Page 189 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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Communication Skills | 177

place, at the same time. To ensure effective communication, use richer media
for messages that are complex, ambiguous, and non-routine. Use rich media
to extend and humanize your presence throughout the organization, to com-
municate consideration for employees, and to gain employee commitment
to organizational goals.

HOW YOU SAY IT IS WHAT COUNTS

Our words are only a fraction of the message that we send. In fact, how we
say those words often matters more than the words themselves. It is required
for each one of us to have an assessment of how we sound like. The following
questions proposed by Kris Cole, may help you to understand what you
sound like:
• Is your voice tone harsh, soft, sharp or neutral?
• Is your pitch high or low?
• Is your volume loud, quiet or in between?

• Is your inflexion rising, falling or sing-song?
• Is your voice speed fast or slow?
• What emphasis do you place on words?
• Do you articulate clearly or do you mumble?
• How much energy do you speak with?
• What rhythm do you speak with?

IMPROVE YOUR NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

To improve your nonverbal communication skills, pay more attention to the
kinds of signals. It is particularly important to avoid giving conflicting sig-
nals to others. For instance, if you tell an employee that you are free to talk
to about her raise but your nonverbal signals suggest that this is not the best
time to discuss the subject, she will be confused. So try to be as honest as
possible in communicating your emotions. The following are some strategies
for honing your nonverbal skills:
• Smile genuinely. A fake smile is obvious because the timing is not
right and the wrinkles don’t follow.
• Be aware that people may give false nonverbal cues.
• Keep appropriate distance and use physical contact only when
appropriate.

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