Effective communication has always been a necessary tool for personal and professional encounters. Essays, books, blogs, and more, have been written about how to learn to communicate better. Most of these tips include things like paying attention to your tone, being focused on the conversation at hand, being an engaged listener, knowing what your body language is saying, avoiding overly emotional conversations until enough time has passed to look at a situation objectively, and much more. These are all very useful and relevant guidelines to effective communication.
But with the advancement of technology come new obstacles in the already challenging world of communication. Emails have become the preferred method of communication for most businesses, allowing for quick responses, group meetings, and a lot of other helpful professional uses. Email, however, does not include body language or vocal inflection, and can commonly be misconstrued. Not only does email lack the physical and audible elements of communication, but how an email is written, signed, addressed, and the fonts, caps, punctuations, etc. used can all create hurdles in your meaning coming through the way you intended.
Email is not the only technological advancement, either. Businesses are also turning to instant messaging and text messaging as faster, more efficient modes of communication. This creates entirely new barriers in communicating effectively, and can be tricky when trying to remain professional.
Communication is a difficult but inherent part of all daily routines, whether at work, home, school, or at a restaurant. As we advance and move from words to emojis, reliance on text over face-to-face, translating software, and near-daily word additions to the common dictionary, communication continues to change which requires a constant need for understanding how to communicate with efficiency and courtesy, while still remaining true to your intention. Interpreter Education Online is a leader in helping interpreters better their knowledge and education in order to help communication in different languages. But we also promote healthy business practices and offer monthly webinars on various topics to improve your general understanding of communication in the workplace, and personal advancement. Join the conversation on LinkedIn and Facebook, and let us know what works for your effective communication!
