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11 Practical Ways to Refine Communication Skills for Executives

Most, if not all, of the conflicts and relationship difficulties, personal or professional, are linked to a lack of effective communication. Regardless of your chosen field, ambitious professionals always share a strong desire to advance their careers. For many, that entails developing a career that leads to a position at the C-level of a top business in their industry. Senior executives are responsible for communicating the organisation’s vision hence they must be able to communicate with other executives, workers, and public at large in order to effectively convey the company’s goal. Still when it comes to communicating effectively, you feel you do not have those skills in you and you fail to make an impact. Let’s understand why it is the way it is… Most of you have never learned to communicate, you subconsciously reproduce what you have observed and absorbed from your immediate environment- your parents, teachers, friends, colleagues and unfortunately, they themselves have done the same. However, the quality of your life is intimately linked to the quality of your communication, and you just cannot not communicate. You do not only communicate with those around you but also with your own self. What should you do then? As a senior executive you must learn and practice transformative communication, which means experiencing, developing and including qualities such as empathy, responsibility, integrity, assertiveness and leadership. I understand it is easier said than done, but these add-on skills can reduce confusion, encourage transparency, and improve the productivity and collaboration of the entire executive team. Sign up to gain access to Free Webinar Webinar on Assertive Communication, now for FREE Watch the webinar now Loading… Thank you! You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Here are the 11 practical ways to develop your business communication skills- Clear your objective. Decide what you want to accomplish before you start talking. Consider a discussion as a journey you are going on together. If any of you is unsure of where you’re headed, it will start to deviate off course pretty rapidly. Only if you both properly understand your goals will the journey be successful. It’s crucial that you clearly explain your goal from the outset. Specify a headline. State your major point at the beginning of the conversation if you are aware of it. Limit Confusing Words. Technical jargon and words like “A/B testing,” “content marketing,” and “conversion optimization” frequently appear in all industries. Some people use terminology that are unclear to those around them without even realizing it. Although using industry-specific language may seem natural, it can exclude those who are attempting to participate in the discourse. You can improve connections with leaders and the team by avoiding using these terms in talks with other team members. Additionally, it’s crucial to pay attention to what other people are saying and the terminology they employ to describe particular circumstances in the field. Both you and your audience can benefit from using clearer language as they strive to improve their communication skills. Be authentic. Be genuine and truly curious about learning about your audience as persons. Keep in mind that people have human interests, views, doubts, achievements, failures, and their own personal stories just like everyone else. People who are liked by them do business with them. Tell them through words and actions that you are sure of yourself, that you are not frightened by them or turned off by them, and that you genuinely care about their success and the success of the company. Set boundaries for yourself and abide by them. Choose which, if any, face-to-face discussions you won’t permit to be disrupted by digital voices. Do your best to be fully present. Your people will realise they might not get a prompt reply to their texts from you as you begin to wean yourself off your phone reliance and also micro-managing and spoon feeding. It’s okay that way. Remember, leadership is about galvanizing people. Choose your communication channels wisely. Short messages like where to meet, yes-or-no questions, a brief check-in, or a straightforward word of encouragement can be sent via text message. However, it is more crucial to adopt more subtle communication techniques the more significant the message and the higher the stakes. Invest time in learning about media richness theory. Also, you can become a great communicator by listening to the advice of professionals and then putting what you learn into practice. Be assertive. As a leader you must stand up for and speak out on what you believe in – it requires courage, but it shows your followers that you have a moral compass and are worthy of their trust. It gives them the confidence to follow you. You have to learn to show your character – people must know what you care about and what your beliefs are. This will make you more predictable, and inspire them to follow your beliefs. Positive body language. Always remember that people will be watching your actions as a leader. The higher you go in the organization, the more people will be scrutinizing your behaviour. If you want to be a great leader, you’ll need to get used to people viewing and evaluating your every move. Many executives underestimate the importance of their behaviour to the people they lead. As a leader, you communicate warmth nonverbal y with open body postures, palm-up hand gestures, a full -frontal body orientation, positive eye contact, synchronized movements, head nods, head tilts, and smiles. Pay attention to paralanguage. Consider tone, pace, pitch, pronunciation, articulation and cadence. More than what you have to convey, how you convey the message matters more. Understand the tone and cadence of the audience you’re dealing with and thus communicate accordingly. Know your audience. Keep it short and straightforward and keep in mind that you are the organization’s face as a senior executive. The values and organisational structure of your organisation are reflected in what you say and how you behave, thus it is important to know who your audience is and how to communicate effectively with them.

