Becoming a Successful Communicator

Being a successful communicator is easier said than done, and most managers, and employees are still learning how to become successful communicators.

According to studies, the average manager spends at least 80% of his or her time communicating. According to statistics, that time is spent as follows: 10% writing, 15% reading, 25% listening, and 30% speaking.

Here are some helpful tips on how to become a successful communicator.

- Be Crystal clear
Make your message clear to your audience: It should be customized to your audience. Addressing top management is different than addressing a specific department or all employees. You can send a message to the IT department full of technical jargon, but this message will not be understand if you send it to marketing. Your message should be simple and should become simpler as the audience becomes more diverse. Moral of the story? If the message is not clear, it will not be understood.

- How You Say It Counts
The complexity of the language you use is vital for the message to be received successfully. Word choice, sentence structure and organization of the information must flow and make sense to your intended audience. Ideas should flow in some sequential order. Don't start with a company policy, switch to discussing a new governmental law that will affect the organization, and then a particular aspect of your company policy.

- Explaining Your Message
You should not assume that employees are aware of the significance or importance of a message. Explain why a message is significant by providing background information, which contributes, to a great extent, to the importance of a message. The more you explain, the more likely it will be effective. Not only will the message be important but employees will believe it is important.

- Channels
Too often managers rely on a single means of communication. Different audiences should be addressed through the most appropriate channel for that specific audience. Single communication channels usually have a low success rate. Reinforce messages through various channels such as written (emails, memos, newsletters), and verbal communication (staff meetings, seminars). Find out which communication channel works best with each group: If your sales department is out most of the day, verbal or email communication would be ideal.

- Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Messages in all forms including memos, policies and company strategy statements must be supported by events and the work environment. In other words, the message you are trying to communicate should be in line with what is actually happening at the workplace. The common complaint by employees is that management does not really understand how things are done "in the field" shows that some messages do not really get through. If you send out a memo on arriving late to work, be on time, not 30 minutes late.

- Keep Communicating
Communication must be continuous. Messages require repetition to penetrate the minds of employees who are busy with their own priorities. Continuous communication creates a closer work environment between and among employees at all levels.

- Cherish Credibility
You must establish and maintain credibility. Make too many mistakes or factual errors in messages, and your audience will eventually question almost everything you have to say. Don't inform employees of a policy, and then tell them there were errors in the previous message. Take care of mistakes.

- Heard it Through the Grapevine
Achieving transparency in the workplace and throughout your communication with your employees is key to a healthy corporate culture. Are you informing your employees of everything they need to be aware of, or are you adopting a more private approach? Always try to be honest and direct with your employees. Work on making them part of the decision-making process to eliminate a grapevine environment, where information spreads between employees through rumors and gossip and, in most cases, lacks truth.