Great communication is about speaking effortlessly to enthrall and influence your audience. It is about inspiring employees and about persuading mega clients to sign crore-sized contracts. But equally it is about hundreds of conversations in offices and in office corridors, in conferences and cafeterias, which have a deep, but less visible, impact on an organization. 

Here are some effective pointers:

Set your attitude
Communication is about what you say, but it is even more about what you do not say. Through non-verbal signals - body language, your voice, perhaps even a silence, your listener picks up your underlying attitude to her and your interaction. Research has shown that people are relatively unskilled at disguising body language, but remarkably accurate in subconsciously reading and understanding it. A positive, open-minded attitude sets up an atmosphere of trust. In this atmosphere the other person is able to surface disagreement - and if you are to deal with disagreement, it must first be disclosed to you.

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Manage your credibility
The other party is going to agree or disagree to what you say based on not only the logical and emotional reasons you offer but also her reading of your motivation. Are you suggesting something with a view to maximizing her welfare, your own welfare or that of the organization? What is your motive? Strive for objectivity and let it rule the ideas or decisions that you take - and do remember that it is difficult to convincingly fake concern for others when you do not feel it.

Adopt active listening
Active listening means listening with a view to understanding an issue from the perspective of the speaker. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Try and hear how the person is feeling as well as what he or she is saying. Occasionally summarize and restate what you have understood from the conversation. This ensures that you are on the right track and allows clarification of any grey areas. Above all avoid making judgments on the issue till the person has had her say.                                                                                      Top

Ensure non-defensive communication
A person who feels threatened responds with defensive or negative behavior and blocks off what is being said to her. Some guidelines for non-defensive communication:

• Discipline subordinates in private
• Focus on specific behavior not on personality
• Get the facts first
• Calm down before you act.
• Get the other side of the story.

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