Do you want to advance in your career or do you want to become  an excellent communicator at your workplace?

“The art of conversation lies in listening.” –Malcom Forbes

I have been reflecting  on the skill of communication and poor communication  transpires daily.  If many of us  are good communicators, why are there so many miscommunications?  I would like to share with you an activity I was involved in highlighting  strong communication skills in work settings;  a coaching excellence program assisting others who desire to advance in their careers.  The assignment  is to check off all of the communication skills you do well, and the goal is to be able to check off all 10 skills.

The advanced skills listed are:

  • I am unconditionally constructive whenever I speak.
  • I speak “charge neutral” versus up or down.
  • I remain criticism-free even when I correct others.
  • I have tremendous amounts of compassion for others.
  • I make my points quickly and powerfully.
  • I don’t gossip. Period.
  • I always come from a positive place, solution oriented.
  • I prepare for rather than force change.
  • I am direct, yet not obnoxious, in my speaking style.
  • I listen and discern exactly what another person is saying.

I read the list of advanced communication skills daily.  The one that strikes  me the most is the last one:  “I listen and discern exactly what the other person is saying.” I do not do that.  To be honest with you, I am able to check off 5 of these 10 key communication skills.  I have room for improvement.

Do you feel you can check off all of the advanced communication skills?  Do you have all of them mastered or most of them mastered?    I would like to invite you to pick one skill per week and focus on honing this skill.  You can skip the ones you absolutely know you have mastered.  Example, you never gossip.  If this is true about you, then pat yourself on the back and focus on something like, “I am unconditionally constructive whenever I speak.”

If you would like to work on communication skills, feel free to give us a call.

 

  • Checklist created by Coach University