Good communication skills help reduce the barriers that may arise because of language, cultural, or generational differences.

Now you are talking

Communication—this one word is very important to every part of a company. In fact, effective communication is key in almost every aspect of daily life. Without it, people become disconnected, begin to make assumptions, and have to put in a lot more effort than necessary just to get some of the most basic tasks completed. That said, where and when does good communication really begin?

The first thought might be to jump to talking—using words to express what one wants or feels and talking about how he/she is going to achieve what they are setting out to do. However, what if this thought process was examined from a different approach and, instead, it started with listening?

Think about how many instances over the course of a day that one actually takes the time to just listen. Not to just respond to the person who is speaking, but listening to understand and without interrupting, advising, reassuring, judging, analyzing, criticizing, or diagnosing. This list can definitely go on of course, but humans sometimes have a hard time practicing active listening.

Proper listening requires full concentration and understanding—and then actually remembering what was being said rather than jumping to the next topic or making sure the conversation quickly steers back into the direction one wishes it to.

Without communication, people become disconnected, begin to make assumptions, and have to put in a lot more effort than necessary just to get some of the most basic tasks completed.

To fully understand this, one should think about the last conversation they had with someone and ask themselves: “Did I actually listen to what was being said to me? Would I be able to properly communicate it back?” By answering these questions, some might realize they are not the best active listener, which is okay because not everyone is. For instance, after having a one-on-one conversation with a co-worker or boss, or even while speaking during a meeting and someone repeats what they heard and the first thought that comes to mind is: “That’s not what I said at all. Were they even listening to me?”

When people begin to recognize active listening is a skill everyone needs to work on, it can be surprising how much more aware and proactive everyone is and, as a result, everyone quickly becomes more effective communicators.

The iGeneration (born 1998 and later) are those who typically grew up with a smarthphone in hand. Personality tests can help provide a sufficient amount of insight on not only the strengths of each employee, but also their weaknesses, which are equally important.

What is the importance of good communication anyway?

Good communication skills help reduce the barriers that may arise because of language, cultural, or generational differences. Effective communication causes productivity to increase, errors to decrease, and operations to run smoother. It also facilitates the spread of knowledge and forms relationships between people.

Think of how much more one would appreciate communicating with someone who is effectively communicating back. In fact, this is why there may be several people in an organization who prefer to engage with one another over others as not all communication styles are created equally. That said, there are times when people run into roadblocks. For example, there can be a lack of clarity, inconsistency, nonverbal cues, and different levels of listening skills. Differences in communication skills can be shaped by cultural values, thinking styles, and personalities. Generational differences are to be expected, but there are some key traits that can be related to each generation.

Building a cohesive, efficient workplace is the goal of every small business owner. Each employee is vital to the culture and success of a company, and, generational differences aside, personalities play a huge role. Individual personalities are not likely to change on a regular basis, if ever. The traits that come along with each personality will play a significant role in how each employee contributes to the business.