Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills.

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another. It may be vocally (using voice), written (using printed or digital media such as books, magazines, websites or emails), visually (using logos, maps, charts or graphs) or non-verbally (using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice).

How well this information can be transmitted and received is a measure of how good our communication skills are.

 

The Importance of Good Communication Skills

Developing your communication skills can help all aspects of your life, from your professional life to social gatherings and everything in between.

The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly and as intended, is a vital life skill and something that should not be overlooked. It’s never too late to work on your communication skills and by doing so improve your quality of life.

Professionally, if you are applying for jobs or looking for a promotion with your current employer, you will almost certainly need to demonstrate good communication skills. Communication skills are needed to speak appropriately with a wide variety of people whilst maintaining good eye contact, demonstrate a varied vocabulary and tailor your language to your audience, listen effectively, present your ideas appropriately, write clearly and concisely, and work well in a group. Many of these are essential skills that employers seek.

As your career progresses, the importance of communication skills increases; the ability to speak, listen, question and write with clarity and conciseness are essential for most managers and leaders.
 

Interpersonal Communication Skills

Interpersonal skills are the skills we use when engaged in face-to-face communication with one or more other people.

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Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is all about what we say, which is an important way of getting our message across.

The words that we choose can make a big difference to whether other people understand us. Consider for example, communicating with a young child, or with someone who does not speak our own language very well. You need to use simple language, short sentences, and check understanding regularly. It is quite different from a conversation with an old friend whom you have known for years, and with whom you may not even need to finish your sentences.

Reflection and clarification are both common techniques used in verbal communication to ensure that what you have heard and understood is what was intended - you can find out more on our pages on Reflection and Clarification.

Questioning skills are one very important area of verbal communication, often used in clarification, but also to extract more information, and as a way to maintain a conversation. Find out more in our pages on Questioning Skills and Types of Questions.

Finally, two specific areas where you will need verbal communication skills are making a speech, and in conversation.

 

Non-verbal Communication

Using our voice is only the tip of the iceberg. We actually communicate far more information using Non-verbal Communication. This includes non-verbal signals, gestures, facial expression, body language, tone of voice, and even our appearance.

 

Listening

Listening is a vital interpersonal communication skill.

When we communicate we spend 45% of our time listening. Most people take listening for granted, but it is not the same as hearing and should be thought of as a skill.

Active Listening provides a lot more information about how to listen effectively and can help you to avoid misunderstandings, while Types of Listening explains more about the theory of listening.

We also have a page on Ineffective Listening, and Listening Misconceptions. You may find that you recognize some of the bad habits you or other people have picked up when listening.

 

Using Communication Skills

Interpersonal communication skills are important in a wide range of circumstances and environments: probably, in fact, anywhere where we may meet and interact with other people.

Communication skills are essential for starting to build relationships, both professionally and at home. You may find our page on Building Rapport helpful, and also advice on being interviewed (Interview Skills) and interviewing others (Interviewing Skills).

Good communication skills can also help you to provide feedback effectively, and in a way that will not cause offense: a vital skill throughout life.

Good interpersonal communication skills enable us to work more effectively in groups and teams, which may be either formal or informal.

 

 

Other Communication Skills

Communication skills encompass far more than simple verbal and non-verbal communication, even in a wide range of circumstances.

Other instances of communication include:

 

Presentation Skills

Although, for many of us, presentation skills are used infrequently, there will probably be times in your life when you need to present information to a group of people, either in a formal or informal setting.

 

Writing Skills

Communication skills are not limited to direct interaction with other people and the spoken word.

The ability to be able to write clearly and effectively is key to communication, and this set of skills should not be limited to journalists or professional authors. Poor written communication can be frustrating for the reader and potentially damaging for the author – would you buy a product from a website peppered with spelling mistakes?

 

Personal Skills

Personal Skills are the skills that we use to maintain a healthy body and mind. But they can also enhance communication.

For example, Improving Your Self-Esteem and Building Your Confidence can help you to feel more positive about yourself and your abilities - including your ability to communicate. And feeling positive is the first step to acting more positively, and effectively.

By having a deeper understanding of yourself and a more relaxed and positive outlook on life you are more likely to be charismatic - a trait that can further aid the communication process.

During times of stress, or when we are angry, we may communicate less effectively. Learn more about these emotions and how to control, reduce and manage them in our pages What is Stress? and What is Anger? You may also be interested in Avoiding Stress and Tips for Dealing with Stress as well as Anger Management.

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