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Assertiveness: Skill You Need To Move To The Next Level

Communication, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

As you stack all your technical skills to prepare to chart the career progression, one more thing you need to add to your bag is people skill. You need to be assertive to excel at your career. Assertiveness is a personality trait characterized by being proactive, confident, straightforward, and direct. It’s opposed to passiveness which is characterized by being compliant or yielding. Assertiveness skills are so essential for your professional growth because they’ll enable you to speak up for what you believe in without hesitation. If you’re not assertive in your professional life, you may dare not: 1. Persuade others to accept your ideas, even if they’re better than others’. 2. Try the new ideas to solve the problems instead of repeating what everyone does or what they think is right. 3. Speak up for yourself and stand up for what you believe in. 4. Say No when you need it without feeling guilty about it later on. 5. Communicate honestly with your boss or your peers. 6. Clear out conflicts without destroying the relationship entirely. 7. Overcome competition easily, no matter how tough it is for you. You don’t let somebody’s expectation bring you down to the ground. This is an issue which increases stress levels considerably despite its simplicity in practice. You’ll be able to fight stress if you can learn to be assertive. You may feel the need to hide behind a polite smile, swallow your words and thoughts, and pretend that everything is okay when it’s not. At the end of the day, you’re hurting yourself by not being assertive. The reasons why you’re an assertive person may vary from case to case. Some people grew up in a family where they were expected to be submissive and polite all their lives, while others were brought up in the environments where speaking up your mind was ordinary. However, there are still some symptoms which you can recognize that could help you identify whether or not there’s something wrong with your assertiveness style. Communications are key to this skill set… you need to communicate with your boss, peers, and subordinates effectively so that everyone gets what they want or need. Interpersonal skills are essential for success in any business environment because they ensure the smooth running of organization and existence of trust between staff members. To start to develop your assertive communication skills, visit www.archanaparmar.com/assertive-communication

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How to say ‘No’ when you don’t want to say ‘Yes’

Communication, Gravitas, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Assertiveness is an excellent leadership characteristic. In order to efficiently manage people and run a firm, business executives must be forthright, straightforward, and able to distribute duties. The capacity to be forceful in your professional life might put you on the fast road to a leadership position. What is Assertive communication? When you boldly convey your demands and opinions in a fair, honest, and calm manner while taking into account the needs and perspectives of others, you are engaging in assertive communication. It is critical for anyone’s career to learn how to be assertive at work. Assertiveness aids in earning the respect of your peers and ensuring that your viewpoint is heard. It’s a vital stress-relieving technique because it helps you to: Take action to protect yourself. Feel free to say “no” without feeling guilty. Make your wants, needs, and opinions known. Practicing self-control is essential. Assess the circumstances and be assertive only when it is appropriate. Why to be assertive? Some people are born with the ability to assert themselves, while others do not. However, if you work on it, you can develop assertiveness. Assertiveness lies somewhere between passive and aggressive. You might come across as submissive if you don’t speak up when you have anything to say. And if you’re adamant about your point of view, you might come out as unfriendly or, worse, a dictator. You can express yourself without being passive or confrontational if you learn to be assertive, and you’ll have a better chance of receiving what you want. When you’re assertive, you balance your wants and needs with the rights and needs of others. How to be Assertive? Use “I” statements. Make it a habit to use phrases like “I believe…” or “I feel…” Never use abrasive words or phrases such as “You never…” or “You always…” Your audience is irritated by these statements, and communication is halted as a result. You can be confident and assertive without alienating or excluding others by using “I” expressions. Learn to say “no.” People are sometimes hesitant to say “no” to others in order to please them, even if saying “yes” causes them inconvenience. Helping others helps individuals feel good, whether it’s taking on a colleague’s extra work or watching a friend’s pet. However, you must know when your life must take precedence over assisting someone. Simply say no if you already have a lot on your plate and are unable to take on more at this time. It’s a liberating sensation, and you may offer assistance when it’s convenient for you. Tips on assertive communication: Make sure you express your feelings to the other person. Listen respectfully and empathize with the other person. Respectfully receive both positive and negative feedback. Speak at a volume and pace that is appropriate for a typical conversation. Make a firm but not harsh tone. Maintain eye contact with the other person. Use “I” statements to make your points clear, such as “I want.” Exaggerated words like “always” and “never” should be avoided. Instead of saying, “You always give me your work,” say, “This is the third time this week you’ve delegated your work to me.” Instead of saying “You’ve done a bad job again,” say “This report has information about Xyz missing.” Be comfortable in saying ‘no’ to others, that’s how you say ‘yes’ to yourself. I’ve got your back. Write to me at archana@archanaparmar.com Order your copy of my book ‘Business English and Leadership Communication’ – kindle or paperback

