Platinum Author
To improve your communication skills you must start by recognizing that words matter. Let me give you a personal example. About two months ago I wrote an article titled "Are Women Better Bosses than Men?" The topic itself generated hundreds of responses. However, only one person asked me the key question: What did I mean by the word better. No one else asked me to quantify what I meant by better, and everyone else provided their opinions on the topic. I'm thrilled the topic brought out such passion in people and found it interesting that each respondent had their own interpretation for 'better.' It was a great reminder that to improve your communication skills you have to recognize just how critical words are to the conversation. I'm sure some of you reading this are saying, "Hey, Linda, come on! Everyone knows what better means." And that's just my point.
We all assume we know what 'better' means and make a judgment based on that assumption. Better as defined how? In that article, had I defined leadership and then asked people to consider if women or men were better leaders against that criteria, it would have elicited a different set of responses. I (intentionally by the way) left it open to interpretation. That's fine for an article where I'm seeking lots of insights, ideas, bantering and more. It isn't fine in day-to-day communication. If you seriously want to improve your communication skills, remember that the words you use matter. Make sure, as often as is possible, to use words that are not ambiguous or open to interpretation on the part of the receiver of the message. In communication little things make a huge difference...like words.
About this Author
Linda Finkle, CEO of INCEDO GROUP, works with innovative leaders around the world who understand that business needs a new organizational growth style. These innovative leaders know that powerful cross-functional communication is the highest priority and the strongest strategy for building organizational effectiveness. To find out more, visit: http://www.IncedoGroup.com
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