Do you feel like your communication skills could use some improvement?
Effective communication skills are essential for success in any job, whether you are an employee, supervisor, or freelancer. Strong communication skills can also help you land a job when interviewing and when you’re negotiating your salary or asking for a raise.
Good communicators are harder to find than you might realize, so improving these skills can really set you apart.
Not convinced? Think about it this way. Have you ever had a job where you did zero writing or talking? Probably not.
Let’s take this further.
Why Should You Improve Your Communication Skills?
Your communication skills can make or break every first impression you encounter.
This sounds harsh, but your communication skills play a big role in how people view you.
For instance, if you’re working on a project with a colleague and you notice that they make spelling mistakes in every email they write, does this have an impact on how you view them?
Or, if you meet someone and can never understand what they’re saying, would you want to continue to work with them or spend lots of time with them?
Now, turn these situations around. Have you ever struggled to say what you want to say?
Do you spend way too much time trying to get the tone of your emails to sound just right?
In all of these situations, improving your communication skills will make life easier for you and less stressful.
Now, let’s talk about another important question for those of you who work from home or want to work from home in the future.
Why Are Communication Skills Important When Working From Home?
You may have chosen a work from home job because you wanted to work independently.
That’s fine; in fact, I love working independently too. However, since communication might be less frequent for you, the communication that you do is even more important.
For example, if email or Slack messages are your primary mode of communication, you need to be extremely clear; otherwise, you’ll waste your whole day sending messages back and forth, trying to get clarity or smooth over miscommunications.
Another thing to consider is that if your job is 100% online, your managers, coworkers, boss, or clients may not have an established in-person relationship with you. This means that your entire relationship is built through emails, messages, or video calls.
Next, let’s talk about how to improve your communication skills, even if you don’t know where to start.
1. Take Classes or Courses
Consider taking a course or a class. There are many communication classes available online, hybrid, or in-person, depending on your preference.
Many of these courses are very affordable, and if you don’t care about the certificate or credit, you can often audit a course for free.
You can also check out classes at your local university or community college. Another option is to take an improv class.
2. Try Public Speaking
Whether you need presentation skills for your job or not, public speaking is a good way to improve your overall communication skills.
You can check out Toastmasters, which is a non-profit organization that helps people improve their leadership, communication, and public speaking skills. You can enter your location to find a club in your city. Some clubs are even hybrid, offering the option to attend in person or online.
3. Hire a Coach
While it is one of the more expensive options, hiring a communications coach can help you improve your skills faster.
Consider asking your company about bringing in a coach to lead a workshop or conduct group coaching sessions with your entire team or organization.
A more affordable option is to find a coach who is in training. Typically, coaches need a certain number of hours to become certified and offer discounted or free coaching sessions until they get certified.
4. Read
Reading is one of the best ways to expand your vocabulary and to develop new ways of expressing yourself.
Try reading both fiction and non-fiction. If you find a word or expression you don’t know, jot it down on your phone and look it up later.
For books specifically on communication, you can check out:
5. Listen to Podcasts
Do you have any podcasters whom you could listen to all day?
If so, ask yourself, why? What is so engaging about them?
What do you like about the way they communicate?
Could you learn from them?
6. Watch Shows or YouTube Videos
Video is a great way to observe nonverbal communication and facial expressions.
Nonverbal signals can help you express your ideas and show the other person that you’re listening and engaged.
Another exercise is to watch a current video from one of your favorite YouTubers. Then, go back and watch their first few videos.
You might be shocked by how much they’ve grown and changed.
Communication is a skill that can be improved with practice.
7. Make Eye Contact
If you don’t usually make eye contact, this will feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s so important.
When I was a teenager, I remember my Dad telling me that he didn’t hire people unless they had a firm handshake and made eye contact.
This is especially important if you have calls on Zoom, Google Meet, etc., for your job.
Eye contact shows confidence and that you’re engaged and interested.
8. Start Writing
Whether it’s a blog, journal, or on a website like Medium, writing will help you improve your communication skills.
The more you write, the more comfortable you will become turning your jumbled thoughts into coherent ideas.
You’ll also gain a better understanding of yourself along the way.
If writing publicly is too big a step, that’s ok, start with journaling.
9. Use Gestures
While this is more challenging when working online, you can still use nonverbal signals or cues during video calls.
Something as simple as a nod or a smile can make a big impact.
Speaking of smiling, try smiling when you’re writing an email or on the phone. Doing this will help you come across as warmer in your communication.
10. Learn About Different Communication Styles
Did you know that you have a communication style?
The four different communication styles are:
- Passive
- Assertive
- Aggressive
- Passive-Aggressive
If you don’t know your own style, you can learn more about each one here.
Once you understand the different styles, you will better understand your coworkers, friends, and family members and how to communicate with them.
11. Be an Active Listener
Many people are surprised that active listening is key to becoming a better communicator.
Show empathy when others are speaking with you and be present in any interactions.
Try to ask relevant questions and listen to their responses without interrupting.
You might even summarize what the person has told you to show that you’re listening and understand their point of view.
12. Ask for Feedback
It’s scary to ask for feedback, but it can also help clear up any confusion. You can also ask a variety of people, including your manager, coworkers, friends, or family.
To do this, send a quick text or email asking the person for some honest feedback and constructive feedback.
Tell them you value their opinion and want to improve your communication skills.
13. Pay Attention to Your Tone of Voice
You’ve probably heard the idea that “it’s not what you say but how you say it.”
Try recording yourself and listening back to it.
Is there anything you can improve to come across more positively or encouragingly?
14. Improve Your Posture
I find that when I’m sitting up straight and showing open body language, it impacts my confidence, feelings, and how I communicate.
If you usually slouch, make an effort to sit up straight and see how it feels.
You can also start noticing other people’s nonverbal cues and ask yourself what they say about them.
15. Look For Collaboration Opportunities
Even if you work from home or independently, collaboration can be a good opportunity to improve your communication skills.
Are there projects you can volunteer for? Or, coworkers or friends who could use some help?
16. Be Patient
Even though we use communication skills every day, most of us don’t have training or regular feedback in this area.
It’s ok to make mistakes, so show some patience with yourself and others.
17. Practice With Social Media
Social media is a great way to practice your digital communication skills.
Pay attention to people who are good communicators and take note of what stands out. Do you like their vocabulary? What tone do they use?
After observing what others are doing well, take what you’ve learned and apply it to your own social media content.
Communication Skills Wrapup
Remember that communication is a two-way street. Active listening skills are just as important for building strong communication skills as speaking.
Now that you have some ideas of how to improve your communication skills, go through the list above and find at least one step you can take.
While you might not be a keynote speaker by next week, with small, consistent practice, you will see improvements fairly quickly.
This will help you in just about every area of your life!
As your communication skills improve, you’ll notice changes in your work life and also in your personal relationships.
