Can you imagine going through your workday without being able to communicate verbally?  It would be nearly impossible, wouldn’t it?

For most of us, talking is so easy that we just do it without thinking about it.  We have a general idea of what we want to say, we say it, and we move on.

And yet we’ve all experienced what happens when communication goes astray: misunderstandings, unintended consequences, missed opportunities, and general frustration. It doesn’t have to be like that!

When we pay attention to the five elements of effective communication, we begin to experience communication at its finest: clear, honest, authentic, and to-the-point, bringing us the results we want without confusion. See infographic (opens a PDF).

It’s not news that effective communication is key to getting things done, getting what you want, and creating great outcomes and a positive impact. It takes practice — and the results are worth the effort.

Recommended Training Resource
Communication Counts: Speaking and Listening for Results
This program depicts six common communication errors while providing tips on how to avoid them. Viewers observe two leaders of a small, but growing, organization as they put themselves through an online crash course on workplace communication.