What does it mean, to communicate? Surely if you’re a confident speaker, you’re an effective communicator. The terms are interchangeable, aren’t they? Well, not exactly. Etymon line has a wonderful definition of ‘communicate’== to make common. In other words, to make accessible.
Therefore, when you try to use sophisticated words or jargon and people don’t understand or follow you, you’ve forgotten to ‘make things common’. In other words, you’re not communicating. You need to break things down, simplify your message, and help others understand you.
Here’s how you know that you communicate effectively (when your grammar or pronunciation ceases to exist):
- When you clearly identify the outcome, you wish to accomplish before doing anything. All business communication is goal oriented. For example, getting that promotion, getting your clients to agree the deal, getting an agreement on a contract, getting your managing director to accept your proposal for more investment.
- When you give your thoughts and ideas a structure that will help you achieve your outcome, including the words you want your listeners to hear, the order in which you want them to hear your ideas (cohesion + clarity).
- When you put yourself in your listener’s shoes. Imagine what information they need/would want to hear from you to take the action you want them to take, and what information to leave out. (content + conciseness)
- When you actively listen to the responses – cutting out the excess noise and allowing silences to fill in the space instead of more talk. (mutual respect)
- When you summarize what the other person has said to demonstrate you were listening and reassure them you have understood.
- When you’re not sure you’ve understood correctly, you formulate (and offer them) a hypothesis allowing them to correct you. (checking understanding) These are the qualities that demonstrate you’re an effective business communicator in English, not perfect grammar, sophisticated vocabulary or accent less pronunciation. Moreover, in each case, not a whiff of an apology for your ‘bad’ English is required.
By contrast, this is what happens if you focus only on speaking and not on
communicating
- You don’t pay attention – you’re so focused on talking that you forget to stop to check if the person is still listening to you. Are they still interested? Are they following what you’re saying or have you lost them?
- Your message is not heard – You’re so intent on speaking ‘fluently’ you forget to check if the other person has heard your message correctly or in the way, you want it to be heard.
- You ignore the other person– because you’re already thinking about what (and how) you’re going to say next while the other person is talking. That’s infuriating for the other person and shows a lack of respect, even if that’s not your intention.
- You end up rambling – You’re so focused on getting your grammar right, on finding the perfect word, on speaking ‘fluently’ that you lose sight of what your goal is for talking in the first place and end up rambling (talking with no purpose). No one likes a rambler because they’re time wasters, confusing and a barrier to good communication.
“Talk is cheap. It’s intended to fill time and space with words – nothing else.”