Clear Communication

In the previous posts in this series, we discussed the benefits of being dedicated as a professional, and, also, how to develop the skill of innovation.

It would not be much good to be a dedicated professional with great ideas for solutions and improvements if you did not know how to communicate these qualities.

Effective communication skills are the glue which binds all your other skills and qualities together to form you as a functioning professional.

Communication skill in business related activities outside of project work includes presenting your brand – your website, social media, and freelancer profiles. It includes your marketing strategy and your advertising campaigns and content. It includes your resume, your cover letter, your pitch for work, and any associated responses.

Communication within projects involves phone or Skype calls, video and audio conferences. Involves presentations, emails, instant messages, and social media posts.

Literally all processes in a project require communicating. If not, only you would ever be involved!

Clearly, in order to maximise your potential as a professional, you are going to need good communication skills across the board.

Again, to improve this skill, it is a matter of focused intent to improve and proactive learning. Read books, watch videos, and slowly apply what you are learning. Analyse all forms of communication you come across moment by moment and see if you can imagine how they could have been done better.

Remember and save examples of excellent communication you receive, analyse it, and then apply what you can into your own approach.

The more interesting the project, and the higher a project pays, the more the client is going to expect and require you to have excellent communication skills. Again, this is not to scare you! This is pointing you to the reality of your medium-term future if you decide to try to really make the most of your career. You need to prepare for that time now, by gradually but consistently progressing towards those standards.

Then your career growth and transition into seniority will be seamless and seemingly natural. It is always best to be prepared for significant transitions in life in advance: if you know they are coming, or you are willing for them to come – then you must become ready to receive them when they arrive.

The more you work on your soft and technical skills, the more success you will have. The balance of inner and outer skills all working towards the same goals is what facilitates success.

With regards to communication, here are a few quick tips:

• Keep communication in written form where possible, thus giving all parties the option to review what was discussed – rather than relying on memory.

• Prepare in advance with the intention of communicating what you wish to say as clearly as possible. Make notes and bullet points of what you seek to express and tick each off as you communicate them.

• Listening/reading/digesting is an equal a part of communication as the speaking/writing etc. Really concentrate on ensuring you truly understand what is being communicated to you – and ask questions if not. It may well surprise you how common this error is – that listeners/readers do not pay close enough attention which can cause many knock-on problems. Don’t be like them, it is very much in your best interests not to be!

That brings us to the end of another post, thanks for reading!

Steven Cook

www.contentdesignsolutions.co.uk