Communication makes or breaks us. Strong communicators form deeper relationships, land better jobs, earn more trust and respect, and unlock far more opportunities in work and life. Weak communicators struggle with everything from simple conversations to public presentations.
But communication is not a fixed trait that some people are just born with. Rather, it encompasses a set of skills anyone can learn and improve upon with dedicated effort.
In this article, we’ll thoroughly explore the 10 most critical communication abilities for success and fulfillment—both professionally and personally. Read on to assess where you currently stand in each area as well as easy tips to enhance these skills starting today.
Communication Skill #1: Appreciate the Immense Power of Words
Far too often, we underestimate the weight words carry. That childhood rhyme “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” falsely teaches words lack power or consequence. In reality, words have started wars and ended lives. They directly impact other people emotionally and physically.
Words contain tremendous creative AND destructive potential. A cruel, careless comment can devastate someone’s self-worth for years. An inspiring speech can motivate major change. As Dumbledore from Harry Potter wisely stated:
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic—capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.”
To become an effective communicator, you must cultivate immense respect for the power of words. Never forget that a simple compliment can make someone’s entire day just as easily as a thoughtless insult ruins it. Choose words carefully and intentionally, whether talking one-on-one or to a crowd. Consider impact over careless reaction.
Communication Skill #2: Improve Verbal Delivery
Words themselves carry power, but HOW we verbally deliver them also hugely sways interpretation and response. Our tone, cadence, volume, speed, emphasis and more work together to comprise our verbal delivery. Poor delivery muddles or dulls our message while skillful delivery makes people happily receive it.
Let’s take a common workplace issue as an example. Imagine you believe your boss unfairly thinks you’re lazy. Bluntly saying “I think you’re lazy” provokes instant anger and denial. However, a calm “Maybe I’ve given you a wrong impression. I’d actually appreciate more insight into where I might improve my work output” comes across entirely different!
Same core message, but smart verbal delivery kept the boss open-minded. Even if you have perfect words for a situation, sloppy delivery can still offensive people. Practice thinking through verbal tone and style for all communication contexts, from conversations to speeches. Mastering delivery takes your influence to the next level.
Communication Skill #3: Become an Engaging Storyteller
That old nugget of wisdom “honesty is the best policy” deceives more than helps! Being 100% fully truthful 100% of the time rarely goes over well. Human psychology craves an interesting tale over mundane facts. Painting real-life happenings in a compelling narrative way satisfies in a blunt info dump cannot.
Rather than tell your boss “I just sent some emails and watched YouTube today,” frame it more enjoyably: “After powering through customer correspondence this morning, I researched tips for improving employee focus through judiciously timed breaks.”
Same raw info, but better storytelling! Learn to take factual events from life and present them through descriptive, witty, emotionally resonating stories people relish hearing. Vivid narratives germinate ideas in their minds. Strengthen your storytelling skills to hugely boost communication capabilities.
Communication Skill #4: Cultivate Likability
Hard and soft skills hold equal importance in workplace achievement. Hard skills (like coding or accounting) provide function while soft skills (like likability and etiquette) facilitate positive team cooperation enabling that function.
Don’t underestimate the importance of likability – it often trumps even immense talent and skill! Foster pleasantness in communication by smiling, remembering names, giving compliments, helping without expectation of reward, and having patience with others’ flaws.
Communication Skill #5: Write Intelligently and Grammatically
With so much modern communication happening digitally, strong writing skills become ever more vital. Sloppy, error-filled writing full of spelling/grammar mistakes and typos rightfully gets dismissed as uneducated. It signals laziness at best and stupidity at worst, impacting credibility.
Meanwhile, intelligent writing styles utilizing proper structure, punctuation, sentence variety and vocabulary demonstrate higher education and command of language. Well-crafted emails, social media posts and more literary efforts garner more respect and seriousness.
Additionally, writing cohesively clarifies thinking itself. As you meticulously polish written messages to perfection, you sharpen overall mental faculties. Make no mistake – dedicated writing improvement efforts compound over time into massively increased success communication.
Communication Skill #6: Present Your Authentic Self
Social media fuels an illusion of perfection. Everyone portrays cherry-picked life highlights through carefully curated posts and stories. Jealousy spreads like wildfire. But smart communicators break expectations by keeping it real. Talking openly about genuine life ups and downs attracts admiration, not envy.
President Theodore Roosevelt once excellently explained: “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”
Getting along with people starts with authentic communication helping them know and trust the real you. Drop inflated pretenses and have genuine discourse.
Communication Skill #7: Listen Instead of Just Hearing
True listening ranks among the rarest—yet most game-changing—communication abilities today. We’ve all heard the common wisdom how our two ears versus one mouth mean we should listen twice as much as talk. In reality, most only hear while actually listening remains elusive.
Hearing denotes sounds hitting your eardrums. Listening requires intentional effort to comprehend meaning and emotion behind those sounds. When someone else speaks, don’t just passively hear noise. Actively listen by sustaining eye contact, reflecting back key points, clarifying details, validating feelings and showing you fully understand.
Mastering true active listening forges bonds stronger than super glue. People open up more when you genuinely understand them. They also will eagerly return the gift of focused attention when you speak.
Communication Skill #8: Manage Emotions with High IQ
“Emotional intelligence” describes a person’s capacity understanding and directing emotions—both their own and others. People tend to scorn unbridled outbursts of anger, sadness, frustration, etc. as childish instability. Yet we all experience intense feelings. The difference lies in response.
High EQ communicators stay coolly rational even when boiling inside. Through self-awareness, they sense rising distress and calm themselves strategically before reacting. They also demonstrate great empathy and compassion interpreting others’ outbursts appropriately. This earns immense respect.
Alternatively, low EQ types frequently erupt with knee-jerk emotional reactions without self-control. They lash out angrily when upset or cower silently. People tiptoe cautiously around them never knowing what mine they’ll unwittingly trigger next. To become a top tier communicator, make developing greater emotional intelligence a priority.
Communication Skill #9: Stand Up for Yourself
Healthy communication involves mutual self-advocacy where all parties candidly express needs and wants. Problems arise when one person repeatedly minimizes their own preferences to please or placate others. This builds unhealthy resentment that eventually erupts volcanically.
People pleasing seems beneficial short-term but harms long-term relationships. Others may take advantage of you without even realizing it. You must know when and how to gently push back against mistreatment or dismissal while asking clearly for what you want.
Think about times you remained silent when someone said or did something you disagreed with that negatively impacted you. Then replay the scene speaking up professionally, simply stating “Actually I see things differently” before explaining your perspective. Practicing respectful self-advocacy strengthens assertiveness skills crucial for fulfillment.
Communication Skill #10: Build Unwavering Trust
Ultimately, all other communication abilities feed into this final pinnacle skill – earning trust. No amount of talent or charisma means much without trust glueing it together. To illustrate its supreme value, consider tennis icon Serena Williams likely scored a \$55 million Nike sponsorship deal on trust alone.
We trust in people and brands proving consistent integrity, honesty, reliability and quality over time. Trusted communicators exude confidence both that their words accurately reflect reality and their actions align to those words. They inspire credibility through humble authenticity easily verified by track records.
Conversely, fast-talking “too good to be true” slicksters quickly erode trust. Even if they somehow finagle short-term wins, truth always eventual outs along with the house of cards built on lies. Simply focus on nurturing genuinely trustworthy traits and the rest flows naturally.
The Path to Progress Begins with Communication
Clear communication makes life’s journey smoother, richer and more fulfilling while poor communication throws up frustrating roadblocks at every turn. These 10 skills separate good communicators from great ones. Take honest stock of your current competency level with each.
No doubt you possess areas of comfortable mastery along with weaker regions needing bolstering. Don’t feel overwhelmed! Just target the top few skills most lagging and incrementally move them forward through daily practice. You’ll be amazed watching increased positive results bloom wonderfully into every sphere of living.
Soon, communication opens exciting new doors as improved abilities unlock opportunities previously beyond reach. Whether commanding rooms socially or clinching dream jobs professionally, fulfillment abounds for those dedicating themselves to communication betterment. That inspirational journey starts with a single step today. Will you take it?
