Top 10 Communication Skills

There are four main types of communication you might use on a daily basis, including: verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual.

Communication skills involve listening, speaking, observing and empathizing. It's also helpful to understand the differences in how to communicate through face-to-face interactions, phone conversations and digital communications, like email and social media.

Here are the top communication skills employers and recruiters want to see in your resume and cover letter, interviews and career development:

1. Active listening

Active listening, sometimes called appreciative listening or mindful listening, means paying close attention to who you're communicating with by engaging with them, asking questions and rephrasing. Practicing active listening can build respect with your colleagues and increase understanding in the workplace.

2. Using the right communication method

There are benefits and disadvantages to communicating through emails, letters, phone calls, in-person meetings or instant messages. Communicating is better when you consider your audience, what information you want to share and the best way to share it.

3. Friendliness

Friendly traits like honesty and kindness can help foster trust and understanding when communicating at work. Try to communicate with a positive attitude, keep an open mind and ask questions to help you understand where they're coming from.

4. Confidence

There are many ways to appear confident, including by making eye contact when you're addressing someone, sitting up straight with your shoulders open and preparing ahead of time so your thoughts are clear and you're able to answer any questions.

5. Sharing feedback

The key to effective feedback is sharing specific examples of the issue, and the consequences of the issue and asking questions to formulate solutions to the issues. Strong communicators can accept constructive feedback and provide constructive input to others. Feedback can answer questions, provide solutions or help strengthen the project or topic at hand.

6. Volume and tone

When you're speaking, be clear and audible. Adjusting your speaking voice so others can hear you in a variety of settings is a skill, and it's critical to communicating effectively.

7. Empathy

This communication skill is important in both team and one-on-one settings. In both cases, you attempt to effectively read and translate other people's emotions and select an appropriate response.

8. Respect

A key aspect of respect is knowing when to initiate communication and respond. In a team or group setting, allowing others to speak without interruption is seen as a necessary communication skill tied to respectfulness. Respectfully communicating also means using your time with someone else wisely—staying on topic, asking clear questions and responding fully to any questions they've asked you.

9. Nonverbal cues

Some amount of communication happens through nonverbal cues such as body language, facial expressions and eye contact. When you're listening to someone, you may choose to attention to what they're saying and their nonverbal language. It's essential to not judge others based on their body language, as not all people display the same physical gestures due to cultural or ability differences.

10. Responsiveness

Whether you're returning a phone call or sending a reply to an email, employers often view fast communicators as more effective than those who are slow to respond.

Source: indeed.com