In a digital world, traditional communication skills are in high demand
While generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and others are becoming increasingly prevalent in workplaces of all kinds, employees are finding that soft skills like communication are becoming more important and more valued than ever.
It’s not just new employees who are looking for help developing these skills; seasoned workers are as well. I’m frequently asked by audiences of all ages and types what I believe are the top communication skills that can position people for success.
Here are my top five. They’re not newly important. They’re evergreen. Master them and you’ll position yourself for success in whatever field you’re in.
Top 5 Communication Skills
1. Becoming an effective listener
Listening isn’t something that is taught in school or, really, modeled or taught by parents. But, listening is absolutely fundamental to effective communication because it helps you understand the perspectives of those you’re communicating with.
Effective listening means being fully attentive. Not thinking about what you’re going to say next. It means listening with both your ears and eyes. Nonverbal cues can convey a lot of important information. It means not being distracted by other things going on around you.
2. Seeking and being open to feedback
I worked with a young attorney once who impressed me greatly because, after every presentation she gave, she sought me out to ask for feedback— both positive and constructive—and she listened intently to both. We don’t learn just from what we do well; we actually learn more from areas of opportunity for improvement, but too often, we fail to seek constructive feedback.
3. Being open to the perspectives of others
Our political climate over the past several years illustrates what not to do. Too often we are focused on sharing our own viewpoints and perspectives and arguing with or attempting to dismiss the perspectives of others.
When teaching at a local university, I often reminded my students that we really don’t learn anything from hanging out with people who agree with us—how we learn best is by seeking out those with different viewpoints and actively working to understand those viewpoints.
Few, if any, issues are black and white. There are always nuances and there are always opportunities to find common ground. Finding common ground is the first step in building strong relationships. That doesn’t have to mean agreeing to the other person’s point of view. It simply means seeking to understand their view.
4. Being a lifelong learner
We are impacted by change our entire lives. If we fail to understand those changes, we fall behind—our views become outdated, even irrelevant. Being a lifelong learner means being attuned to the changes around you in terms of social change, environmental change, economic change, competitive change, etc.
5. Communicating in the style preferred by your audience, rather than your own
We each have preferred styles of communicating with others. Mine is via email. But, especially when in work settings, I needed to recognize that others’ preferences might be in person, or by phone. Consequently, when communicating with my managers, employees, and colleagues, even if it was sometimes uncomfortable for me, I tried to communicate in their preferred style.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? Of course, it’s not. You need only consider the communication issues you face on a daily basis to recognize that there is a lot of opportunity for improvement. Improving your communication skills is worth the effort, though.
That’s my list. What’s on your list?
About Us
Strategic Communications, LLC, works with B2B clients to help them achieve their goals through effective content marketing and management with both internal and external audiences. We work with clients to plan, create and publish high-quality, unique content. Whether on- or offline, or both, we’ll help you achieve desired results at reasonable rates.
In addition to content creation we specialize in helping B2B clients raise awareness and drive website traffic through a strong LinkedIn and X presence.
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