Communication Skills And Their Importance
Written by: Roselyn Mathew / Professional Communication / August 23, 2023 / 8 minutes read
Table of contents
Communication means transmission of information, ideas, emotions and messages. It is well known that good communication is important to be a part of society. It is important to have good communication skills to transmit information clearly and effectively.
Importance of communication skills
Although communication is conveying information effectively, it also has other major roles instead of just transmitting information. Some of the ways that communication skills are important are:
It helps in building social connections, friendships and relationships
People generally prefer to interact with people with whom they can communicate well. It is necessary to have good communication in friendships and relationships as poor communication might result in misunderstandings and these can break trust or create a distance between people even if they have been on good terms for a long time.
It creates a good impression of yourself with others
A person who expresses themselves more often is generally perceived to be more friendly and approachable than someone who doesn’t express themselves. Even though someone may be helpful and friendly but if they are unable to communicate well with others, people might think of them as being impolite or dismissive. Therefore, it is important to develop good communication skills and interact with others in a friendly manner.
It helps in improving your job prospects and career
During interviews, apart from assessing knowledge and capability regarding the work assigned, interviewers often assess communication skills which are known as soft skills. Even if someone has good qualifications, knowledge and experience, they can get rejected due to lack of efficient communication skills.
Lack of good communication skills can also hinder professional development due to the lack of making connections at work. Example, gaining knowledge, getting promoted etc. will be easier when there are good connections with co-workers or seniors.
Communication skills helps in increasing self esteem
Being perceived by everyone as a friendly and approachable person, having a good career and making good connections boosts confidence which in turn increases self-esteem.
Components of communication skills
Communication skills comprises of different elements which are:
Giving and receiving information
This is the main base of communication where information is given clearly, and information is received in a positive way.
Active listening
Active listening doesn’t just mean listening. It also includes asking appropriate questions, commenting on what the speaker is saying in a positive way and showing an interest in the interaction with the speaker.
Changing the way of communication
The way we communicate should not always be the same. It would differ based on whom we interact with. For eg. speaking with a best friend is different compared to a senior person at work. The formality, respect and the topics that are discussed will change depending on the person that we interact with.
A person who expresses themselves more often is generally perceived to be more friendly and approachable than someone who doesn’t express themselves.
Body language, facial expressions and gestures
Body language, facial expressions and gestures are an important part of communication. It is important to show a body language that is accepting and friendly. It is also important to smile and maintain eye contact to show that you are accepting of that person. Even though a person speaks in a friendly way but doesn’t match their body language and facial expression to what they speak, the listener might perceive them to fake friendliness.
Paralinguistic speech aspects or tone of speech
It refers to those parts of the speech which are other than the meaning of words spoken. Some examples are tone of voice, volume, speaking rate and intonation pattern. These are actually more important than the words spoken. The tone of the voice should show interest, empathy and friendliness. It must also match with the emotion and words spoken. For eg. using words that show sadness and speaking with a cheerful tone can give the perception that the speaker is not genuine. Or saying that you are happy for someone with a flat or neutral tone suggests the opposite emotion. Similarly, speaking rate and volume should also be focused while interacting with someone.
Empathy and understanding
It is essential to empathize and show an understanding attitude in conversations. It helps in building relationships with others. Showing empathy to someone while speaking with them makes the speaker more approachable and creates a positive perception about the speaker. It is important to show empathy even when you are speaking in a situation where speech is more professional or formal.
Assertive communication
Assertive communication means communicating needs in a polite, respectful and confident manner. Sometimes people get uncomfortable expressing their needs for the fear of sounding insensitive. It is important to make the other person understand our needs and be non offensive at the same time.
Public speaking skills
It means giving information about something to a group or people or audience in an interesting and engaging manner. Even though a topic that is discussed is interesting, if the manner of presentation is not lively, the audience might feel bored and disinterested.
Confidence
It is essential to speak confidently while interacting with others. Make sure to not appear as arrogant while showing confidence. Having a confident, respectful and polite speech is an asset in communication. A speech that doesn’t sound confident might make the speaker appear anxious and uncertain. It is also important to show confidence in your body language and facial expressions as well.
Responsiveness
Responding appropriately during a conversation or to an email or text is essential. Make sure to respond in an accepting and respectful tone. Try to respond promptly to emails or messages if possible. If it is not possible to give an immediate response, depending on what your reply is, make sure to acknowledge that you have received the email or text and give the sender a timeline of your reply. Responding respectfully and promptly makes others feel valued.
Conclusion
Communication skills means the ability to convey messages, ideas or information in an effective manner. Lacking these skills might lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. It is important to have good communication skills to develop connections and have a good professional as well as personal life.
To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.
