“Communication works for those who work at it.” (Film composer John Powell)

If you ask a group of employees about what causes the worst problems at work, chances are poor communication will be near the top of the list. Especially in today’s new era of remote and hybrid work, it takes a renewed commitment – and yes, ongoing work – to keep communication levels high at your company.

Here are three lessons to learn as you practice and promote effective communication among all your team members:

1. Know your audience.

The first rule of good communication is to “walk a mile in the other person’s shoes.” Your message cannot be effective unless you know and understand your audience. It may be coworkers or peers, senior management, or direct reports. Entry-level newcomers to your organization or seasoned veterans. Every audience is unique – and even if your words are directed to only a single person, it is still an audience. Whoever you’re talking to, consider their wants and needs more than your own.

Get to know people on a personal level. This humanizes you to them, and vice versa. You also improve your emotional intelligence.

2. Be an active listener.

Getting to know your audience is a key step in, and can be facilitated by, active listening.

Have you ever been speaking with someone and felt like their mind was anywhere else but on what you were saying? That’s the opposite of active listening.

• For starters, even though you have a message to convey, focus on letting the other person talk most of the time. Know when to hold your peace and when to speak up. Once you have truly heard the other person, you can begin to craft your reply and bridge back to your intended message points as needed.
• Focus not only on what someone is saying, but also on their tone of voice and body language. Paraphrase what you heard back to them and ask leading, open-ended questions until you both feel heard.

3. Become adept at – or at least comfortable with – public speaking.

Yikes! Public speaking is really difficult. Unless you’re a natural extrovert, it can be downright intimidating. But in the workplace, it’s a much-needed skill in many roles. Do it poorly and you lose your audience or make them uncomfortable. But do it well, and it’s much easier to grab and hold their attention. Learning and continuing to sharpen your public speaking abilities can only help as you grow and advance in your career.

Whether it’s communication training or other aspects of workforce development – or any and all aspects of your talent management strategy – turn to KeyHR if you need a trusted business partner. Through our alignment with leading preferred providers, we can provide specialists in every area of HR and solutions for companies at all stages, from startups to fully mature organizations. Contact us today to learn more.