Ditch Your Assumptions and Ask

To be effective in information gathering, you need to let go of assumptions and be aware enough to recognize when you’re jumping to conclusions, making judgments, or using labels.

Asking curious, open-ended questions encourages dialogue instead of dictating what other people should do or think, And the best communicators listen more than they speak.

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Do a Self-Assessment

Take an honest look at how you communicate. Are you thorough, clear, and factual in how you convey yourself? How consistent are you in how you communicate?
Look at how clear you make your expectations—and how open you are to understanding what others expect of you.
Ass...

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Signs of poor communication skills

People only approach you with questions or feedback when they absolutely need to do so.
If you walk away from a conversation or meeting and can’t remember what the other person said or can’t articulate their point of view, you’re not listening properly, which is essential for good co...

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Establish a System of Feedback

People who are continuously seeking feedback are the ones who get the best at it for saying: "What am I missing here? What have I not told you? