Communication skills refer to the ability to explain complex matters in simple terms, deliver professional oral presentations, persuade others to accept one’s viewpoints, effectively handle interpersonal conflicts and negative emotions, including dealing with angry customers, delivering bad news, or conducting meetings where consensus is hard to achieve.
Communication skills involve a manager’s capability to collect and send information, express their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes clearly and effectively to others through written, oral, and body language mediums, and quickly and accurately interpret others’ information to understand their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes.
Examples of Communication Skills
- Packaging Bad News: American automobile tycoon Henry Ford often had his assistants respond to those seeking favors from him. Sometimes, when refusing someone, they would treat them with special courtesy, such as offering refreshments or lunch. Speaking from a different perspective is also necessary. For example, a salesperson telling a customer that one foot is bigger than the other might phrase it more tactfully as, “Ma’am, this foot is smaller than the other,” to make the customer more receptive.
- Seeming Simple Yet Wise: Striving for excellence is a natural desire to fulfill one’s need for achievement, but be careful not to let your perfection overshadow others. Especially when dealing with stubborn, conservative, or hostile individuals, don’t always try to prove yourself to win their approval right away. It’s better to be modest and straightforward, approaching people subtly and gaining their acceptance gradually. Later, you can impress them significantly at the right time without diminishing yourself. A management psychologist emphasized that even when speaking to subordinates, avoid overusing the word “I.”
- Not Taking All the Credit: Psychological studies have found that when people notice a leader showing signs of individualism, they may become indifferent or even hostile. Conversely, leaders who stay behind the scenes and don’t seek the limelight tend to be more widely respected. Joseph Pulitzer, founder and publisher of the New York World, once told his editors that if his orders during a crisis contradicted the newspaper’s policy, they could ignore them. Learning to be modest in interpersonal interactions is crucial, as humility can lead to smoother relationships and greater respect. (Some content of this article is selected from the book “Psychological Manipulation Techniques” by American psychologist Ervin Weber and others.)
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash