We often take communication for granted, but it holds great value in life because it affects our perspective, decisions, behaviour and feelings. A person who is skilled in communication is able to influence, persuade, and affect change in other people. It provides more control over the people and the environment.
Effective communication is especially required in fields where other people need to be managed. It is crucial for leaders, supervisors and managers to have excellent communication so that they are able to:
- Reduce/eliminate conflicts
- Influence and persuade
- Motivate
- Affect positive change
- Keep employees satisfied
For those whose work involves communicating with others such as receptionists, mentors, trainers, managers, and customer service professionals, it is essential to build skills in communication so that they excel at their work. Training in communication involves:
- Identifying the personality type
- Identifying the communication preferences
- Adjusting communication approach
- Identifying barriers to communication
- Effectively utilising tone
- Developing nonverbal skills
- Building paraverbal skills
- Mastering speaking on the spot
- Using body language
- Listening actively
When attending an interpersonal communication skills training course, it’s imperative to have a trainer who is highly skilled and experienced with delivering the content at different levels. There are four primary aspects of a training course: trainer’s experience and delivery, training environment, training courseware, and interaction with other students. The best training environment for teaching communication skills requires comfortable furniture, easy access to break out areas, and good quality projectors and screens.
The ability to communicate effectively has multiple benefits, as it makes it easier to delegate, manage and influence others. Training in communication ensures that interpersonal communication brings positive results, leading to a more productive professional and personal life.