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How to structure your business emails?

business emails, Business English, Uncategorized, Writing Skills / Archana Parmar

What are some ways that compelling emails can help you to be more productive? Simple: choosing the correct words to communicate will persuade people to respond to your emails. You will obtain the result you’re looking for more accurately and faster, and you’ll save a great deal of time. If you want to improve your business emails and make your business writing more impactful, you’ve come to the right place. What you write and how you write will have an impact on how people see you & your firm, whether you’re communicating with business clients or coworkers, managers or subordinates. Not only that, but your writing could mean the difference between a stalled project and a completed one. Always ensure that your email has a clear and logical structure, regardless of the topic, purpose, or receiver. Include all of the following components in your business emails for optimum effectiveness: introduction + details + action + closing. INTRODUCTION Begin by addressing the receiver as “Dear Name.” The most prevalent ones in today’s corporate sector, from more formal to less formal, are “Hello Name” or “Hi Name.” Introduce yourself by email. Begin with a cheerful and friendly tone, including some basic background information, the main reason for your letter (explain them what’s going on right away), and a brief summary of the following steps. Example: Hello Lata Michael has asked me to send you an email to confirm that I will be able to come to New Delhi in September to conduct a product training course with your IT staff. I’m available any time throughout the first two weeks of the month. DETAILS Do they require any other information or background? If that’s the case, you’ll want to mention it in this section. Short paragraphs should be used to break up your email (no longer than 4 or 5 lines each). Bullet points assist in organising your thoughts, also the material will appear clearer to the reader, be more visually appealing, & be easier to scan. Here’s a rough estimate of the costs: • Fee for a trainer: INR 9000 per day (this will probably be a two-day course) • The cost of a flight is roughly INR 4000. • The cost of a night’s stay is approximately INR 3000. ACTION What’s the next logical step? Tell them exactly what they need to accomplish (agree on meeting schedule, approve the budget, or proofread a document, for example). Let them know if they don’t need to do anything after receiving your email. Kindly let us know whether you can manage these fees. I’ll arrange flights and make hotel reservations once I receive your confirmation. We can save costs if we book weeks in advance. CLOSING Always (always) say thank you if they have to do something. Before signing, you can say “Have a wonderful day” or “All the best.” Thank you for your support, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns concerning this training course. Have a wonderful day, Archana Note: You want people to read and act on your emails. Ready? Let’s get the ball rolling!

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Speaking is controlled breathing. Did you know?

Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Breathe in- Breathe out Rather I should be saying stomach in- stomach out. That’s how we were designed to breathe by default. The rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall, scientists have discovered for the first time. These effects on behavior depend critically on whether you inhale or exhale and whether you breathe through the nose or mouth.—study results (Northwestern University). Why am I talking about respiratory system today? Well, we all have seen, heard, experienced the benefits of deep-breathing ever since this pandemic happened. It might seem a common thing to discuss. But today, I am discussing this with reference to leadership communication. Yes, you read it right. Breathe Well You’ve been breathing since birth; it’s just that a majority of us breathe from lungs, including me, till a few years ago when I came to know of lungs’s functioning. The only thing that stuck with me – lungs- the main respiratory organs, I forgot the diaphragm’s contribution. The diaphragm is a thin skeletal muscle that sits at the base of the chest and separates the abdomen from the chest. It contracts and flattens when you inhale. This creates a vacuum effect that pulls air into the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and the air is pushed out of lungs. –www.healthline.com My involvement with communication studies got me notice the role our posture, voice, and breath plays to make it effective. While working with my clients, I realized most people are completely unaware of what they’re doing with their breathing system, again because, they never cared just as we don’t pay attention to our feet while walking, or our teeth while chewing or even our heart while it is pumping. Breathing is so much more than just an auto programmed feature of our bodies. So if you want to sound inspired and inspiring, read on, and be ready to boost your influence. Speaking is controlled breathing Every time you speak your exhale. Hold your hand next to your mouth and speak- did you feel the warmth of your breath? Now, try to speak something as you inhale from your nostrils- see! Breathing well is the first step of speaking well. It means you need enough air in your lungs to breathe out words and sentences. This means that you need to breathe in adequately before you speak. It also helps you in producing a good and confident voice- we will be talking more on voice quality later. Check your breathing There is a very simple way to check your breathing pattern for yourself. Stand straight, place one hand on your belly and another hand on your chest. Watch yourself in the mirror. Breathe naturally and calmly, and notice which part of your body moves the most. If you breathe well you should find that most of the movement is in your belly. As you breathe in, your belly should expand outwards. Stomach out As you breathe out, your belly should retract. Stomach in That’s how the babies breathe. If you find a great deal of movement in your chest rather than your belly, or if your shoulders rise and fall as you breathe, this means you are not breathing effectively and indirectly it is preventing you from using your voice properly. How to breathe? Lie down on your back, knees bent up. Place one hand on your belly and another hand on your chest. Breathe out all the air from your lungs and close your mouth. Do not breathe in again until your body tells you to. Feel the vaccum. Now, let your body to breathe in for you, it will happen automatically. With this breath, you should start to feel your belly rising up and you may find that the breath you take is somewhat deeper. Breathe it all out again immediately and notice how your belly drops back to its original position. Wait for the next in-breath. Practise technique for about 10 minutes, and observe the sense of release and freedom in your belly as you breathe. You should start to feel calmer and more relaxed. Gradually you will practice this breathing pattern when you are sitting, then standing and then 24*7. Belly-breathing or diaphragmatic breathing gives you a skill, essential for successful and authoritative speaking. Breathe in- Breathe out Stomach in- stomach out Did you get your copy of my book- ‘Business English and Leadership Communication’? Available versions- kindle and paperback.

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Tricks on how to negotiate and ask questions as a leader

Business English, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

When you are a business leader and have to use English in your career, make sure that you create an aura as you speak, not just put words together. You have to focus on vocabulary and specific linguistic structures. No matter what you communicate, you have to create an impression of authority over the language and influence people around you. The surprising power of Questioning It goes beyond your imagination and exchange of views! Improved questioning skills can strengthen managerial effectiveness. For that, you will need to frame your questions before you place them across the table. Taking a calculative measure and giving an explicit thought on this helps you grow in your role and inspire others around you. This will add value to your work and help build a team of skilled people together. Do remember that asking the right question is an essential leadership skill. To be perfect at this, you will need a good command of your language and to achieve this, you must have a good hold over your Business English. Coming to negotiations, if questioning is growing, knowing to negotiate well makes the growth pleasant. To accomplish both, you must be an explorer at heart. You must be aware of data and information and gather essential insights before you speak. Often negotiation skill is not innate; you have to acquire through learning. Also, a situation may be so that you know how to negotiate, but you don’t find the exact words to craft your thoughts thoughtfully. Here, you will need the touch of proficiency. Become a confident negotiator When you are in top positions, you have your struggles, and the way you address them will help you stand out from the competition. I aim to teach you the importance of both language and skills to enhance your Leadership score. You may be a good analyst, a great listener, and encourage team work, but without any ability to communicate right, you cannot attain your goal. You will need strong social skills to become confident with your approach and Leadership communication for useful conversation. If you prefer to distance yourself from a formidable negotiation, let me tell you this is nothing more than a regular discussion. You have to find a way agreeable to all and yet beneficial on purpose. Some tricks on how to negotiate or ask through the process Here, I am sharing 4 Dos to embrace, and 3 DON’Ts to avoid. Do prepare your strategies and how you will express yourself. Be insightful with all data and information and know exactly what to speak. Do know your bottom line. Before you begin a negotiation, you must be clear with the outcome you want. Do listen to others by giving them a chance to place their views and have a healthy interaction. Do apply a friendly approach, be amiable and business-oriented at the same time. Wear smiles and exchange pleasantries and see how smooth the negotiation happens or how well you accomplish a task. Don’t be emotional or get overwhelmed. Don’t question your worth. Keep a note ready with your or your organizations’ accomplishments, strike the deal right in case of negotiations and questioning, and be confident with your analytical skills. Don’t boast after a win. If you negotiated as expected, maintain a calm demeanor as you have done throughout the process. Excellent negotiation skills and questioning potential comes from good business education. With this, you are equipped to succeed in business and life. Take a look into this and sustain personal motivation to grow through life.

