Summary: Communication is critical to every aspect of interaction with others. As a successful businessperson, you have no doubt realized the importance of communication. You know that productivity can only be achieved when proper communication has been as well. You know that nothing gets accomplished efficiently unless those in charge communicate with one another. To put it quite plainly, nothing gets done if communication doesn’t happen! But how do you communicate effectively? How do you maximize the effectiveness of your words and correspondences so that you will see RESULTS instead of wasted time and effort? That is a great question, and that is EXACTLY what we are going to talk about in this article. Why Is Communication Necessary? To understand how to get results through communication, it is important to realize why it is so necessary. When people work together on a project, for a company, or towards the same goal, they will most likely be doing different things that are related. But in order for their actions to be helpful to one another, communication needs to take place. This is, basically, what it is all about. “If you just communicate you can get by. But if you skillfully communicate, you can work miracles.” --Jim Rohn Learn To Listen Listening is a key factor when it comes to communicating effectively. I once heard that our brains naturally begin formulating a response to what is said to us after an average of about 15 seconds of hearing someone else speak. That is usually not enough time! Make sure that you are controlling both your ears AND your mouth when someone is speaking to you. Once they are done, you can answer their question or react accordingly. This not only shows respect, but will also keep you from missing information and giving uninformed instructions. Effective communication can only be accomplished when both parties are open to listening to each other. Don’t Withhold Information Sometimes, as a leader, it can be tempting to task someone to do something without giving them as much information as you have available. You might think, in your mind, that there is no reason for them to know any more than the absolute minimum. Or, you might think that their job is not to ‘know’ what you know, but rather to blindly ‘do as you say’. While this is an understandable frame of mind, to a point, you will doubtlessly find that you will become a better communicator if you tell your subordinates as much as possible as it pertains to what they are doing. By providing clear and accurate information, you are not only motivating them and helping them to understand the situation, but you are effectively filling them in on exactly WHY you are saying what you are saying… both of which are fantastic advantages to have when you are attempting to communicate effective instructions to someone else. Be Courteous Yes, you might be the boss… but that definitely does not give you a reason to be a jerk to your subordinates. Being courteous and polite is, by far, the best way to get results from those around you. If you find it incredibly hard to be nice to people, then you might want to re-examine your priorities or delegate out the task of dealing with others to someone else. Being courteous will get you results… being a jerk will not. Subordinates who are treated without respect or decency usually end up resenting those in authority over them. This can lead to them, in general, not caring whether the job is done right or not. Subordinates who are treated with respect, on the other hand, are usually much more apt to do their best. Seek To Understand Others One of the biggest mistakes that most people make is in not taking the time to understand the person who they are trying to communicate with. Whether it is a disgruntled employee, an angry client, or a bewildered colleague, it is of the utmost importance that you make sure to understand the point of view of the person in front of you before you try to make yourself unders
