The way you communicate is an integral part of your personality. It is not just important to send the message, but to present your thoughts in an appealing manner. Effective communication is when you amalgamate all the aspects of communication to ensure that knowledge, thoughts, and ideas exchanged are done in the best possible way.

Characteristics of effective communication process

You’re considered to have good communication skills when you can put forward your message in a way that the audience understands it and you then take feedback in a positive way. Discussed below are the elements that make communication effective –

• Clear message
• Correct message
• Complete message
• Reliability
• Precise message
• Considering recipient’s point of view
• Being courteous

Effective communication skills

Conveying your message effectively is an art. You need to practice it, put in effort, and give it time to ensure your effective communication skills are developed. An influential communication process is made up of various elements and you need to consider them all. These include –

• Being observant so that you can gain new perspective and more knowledge is a part of effective communication.
• Clarity of thought is very important. Be clear about the message you want to convey and frame it in simple words for greater effectiveness.
• One needs to be a good listener to sharpen their communication skills. You need to be both alert and patient, so that you can listen properly.
• Emotional intelligence is also an aspect that one needs to consider while communicating. This involves controlling your emotions and not letting them overpower your thoughts.
• Self confidence is another skill that enhances your effective communication When you are confident, you’re able to present yourself in a better way.
• Don’t forget non-verbal communication which includes – body language, hand movements, gestures, posture, tone of voice, facial expressions, and eye contact.
• Communication process is considered incomplete without feedback. A person must be open to taking and giving feedback in a positive and constructive way.

Significance of effective communication in business

Communication is the thread that ties businesses. Whether it is internal communication, communication with clients or with your consumers, at every step you need to be careful about the message you are delivering and the way it is delivered. The significance of effective communication in business includes –

1. Helps in Employee management
2. Growth of the organization is accelerated
3. Builds a positive organizational culture
4. Reduces misunderstandings and conflicts
5. Fosters stronger relationships
6. Helps in team building
7. Facilitates creativity and innovation
8. Helps build transparency and trust
9. Reduces problems
10. Improves motivation and employee engagement

Barriers to effective communication

There are certain barriers that can become a hindrance in the communication process and reduce its effectiveness. The way the sender sends the message and the receiver receives it depends on how free flowing the communication is. These barriers can make effective communication a farfetched dream. They are broadly divided into 3 categories –

1. Barriers related to words

Words form the basis of communication. If you don’t use the right words or if the words are not presented in the right way, it can become a hindrance in effective communication. The different types of barriers related to words are –

• Unable to understand the language
• Ambiguity of words
• Information overload

1. Barriers involving people’s background

When you have preset notions about people’s background, ethnicity, culture, or religion, it can affect the efficiency of the communication process. Avoid jumping to conclusions, biases, demographic differences, and attitudinal differences.

1. Physical barriers

Some of the most common physical barriers in effective communication are –

• Physical distance
• Noise
• Physiological barriers

When you keep these tips in mind, developing effective communication skills will become easier.