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10 Websites to Practice English Grammar Online

1 Comment / English language, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Mastering grammar—irrespective of the language—is not in any way an easy task. It is a process worth investing your valuable time and consistent efforts, no, I don’t intend to scare you here, rather I am going to share some of my favourite websites that may help you with English grammar practice. You may be familiar with some of them or may be all of them, in that case, I would request you share the article with your friends, family, colleagues who you think will benefit from these grammar exercises. And yes, if you know about any other helpful addition to this list, feel free to share that with me in the comments section. 10 websites to Test and Practice your English Grammar Online 1. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org British Council is known for providing a wealth of resources online. 2. https://britishenglishpage.com This site hosts Free online English lessons & ESL / EFL resources 3. https://www.englishgrammar.org/ From beginners to advanced learners of English, this site caters to all. 4. https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/ This site houses resources for grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing and many other topics. Bookmark this site for future references. 5. https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/ The most interesting thing here is the English Grammar Level quiz, give it a try. 6. https://www.examenglish.com/grammar/ This website is for people studying for an English language exam. Here the pages contain free online practice tests for the most important international ESL exams. 7. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/category/handbook/ Find answers to all your writing conundrums with Grammarly’s simple guide to basic English grammar rules. 8. https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/ These pages are a complete English grammar guide filled with the rules of English usage. Each grammatical rule is explained in plain English with several examples, and when needed, counter-examples. 9. https://www.usingenglish.com/ Tests, quizzes, reference guides, practice activities, phrasal verb dictionary and more! 10. https://englishgrammarsecrets.com/ Looking for a quick overview on English grammar with a lot of examples? This is your site! In addition to these, here a list of some interesting language apps, you might want to have a look at. I believe you will find these sites helpful as you practice English grammar! Thank you so much for your time. Note: grammar is just one part of the language. It is best to incorporate the grammar you are learning into all 4 language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking! Want to learn how to do that? Drop me a line at archana@archanaparmar.com or schedule your free session now.

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Did you know avoiding eye contact kills your speech?

1 Comment / Communication, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Body language is very important when delivering a speech. Have you ever seen our great leaders fidget or make unnecessary movements while addressing the nation? Since you are the center of attention while making the presentation, you should mind every move that you make so as not to bore or distract the people listening to your speech. So you already have a speech prepared, you know the topic well and you are now standing in front of the audience. They are in for a treat because you have prepared a great presentation, yet you also know that they have a very short attention span. How would you keep them interested with what you are saying? The answer is to maintain eye contact. This is one public speaking technique that great speakers use whenaddressing a large group of people. Here are some tips on how you can use this “trick” to keep your audience interested while delivering a speech: Once you have already started speaking and have delivered yourintroduction, take a look at your audience. Do not be nervous if you see one or two people frowning as you are not sure of exactly what they are thinking. Instead of looking out for unfriendly or blank faces, search for the people who are smiling and nodding their heads. Try to focus on this person for a couple of minutes and look him or her in the eye. This way, you would have an immediate “friend” in the audience to whom you can look at and gain confidence from. This will not just increase your confidence but also relax you in the course of your speech. Gaze steadily at your audience, moving from one part of the room toanother. This way, you would immediately grasp their attention. Never read your speech. Just make an outline of the important points that you can expand on. If you have visuals, do not read the bullet points word for word as this might imply that your audience cannot read that themselves. With this, you are instantly creating a “bond” with your audience as aspeaker since you do not have to keep on looking at your notes through the course of your speech. The key to delivering a great speech is to just breathe, relax and make eye to eye contact with your audience. Thus, you are not just making a physical connection with them but you are also ensured that you come out as a sincere speaker who wants to inform and interact with the audience through your speech. I hope these tips will help you communicate more confidently from now. It’s just about consciously avoiding these mistakes. Connect with me on Linkedin for everyday posts on skill development. You can also get on a call with me at a time convenient to you. Just click here and choose your slot.

