Here’s a question for you… why would you want to develop your professional communication skills?
Although this question may at first glance seem rhetorical, it’s not. There are – in fact – several reasons why you may wish to pursue developing this skill (and numerous advantages too!)
Whether it’s to increase your personal confidence… to unlock the door to new job prospects… to successfully attain a new role in the workplace… or to develop your leadership abilities…
There’s heaps of potential that can be tapped into through strengthening your personal communication abilities.
But first, let’s take a step back and consider…
What is professional communication?
ThoughtCo defines it as:
“the various forms of speaking, listening, writing, and responding carried out both in and beyond the workplace, whether in person or electronically.”
Okay, great. So professional communication essentially means how we convey ideas, opinions or information. Yet how does this tip into the ‘professional’ world?
Well, in this TEDx Talk, Michael C. Webb highlights in a personal anecdote how
“Nine times out of ten, the excellent communicator gets hired.”
And also:
“it’s to our financial best interest to become the best communicator we possibly can be”
Because it is through communication that we can share knowledge, becoming more efficient and effective in our professional capabilities. Advanced communication means we can access a deeper understanding of one another, a company’s shared goals and better identify what our own position in the ‘professional ecosystem’ may be.
But here’s a vital point to note.
Michael C. Webb also emphasises that even if you’re a bad communicator, you have the ability to become good. And if you’re a good communicator, you have the ability to become great.
And all it takes is belief + effort = success.
So if right now you’re thinking to yourself… I’m such a terrible communicator. I’m never going to achieve the professional role of my dreams.
Stop there. Because that’s simply not true. You do have the ability. Any which way you look at it, professional communication is a skill, and like any other, it requires mindful study and practice.
And now that we’ve established this understanding of professional communication and begun to explore the advantages of this skill, let’s look a little closer and consider…
What personal benefits personal communication skills can offer you
As we’ve already touched upon, professional communication can benefit you in both a personal and professional capacity.
For instance, it can help you to
- Nurture increased personal confidence
- Create deeper connections with the people around you
- Avoid unnecessary misunderstandings
- Establish trust and support bonding opportunities
- Better understand differing points of view
- Resolve or curtail potential conflicts
- Ensure others feel included and thereby better elicit increased enthusiasm and engagement
- Heighten your and others’ productivity
- Invite more positive experiences into your life
It’s easy to see, then, how these advantages can aid you in respect of a job role and also in your interpersonal relationships too, right?
Whatever industry you wish to enter or develop a career in, whether it’s marketing, hospitality, politics, professional services, graphic design, agriculture, the arts, HR, politics… communication is a key component of any and each position.
Look at any professional platform like LinkedIn, and there’s a reason why interpersonal skills like communication are so highly valued and often appear at the top of job posting requirements.
Professional communication in the workplace, in particular, is an essential skill for anyone looking to establish a successful career or, indeed, pursue a promotion with increased responsibility and authority. Your colleagues will look to and rely on you to clearly and concisely communicate what is needed of them in order to successfully execute their own roles.
Poor leadership can often be traced back to inconsistent or unclear communication, so if there’s one ability you should work to develop, it is most definitely your aptitude of conveying information in a comprehensible, productive and straightforward manner.
Our own professional communication course includes topics such as language skills, visual communications, public speaking and concise wording. This is to support you in all areas of communication; covering everything from verbal to non-verbal to written communication.
Likewise, with the majority of us transitioning to a work from home culture, it’s important – now more than ever – to understand exactly what areas you need to tackle, in order to improve the quality of your communication moving forward.
So take this opportunity to sit back and reflect on how you feel on your current professional communication skills. Do you feel like they’re good? That they could use some improvement? In dire need of focused support?
And then ask yourself… What are you now going to do with this awareness of your current abilities?
If you’re interested in developing your professional communication skills, check out our online course here. And make sure to reach out if you have any questions about enrolling in the meantime.
