Communication Skills

Overview

Communication is the foundation of everything we do. It is also one of the biggest problems in the workplace today. We all complain of communication overload but seem to understand less than we ever have. Lack of clarity, pointless meetings and differences in communication styles are wreaking havoc on productivity and efficiency.

To get our messages across we need to learn how to communicate effectively once again – using simple language and the right medium. Effort is needed to make sure we understand the points of view and needs of our co-workers – learning how to truly ‘listen’ is an art many of us can master but most of us haven’t. Furthermore, we can transform performance with ‘constructive’ feedback.

Communication Skills

The Evidence

  • People spend between 70 and 80% of their day engaged in some form of communication. (University of Missouri)
  • The average person can now receive as many as 120 emails a day. (Campaign Monitor)
  • Less than 2% of the population has had formal educational on how to listen. (A. K. Kambaki)
  • Only 7% of communication is verbal, 38% is considered paraverbal (meaning tone and intonation) and 55% is non-verbal. (Mehrabian)
  • We can only remember three or four things at a time. (Live Science)
  • 46% of employees rarely or never leave a meeting knowing what they’re supposed to do next. (entrepreneur.com)
  • 98% of employees will fail to be engaged when managers give little or no feedback. (Trakstar)
  • 78% of employees said being recognised motivates them in their job. (Hubspot)
  • Organisations whose managers coach demonstrate 21% higher revenues than their competitors. (Training Magazine)