n Being able to express your thoughts and ideas clearly and concisely<\/strong> is sure to help you avoid miscommunication in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, as Svetlana Kouznetsova<\/a>, a B2B accessibility consultant, public speaker, and author, told us, the best way to fight ambiguity in communication is to use simple language<\/strong> everyone can understand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEffective communicators consistently keep messages: <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Know your key takeaway and check in to ensure it\u2019s understood.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n But, if you want to increase the clarity of your spoken or written communication<\/a>, you\u2019ll first need to understand what you\u2019re looking to gain from any conversation, whether you want to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you know exactly what you\u2019re hoping to achieve<\/strong> and who your audience is<\/strong>, you\u2019ll be able to adjust your <\/strong>communication style<\/strong><\/a> and phrasing accordingly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s talk about some practical tips for communicating more clearly and concisely in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Practice clarity on Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want the people you work with to understand what you\u2019re saying, start by scrubbing your vocabulary of corporate buzzwords<\/a> and industry jargon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, focus on communicating your main point in simple terms<\/strong>. While you\u2019re at it, you should also make it scannable<\/strong>, as Ted Skinner<\/a>, author and the VP of Marketing at a media monitoring company, suggests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe best communicators I’ve worked with share 3 core abilities. They:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice, Skinner\u2019s advice can look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an accessibility consultant, Kouznetsova also recommends using different communication channels<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCommunication is not just speaking and listening. Text, visuals, captions, gestures, and signing are equally valid. When one method doesn\u2019t work, effective communicators switch without frustration.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, <\/em>offer multiple ways to communicate<\/em><\/strong>\u2014 voice, text, email, captions, visuals, signing, quieter spaces, better lighting. One size never fits all.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Using a team communication app like Pumble<\/a> by CAKE.com<\/a> allows you to take full advantage of these various communication channels by letting you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Enrich your text messages with images or video files on Pumble by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n\n Without empathy, professional communication can become somewhat cold and impersonal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Though impersonal communication can still be clear and concise, making people respond to your message is difficult when it\u2019s not delivered in an empathetic manner<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, we might say that emotional intelligence<\/a> is one of the most important skills of effective communicators \u2014 at least according to experts like Linda Pophal<\/a>, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, a strategic marketing communication consultant and content marketer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCommunicators can benefit from developing and improving their <\/em>emotional intelligence<\/em><\/strong>\u2014 a concept that was popularized by Daniel Goleman and includes characteristics such as:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, empathy is also a crucial component of effective communication, as Pophal notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEmpathy is also critical \u2014 putting yourself in the other’s shoes to truly understand their perspective, background, needs, interests, etc. What’s important to them in this instance\/situation? Why is it important? What do they fear? What do they hope for?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Being able to understand others is certainly a professional advantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it\u2019s also a great way to build rapport<\/strong> with your coworkers and, in doing so, create psychological safety<\/strong><\/a> and lay the foundations of a <\/strong>positive work environment<\/strong><\/a> where everyone is encouraged to express themselves more freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Express yourself on Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, practicing empathic communication<\/a> is all about approaching others with curiosity<\/strong> instead of judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, you should do your best to understand where other people are coming from<\/strong> instead of projecting your own preconceived beliefs and subconscious biases<\/a> on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re unsure what someone is feeling, you can always ask, as seen in the example below.<\/p>\n\n\n Then again, if you don\u2019t want to be that overt, you can always focus on the other person\u2019s nonverbal behaviors<\/strong> and body language<\/a>, especially during virtual meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, you should try to stay respectful <\/strong>\u2014 even when you disagree with someone<\/a> or fail to understand their point of view. If that doesn\u2019t come naturally to you, consider investing in some type of soft skills training<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a deaf person herself, Svetlana Kouznetsova is a passionate proponent of deaf awareness and accessibility training<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInclusive communication is a skill. I provide deaf awareness and accessibility training that helps teams communicate effectively with deaf and hard of hearing people \u2014 and <\/em>improves communication for everyone<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n You could also participate in cultural sensitivity training <\/strong>to better understand how people from different cultural backgrounds interpret messages, as Chelsea Dade<\/a>, the founder of a youth workforce development hub and consultancy, suggests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCultural competence is the awareness of how one’s own identity, lived experience, and power dynamics shape their communication style. Engaging in cross-cultural learning (workshops, readings, conversations) can help us better understand how people interpret messages differently.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udf93 PUMBLE PRO TIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Interested in learning more about diversity in communication? Check out these guides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Communicate asynchronously or in real time with Pumble by CAKE.com<\/p>\n\n Ultimately, a good communicator shouldn\u2019t only know how to express their own thoughts and ideas. Rather, those looking to improve their communication skills<\/a> should also spend some time honing their listening skills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We spoke to Christine Samuel<\/a>, a speaker, author, and the founder of a company that offers leadership and team coaching and facilitation services. She told us that effective communication is all about achieving mutual understanding<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEffective communication isn’t really about information exchange. It’s about <\/em>building relationships where real understanding can happen<\/em><\/strong> and where people can actually collaborate.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n To increase our chances of understanding our interlocutors\u2019 true feelings and objectives, we must be prepared to engage in active listening<\/a>. That requires both empathy and emotional intelligence, as these effective communication skills tend to enhance our self-awareness as well as social perception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally speaking, active listening requires us to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s see some tips for becoming a better listener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Listen and be heard on Pumble<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, active listening is all about becoming more open to other people\u2019s perspectives and making sure they feel heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, instead of listening passively while you wait for your turn to speak, try engaging in deep listening<\/a>, as Christine Samuel suggests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe principle is simple. <\/em>Listen to understand<\/em><\/strong>\n
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Core skill #1: Clarity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to achieve total clarity and fight ambiguity in professional communication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Choose the right medium for your message<\/h2>\n
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/pumble\/banners\/features@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nCore skill #2: Empathy & emotional intelligence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Connect with coworkers all over the world<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nCore skill #3: Active listening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to master active listening to hear the unsaid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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