Communication is a critically important part of doing business, but not everyone comes equipped with flawless communication skills. In fact, many professionals struggle when it comes to effectively interacting with business leaders, other employees and prospective customers. Unfortunately, the cost of bad communication habits could be the loss of career opportunities, potential clients or business deals.
To help professionals avoid pitfalls in their communication, 14 Forbes Coaches Council members share some poor communication habits they commonly observe and ways to lose them below. Follow their advice to improve the way you engage and interact with your professional contacts and colleagues.
1. Multitasking During Meetings
In this world of remote work, professionals have begun to multitask during meetings, one-on-ones and training, thinking that others do not notice this behavior. A lack of presence and focus will certainly affect your communication, as much of it is about listening and really hearing what is being said. So, train yourself to put your technological devices on “do not disturb” and be present. – Sheeba Varghese, Coach Sheeba
2. Being Overly Enthusiastic
Being overly enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject sometimes prevents professionals from tailoring their communication to accommodate the receivers. They might forget that the audience is not as eager to know all the details about a subject or assume they know too little or too much about it, thus missing out on a chance to meet the audience where they are. – Pernille Hippe Brun, Session
3. Solving Problems Instead Of Teaching
Be conscious of when to coach, mentor, teach, consult or lead to create a greater impact with others. Coach to help others find their own answers. Mentor to help them learn through relevant past experiences. Teach so they can gain how-to knowledge. Consult to provide them with the solutions they seek. And lead to inspire and motivate them through stories. Practice wearing different hats. – Alan Trivedi, ADAPTOVATE
4. Not Putting Yourself In The Shoes Of Your Audience
Not putting yourself in the shoes of your audience can derail the impact of your communication. To really land a message, you need to know who your audience is, what’s important to them and their preferred communication style. Then, tailor your delivery so that you “speak their language” and address their specific needs and wants. This will dramatically improve engagement and your impact. – Gabriella Goddard, Brainsparker Innovation Academy
5. Looking At A Cell Phone While Communicating
A sign of the times is a person looking at their cell phone while communicating with someone else. People who do this lose one of the main elements of active listening: to listen not only with the ears but with the eyes and the heart as well. Break this habit by stopping what you are doing and living in the moment; turn off distractions and stop talking, both physically and mentally. – Sahar Andrade, MB.BCh, Sahar Consulting, LLC
6. Forgetting To Pause
Professionals often forget to pause. Taking a moment to receive, absorb and consider communication elevates the quality of listening and the exchange between speaker and listener. To train yourself to pause, develop the practice of taking a full breath before speaking. Breathing is “inspiration.” Possibilities can reside in the space of a breath to transform reaction into a thoughtful response. – Lisa Marie Platske, Upside Thinking, Inc.
7. Succumbing To Listening Blind Spots
We all have our own listening blind spots that hinder listening with intention and attention. Listening to find a connection, to solve a problem or to determine what to say next are just a few. Start by becoming aware of your own listening blind spot. Create a space where you can intentionally be present for the other person; put away your phone, laptop and files. Focus on what they are saying. – Aaron Levy, Raise The Bar
8. Gossiping
The worst communication habit that I see in my coaching practice is the habit of gossiping. Talking about your co-workers to other co-workers, in almost any form, is gossip. This is unprofessional and dysfunctional. Those who rise above this habit will stand out from the crowd in a positive way. – Natasha Ganem, Lion Leadership
9. Using Too Much Jargon
Avoid using too much jargon, either intentionally because you want to come across as technically skilled, or unintentionally because you expect the audience to know the subject matter. Keep your messaging simple. Explain it in layman’s terms. You will gain a much larger following, supporters and clients because your audience will enjoy your ability to be personable while being the expert. – Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory
10. Assuming The Other Person Understands
One of the biggest challenges in communication is assuming that the other person understands or should know what you are communicating. Very often, we say things or direct people based on how we see fit to do so, without determining if the other person absorbed the information and the intent. A simple way to correct this is to ask the other person to paraphrase your communication and acknowledge it. – Purdeep Sangha, Sangha Worldwide
11. Not Targeting Communications
Tailor your communication for your audience so that you are “heard.” The best way to do this is to share the big picture: “Why are we doing this?” Outline the key facts and information about the situation: “What do we know or not know? Who is impacted? Who are our champions and naysayers?” Outline an approach and gain input: “How will we move forward and get this done?” – Shelley Hammell, Sage Alliance, Inc.
12. Not Providing Context Or Clarifying Assumptions
The words used in communications stem from a mental model the speaker is holding onto that has its own underlying assumptions and expectations. When the communication is not clarified, and the context is not provided, it often results in unintended consequences. To break this cycle, it would be useful to provide the context and clarify any assumptions within the conversation’s flow. – Thomas Lim, Singapore Public Service, SportSG
13. Using Filler Words Excessively
Excessive use of filler words undermines our message, suffocates confidence and the delivery of important information, and distracts listeners, detracting from their ability to understand. “Like,” “but,” “you know,” “uh,” “so” and “um” are all detrimental when used often. Ask a trusted co-worker to track and help you minimize fillers by sharing a signal or word to let you know when it happens, and celebrate when they catch you being effective. – Lori Harris, Harris Whitesell Consulting
14. Not Saying ‘Thank You’
One of the worst communication habits that professionals have is not saying, “Thank you.” We fail to recognize and show appreciation for those around us, even in simple everyday conversations. Never get to a place where you cannot offer a simple thank-you to those around you for the job they do for or with you. It’ll go a long way. – Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
SAGE Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company; provides executive coaching, team-building, industry leading assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including: building a high-performing team through coaching, developing and optimizing your top talent, delivering commanding communications, creating a lasting impression, making a greater impact through personal branding for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.
Shelley Hammell, is the president, CEO and author of You Think You’re Coaching, But You’re Not! available HERE, and is available for book signings and speaking engagements.