Our Soft Skills Talks YouTube series is back, and this time, we discussed the art of effective communication and collaboration. At our live event, Katsiaryna Miatselskaya, Senior Talent Development Specialist and Iulia Meladze, Scrum Master, gave their advice on enhancing your skills and shared recommendations on working with a multicultural team.
These are ten crucial insights that Katsiaryna and Iulia covered during their presentation:
- To be efficient in business communication, one must possess verbal and nonverbal communication abilities. It includes speaking clearly, exchanging ideas, sharing information, negotiating and conflict-solving.
- You can improve your communication skills by using active listening: paraphrasing, clarifying, summarizing key points and having empathetic communication.
- To excel in active listening, you need to broaden your vocabulary for better paraphrasing, clarify effectively, learn the art of asking questions, master summarizing, know how to identify the vital points of the conversation, convey empathy, study inspiring phrases and use non-verbal cues.
- Developing trust among colleagues requires socializing and the ability to start small talk, communicating clearly, avoiding a judgmental attitude and seeking clarification when in doubt.
- If you ever find yourself in a situation where you're in a disagreement, asking questions can transform conflict into a constructive dialogue. The ability to seek further clarification is a key component of a productive conversation.
- One of the most effective strategies for conflict resolution is to avoid prejudgment. Make an effort to see the situation from the other person's perspective, and you'’ll notice that it will become easier for you to find a mutually beneficial solution.
- To achieve greater stress resilience and cope with stressful situations, it's essential to enhance your empathy skills. Empathy, as part of emotional intelligence, can provide valuable tools for handling high-stress situations.
- When dealing with a toxic environment, utilizing the technique of non-violent communication can be helpful. Instead of reacting negatively to aggressive phrases, try translating them into a more positive and respectful statement in your mind.
- As we increasingly shift towards remote work and digital communication, it's important to remember that asking someone to repeat should be a standard practice. Don't hesitate to request clarification when needed, as it is essential for avoiding misunderstandings and ensuring accurate communication.
- To end a conversation professionally, plan meetings in advance, set time limits and summarize key points after the discussion. Remember to express gratitude to the other person involved.
To learn more unique nuances of communication skills, watch the full version of our stream. Also, keep an eye on our upcoming online events to boost your soft skills even more!
