For owners, managers and leaders within any business, communication is one of the most vital skills you can have. Effective communication is about transferring information from one person to another. So, for this information to be best received and understood it means thinking about how the receiver will best take in the message you are communicating.
Everyone is different, and everyone takes in information in different ways. For some, they may best respond to information that is spoken to them. For others, it may be written communication. There are numerous ways in which you might choose to communicate with those in your team, but to do so effectively you need to be able to understand the person you are communicating with.
What is Needed for Effective Communication?
All too often the default mode of communication, both internally within a team and externally, is email. But is this really the best way of getting information across to others?
Empathy
I have written about the importance of empathy in another of my articles, and it is again an important trait for leaders hoping to communicate effectively. Why? Because to know what the best way of communicating is with a particular team member means understanding them. Which of your team responds well to emails? And which do not?
Somebody who either doesn’t complete a task to the required standard or misunderstands it after the instructions have been provided through an email isn’t bad at their job! It may simply be that their brain works in such a way that written comprehension isn’t their strong suit.
Be Personal
Another thing to bear in mind with emails is they can seem quite impersonal. For some, this means they are far less inclined to react positively to them. Would a phone call or a chat in person work better? These direct forms of communication are more conversational and allow for a dialogue that may be more difficult to come by through an email exchange. This makes the process more collaborative, inclusive and can be easier for sharing information. After all, sharing information is the key to communication!
Types of Communication
The best communicators adapt the way they get information across. They will understand the people they are communicating with, and talk to them in the best way for that individual.
Textual
Some people respond best to text. So, after being critical of overusing emails it could be that these are a good way to go with some people.
Audio
Others may learn and take information best from listening to instructions. Not everyone is like this – you can probably think of people who look a bit vacant when you’re talking to them – but for some it’s an effective way to learn!
Visual
If you are asking someone to complete a task, the best way to get across what you want them to do could be by showing them. By demonstrating what you want them to do you can make the learning process far quicker and more effective.
Modes of Communication
You may be thinking “but what options are there other than email?”
Whilst it’s true that email is probably the most universally accepted and widely used medium for communication in business, there are other options out there.
Meetings
Regular team meetings are a great way of sharing information in a collaborative environment. These allow you to communicate with people face-to-face, and also for various members of the team to communicate with one another. This can feel like a more informal, relaxed way of sharing information, and this can reap benefits that come with collaborating in that environment.
Phone Calls
As mentioned above, a phone call can be a great way of having that personal, conversational form of communication if you have things that need sharing between meetings. Often, these are far more efficient and effective than emails; you can answer any queries there and then and get any issues sorted immediately rather than over the course of four or five emails.
Voice Notes
Can’t get a hold of someone over the phone? Leave a voice note! However, these can get a little overwhelming if you are trying to communicate a lot of information. But if it’s just a short message, these are great.
Video Tutorial
If you are trying to give someone instructions on how to do something, then video tutorials can be a useful tool. Some people are far more receptive to visual demonstrations rather than textual information. So, by physically giving an example of the information you’re trying to convey you can make things far easier to follow.
So, there are loads of ways you can communicate with others, and loads of ways in which people take information in. For business owners, managers, and even people within the team, knowing the best way to communicate with different people is an absolutely essential skill to have. Are you overly-reliant on email, and are there other ways of communicating that you can explore?
If you want to level-up your leadership and management skills take a look at my leadership and management training, and read my article on the importance of empathy and use of language.
