Have you ever felt that your colleagues do not understand you? Or is it hard to express your ideas to your boss or to your clients? It happens all the time to us at the workplace. Communication is vital in our lives. What can we do to improve it?
On March 7, 2015, we invited Deane Lam from Lamsquare (www.lamsquare.net) and Cara Steenstra, to share with us what Effective Communication is all about.
Building Communication Skills
Inessense, we relies on L.A.P. – Listen, Ask, Paraphrase, 3 simple steps for effective communication. In the context of face to face interaction however, 93% of the information we received is given through body language and tone of voice, while verbal communication contribute only 7%.
Reinforcing the habit
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values and your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi said it all. The importance is to put L.A.P. in our daily life and align our body language with our mind.
Presenting ideas with confidence
Telling stories, or “Presenting ideas” with confidence is something we often need to do in our work or in our personal life. If you want to be good at presenting ideas or telling greater story, just remember the 5 golden rules:
① You know & believe
② You speak to be listened, not as a speaker
③ Doesn’t matter what people think
④ Use visual aid only if it helps
⑤ Preparation, preparation, preparation
We hope that you now have a better idea how to communicate better in your workplace or in your personal life. Despite all the tricks and rules, it takes continuous practice and the right attitude to make it work.