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Overcome your fear of public speaking

2 Comments / Communication, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

In a survey done by Dr. Laurie Rozakis, author of Idiots Guide to Public Speaking, it was found that many people are scared to speak before a group. It is the number one fear among Americans, “–and the number 6 is fear of death,” according to Dr. Rozakis. Even the most experienced speaker gets anxious when speaking in public. However, this fear can be controlled so that you can put your fear to your advantage. This topic teaches us why people are nervous when speaking in front of a crowd and how you can conquer your fear. FEAR OF THE AUDIENCE People are afraid of rejection by their audience. Thus, many are terrified of speaking in public for fear of being criticized by the crowd for how they look or how they deliver their speech. On the contrary, audiences are very understanding about the speaker’s problem with stage fright. You become more nervous when your fear of the audience increases. Below are some strategies that can help you overcome your fear of the audience. > Choose a topic that you like and you are familiar with. The more comfortable you are about your chosen topic, the more confident you are in facing your audience. > Concentrate on your topic. Focus on your topic and not on yourself. When you start to think of your subject matter and not yourself, your fear of speaking will likely decrease. > Say to yourself: “I am the BOSS.” Trust in your capability of delivering your speech. Showing that you are in charge decreases your fear and increases your confidence in facing the situation. > Don’t think of your audience as a threat. Bridge the gap between your audience and yourself. Analyze carefully to establish rapport. You should consider age, gender and their level of expertise. Remember to analyze your audience. FEAR OF FAILURE There are two ways to win over your fear of failure. > Picture yourself succeeding. If you think that you will stutter in front of many people, chances are you will stutter. But if you visualize yourself delivering your speech well, then, you will. > Face your fear. You cannot overcome your fear unless you show it and admit that you are afraid of it. FEAR THAT YOUR SPEECH IS A BAD SPEECH > Write well. Take time to write your speech. Review it and rewrite if necessary. If you are confident with your speech, the less terrified you will be about speaking in public. > Practice and ask for suggestions on how you can improve your speech. Ask a friend of relative to act as your audience. Once you have delivered your topic, ask for their feedback. Don’t be afraid to hear about what they will say. Their feedback can give you insight on what is good or bad in your speech. The best tool that can help you prepare is your mobile phone. Record your practice sessions and review your own performance. Learning takes time, effort and lots of practice so we shouldn’t let negative emotional responses stop us from achieving our learning goals. Learning and practice give familiarity which leads to confidence. Drop me a message at archana@archanaparmar.com or connect with me here .

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6 Steps That Will Make You a Better Communicator

Communication, Non-verbal, Presentations, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Here are six tips for improving your communication style: 1. Identify your style: Knowing how to improve communication skills will come easier once you become aware of your own communication style. Each person has a unique way of communicating. Listen to your own speech. What sorts of words do you use? Which sort of body language and what tone of voice are you using? Now, think of someone who, in your opinion, is a good communicator. Compare your style to theirs. You’ve just taken an important first step in how to improve communication skills. 2. Observe others around you: Now that you are aware of your own style, study the style of those around you. How do the most important people in your life converse? How do they say things? Look for approaches you can model and make your own. 3. Adjust to the other styles of communication: Don’t think it is too late to change your way of conversing because its been years. You had to learn to communicate in the first place and you can unlearn certain behaviors or change them. Sometimes we get stuck in a communication rut. A father once was having a hard time with his teenaged daughter. She was growing and he thought she didnt tell him what was going on in her life. They were in a heated discussion when he asked, Why didnt you tell me? Her answer was that she had, but he was too busy lecturing her to hear her. He learned that adjusting his style to his daughter would involve listening first before jumping right into solving the problem. 4. Rapport: To build rapport, during a conversation try and match the other persons movements, posture and verbal style. Don’t do everything they do, but mirror one or two things. For example, if the person gives mostly short answers to questions, you follow suit. Or, maybe they talk at a slower pace than you usually do-slow your speaking speed to match theirs. This may sound simplistic but it is a very potent way to make someone feel very relaxed and comfortable in your presence. 5. Be mindful of your surroundings: The way you communicate at home may not be the same as in a different environment. Make sure you change your style to suit the different setting. Some comments you might want to tell your best friend, in private. Other things can be shared in a group setting. Learn how to improve communication skills by altering your style for the appropriate setting. Many of us know someone who offers far too much information in a group setting. 6. Avoid imitation: Don’t criticize others for communicating differently. If we all communicated in the same way, we’d soon be bored with each other. Getting a good grasp of your communication style and finding ways to accommodate other peoples styles, is a good way to improve your communication skills. All of these are steps to be taken every single day. The more you implement, the more you master.

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