None of us likes to admit our shortcomings. We don’t like to think it’s possible that we have dandruff or bad breath, or that we don’t always sing on key. And we certainly don’t like to cop to the fact that our communication skills aren’t up to par.
But it’s important to face reality. While there isn’t much that can be done for bad singing, there are shampoos and toothpastes that can help us look, and smell, more presentable. And there are definitely activities to improve your executive communication skills.
Why should you want to improve your communication skills? Because leadership communication is the backbone of our professional relationships. Good communication is valued in all facets of society, especially in the workplace.
Businesses want people on their teams who can convey information simply and clearly so that important things are understood and completed. And being a leader definitely requires someone who understands the nuances of corporate communication; who can adapt to different situations, read other people’s behavior, have those difficult conversations and resolve conflict.
Without question, strong communication skills are some of the most valuable and essential tools for success. With this in mind, here are 10 of the best activities to improve your leadership communication skills.
1. Take an Improv Class
You’ve probably seen improv actors take ridiculous suggestions from the audience and somehow do a scene and make it work. Drew Carey had a show like this on TV. In fact, the actors on the hit show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” were also improving. Yes, they were told the point of the scene ahead of time, but there was no script, they simply made all of the dialogue up as they went along.
How are these actors able to do this so well? By following the rules of improv: stay present in the moment, listen intently to what the other person says, and be flexible and adaptable to whatever the situation throws at you.
Well, what do you know, these skills can be particularly useful in life and the workplace.
See if you can find some improv classes in your local area. And don’t shy away from this activity. Improv classes aren’t about learning to be funny (you can’t learn that anyway), they are classes that will help you connect with your employees and clients better. And, not only will you sharpen your executive communication skills, you’ll also have a blast and learn to think quickly on your feet.
2. Practice Speaking Clearly
There are three rules to speaking clearly:
- Know what you want to say
- Speak slowly
- Don’t use fillers like “um” “uh” or “well.”
Start practicing these rules. And do so in any situation.
For instance, when you go out to eat and the waitress asks if you know what you’d like, don’t answer, “Um, yes… I will have… let me see, uh, yeah, I guess I will have the… Reuben – no actually let me have the… BLT, uh… but can I get that with no tomato and… cheddar cheese instead?”
Use this opportunity to practice communicating clearly. Know what you want to say, speak slowly and don’t use fillers.
“Yes, I will have the BLT but hold the T and give me cheddar cheese instead, please.”
3. Meditate
Meditation is the simple act of focusing on something. That’s it. It may seem like this big mysterious thing, but it’s actually the practice of focusing your mind. You can focus your mind on your breath, on a candle flame or a sound you chant.
How will meditation help your communication at work? In two important ways. First, meditation definitely helps the practitioner stay calm, and being calm in tense work situations can sure come in handy.
Second, communication is as much about listening as it is about speaking. Listening requires us to focus on what the other person is saying. How often do you really tune in and give full focus to the other person? If you’re like most people, your mind wanders to what you’re going to have for lunch or to your favorite TV show you watched last night. Maybe you are formulating your response to someone while they are still talking!
Meditation will help you to listen and focus entirely on what the other person is saying. As soon as you notice your mind wander off, you will automatically and gently bring it back, just as you do during your meditation practice.
4. Write Your Personal Elevator Pitch
How do you choose what movie you feel like watching? You read the logline and decide.
“A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.”
Ooh, that one sounds good. Let’s watch “Silence of the Lambs” tonight!
Your professional elevator pitch is like your own personal logline. Its purpose is to quickly and clearly sum you up so that other people know in an instant whether or not they want to hire you or do business with your company.
So how do you write one?
- Who are you?
- What is your title? (if you have an official one)
- What do you (or your company) do?
- What sets you apart from everyone else?
- What do you want?
“Users often leave websites within 10-20 seconds. I write online content for websites and brands to capture your audience’s attention. My passion is creating unique ways to express a message and starting conversations that people join on social media. I’m looking to become part of an in-house marketing team where I can put my skills to work.”
Your pitch should be no longer than 60 seconds and sum you up so that when you are done pitching, everyone wants to watch your movie (AKA – hire you or do business with you).
5. Speak with Your Hands
So it turns out there are people who have taken time to study hand gestures, and what they have found is that hand gestures aren’t simply an add-on to language. Instead, hand gestures may actually play a vital role in communication by “forcing” people to pay attention to what you say.
I spend part of the year living in Italy and I can tell you that when Italians speak, they seem to speak with their whole bodies and I always find myself captivated. So, if you want to captivate your listeners, start gesturing more.
There are a few rules when it comes to using hand gestures:
- Use your hands like bullet points and gesture purposefully
- Be fluid and not jerky lest you poke someone’s eye out
- Be sure your gestures are appropriate cross-culturally
6. Record Yourself Speaking
Video is one of the best self-assessment tools out there. When you watch yourself speaking on video, there is no getting around the truth. It’s there right in front of you.
Record yourself giving a public presentation or even leading a small meeting in the conference room. Watching yourself will help you understand quickly what you need to work on.
7. Write a Short Speech
Communication is essentially a form of storytelling. Your corporate communication’s should have a point, or moral of the story, if you will, and there should be a specific structure and flow to it. This goes for speech as well as written word.
But if you have no experience with writing – it’s almost impossible to have this kind of structure. Even if you have not been asked to give a presentation, write one anyway, write two or three. The act of writing will help you to build great storytelling instincts.
8. Ask for Honest Feedback
There’s nothing like getting honest feedback from peers, managers and members of your team to hone your communication skills. Regularly soliciting feedback will help you discover areas that need improvement.
9. Know Your Audience
You would never talk to a nine-year-old the same way you would a 40-year-old. And you most likely wouldn’t talk with a peer the same way you would your boss, or to an employee the way you would to a potential investor.
To communicate effectively, you’ve got to know your audience. Who are they, what role do they play, what are their expectations, and what is the goal of this communication? Whether you are speaking to one person or to an auditorium, get in the habit of knowing who it is you are trying to communicate with.
10. Keep it Simple
When it comes to vocabulary, we’re not all on the same page. When speaking with others, don’t assume they will know industry jargon or any big, fancy words. Just keep it simple and use common language that can be easily understood.
These are some of the best activities to improve your leadership communication. And when your corporate communication skills improve, your professional world seems to open up to you.
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