5 Ways to Enhance your Communication Skills

Communication is a very essential part of our life. From personal to social and professional life we need the skill of communication everywhere. Many may believe that communication is a basic skill that needs little to no work, this theory is totally wrong. Communication is not just knowing, understanding, reading or writing certain languages. It’s a holistic approach of expressing yourself to others. The communication skills of an individual can be a deal breaker in many scenarios. So, it shouldn’t be taken lightly or ignored. Here are 5 ways to enhance your communication skills.

Confidence

The first and most important thing you need to do in order to enhance your communication skills is to boost your confidence. Low self-esteem or lack of confidence is often one of the biggest reasons for poor communication. It is seen that shyness or fear makes an individual remain low key and avoid people & conversations. With time these factors turn into a habit which is very problematic. After a point a person starts feeling very uncomfortable and uneasy in conversations. So, if you feel you lack communication skills or wish to enhance your communication skills, you need to build a long lasting confidence. Building a long lasting confidence is very important as temporary confidence will not help you in the long run.

Be a good listener

You may have heard this statement (Be a good listener) 100’s of time. It may sound silly or simple to many but in reality it is one of the most important and impactful statements for enhancing your communication skills. Being a good listener always helps you in becoming a good communicator. Remember communication is a two way process, you need to understand the other side (individual or group) before communicating. For understanding you need to listen, passive listening won’t serve the purpose. You have to carefully listen and understand. Once you start listening, you will be able to communicate in a far better manner. Many people just listen to reply or argue, always listen to understand. The simple tip can work wonders if practiced on a regular basis. 

Clarity

Clarity in life, career or relationships is very crucial. It’s also very important in your thoughts and point of views. A clustered mind full of thoughts makes communication very difficult. Even if you know a lot, but can’t frame it in words or sentences then that becomes a burden. As even after knowing something you are unable to express it. If thoughts are unclear, communicating them will become a tough task. It’s very important to have clarity of your thoughts. Putting your thoughts into a sentence or in a structured pattern is an art and skill. It can only be learnt with constant practice over a period of time.

Know the power of NVC (Non Verbal Communication)

Communication is not just what we speak or write, it’s a lot more than that. Non Verbal Communication (NVC) is one of the most powerful tools of communication. Many people are not aware about it or just ignore the importance of NVC. It has been scientifically proven that when we communicate our body language, posture, dressing and soft skills play a bigger role than our words. On the surface level it may sound weird and strange but in reality our brain catches every movement the other person makes. We may not be consciously doing it but our brain subconsciously catches the actions, gestures and patterns a person makes in a conversation. This is the reason that top politicians, agents, bureaucrats or even public speakers are very well trained in NVC.  

Communicate, don’t hesitate

The last tip, hack or whatever you wish to call it is; Communicate, don’t hesitate. Yes, you need to communicate without any hesitation to enhance your communication skills. Like without stepping into water one can’t learn to swim. The same way, without constant attempts of communicating, a person can’t become a good communicator. Even if you are bad at communication, always try to push your limits a bit and communicate frequently without any hesitation. With time you’ll get better at your communication skills. 

Also Read: 15 Effective Ways to Beat Procrastination