Communication is how people share ideas, knowledge, and information. Everyone has been a part of a team that doesn’t communicate well. It is very difficult to get things done when this is the case. It’s important that the lines of communication are open in order for a group to work well together. Because the students in your program will undoubtedly be working as a part of a team, it is important for them to learn how to communicate effectively. In this post we discuss several methods of communication your students should master to help them be ready for the workplace.
Be Persuasive
To be persuasive means to give good reasons for one’s thoughts, ideas and opinions in order to convince someone to do or believe something. Being able to persuade others is a communication skill that allows people to be successful in the workplace. It can help close a sale, convince someone to follow a plan of action, or even convince the boss to give a raise.
Being persuasive is something that does not come naturally to many people. However here are a few techniques your students should learn that will help them develop this skill:
Prepare Facts, State them with Confidence
It’s much easier to be persuasive when you actually know what you’re talking about. Knowledge is power when trying to persuade someone. Do your homework before trying to persuade someone. Be able to give good reasons for your ideas.
Create a Connection
People are more likely to agree with you if they can relate to you. In order to create a connection with the people you’re trying to persuade, ask questions to get to know them better. Showing interest in others will make them more willing to listen to your argument and hopefully agree with you.
Listen to Objections
Chances are the people you are persuading are going to have some objections, or arguments. Instead of cutting them off or ignoring their objections, listen to their side. Knowing where they’re coming from can strengthen your argument and give you more information to work with.
Make Them Understand that there is a Deadline
The longer it takes for someone to say yes to you, the less likely they will say yes. If possible, motivate the person to say yes right now rather than think about it and get back to you later.
Get Them to say “Yes”
The more you can get people to say yes throughout the conversation, the more likely they will be to agree with you in the end. Ask simple yes or no questions, and try to say them in a way that makes it hard for anyone to answer, “No.”
Give Good Reasons
Good communication requires that ideas are supported with logic and reasoning. This means that positions on issues or courses of action are well thought out and based upon fact, not blind belief. It also means questioning ideas that are presented. As an employee, It is important to be able to respond to teammates’ questions with logic or facts while supporting one’s own position. When all of the team members approach workplace issues with this mentality communication becomes easy and geared towards getting to the right solution.
Question Respectfully
Good communication requires the questioning of ideas. No idea should be automatically accepted. Just because someone says something doesn’t mean that it is true. Your students should practice thinking about ideas more carefully and decide whether or not to question them. When they decide to question an idea, it is important to do so in a polite, respectful way. It is important to not offend the people being questioned so they feel comfortable responding to the criticism. This keeps the lines of communication open for constructive dialogue.
Express Oneself Clearly and Directly
Communicating is pretty normal, everyone does it everyday! However, just because people are able to have a conversation doesn’t automatically make them good communicators. Good communication involves telling one’s thoughts clearly and directly by choosing words carefully and saying them loud enough for everyone to hear. Good communicators don’t mumble or avoid eye contact and always try to make sure their message is being received. This can be one of the more difficult aspects of communication for many people. As a teacher it is up to you to demonstrate and reinforce this aspect of communication in your students.
Be Honest
Honesty is necessary for effective communication. Honesty between team members is what allows trust to grow and prosper. If that trust is broken, sharing information becomes impossible. Any benefit that may have been gained by dividing work among teammates will be lost if no one can trust their teammates to tell the truth. Being honest may seem easy on the surface, but in the workplace there are often times where being honest is difficult. When working as a team, everyone will have to deliver bad news at some time or another. In these difficult moments choosing to be honest is the best policy.
