Effective Communication Is The Key To Personal And Professional Success

In today's escalating world of competition, professionals are often under pressure to achieve more than what they are capable of Hence, a professional must sound more impressive and effective, influence others more favourably, and enhance relationships with colleagues, customers and managers alike. "Communication-the human connection-is the key to personal and career success." Effective communication skills are decisive for professional excellence and can provide brand new direction to one's career. Many professionals sincerely desire to communicate effectively but do not really know how to become adept at communication. This paper attempts to dwell on the importance of effective communication in professional life. Sound knowledge of the subject,

Effective communication is the glue that helps you deepen your connections to others and improve teamwork, decision making, and problem solving. It enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust.
While effective communication is a learned skill, it is more effective when it’s spontaneous rather than formulaic. A speech that is read, for example, rarely has the same impact as a speech that’s delivered . Of course, it takes time and effort to develop these skills and become an effective communicator. The more effort and practice you put in, the more instinctive and spontaneous your communication skills will become.
Common Barriers to Effective Communication:
• The use of jargon: Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.
• Emotional barriers and taboos: Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo.
• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the

• Physical barriers to non-verbal communication: Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.
• Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
• Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping: People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions.
• Cultural differences: The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings.
• How to make communication effective? Learn to Listen: Listening is not the same as hearing; learn to listen not only to the words being spoken but how they are being spoken and the non-verbal messages sent with them. Use the techniques of clarification and reflection to confirm what the other person has said and avoid any confusion. Try not to think about what to say next whilst listening; instead clear your mind and focus on the message being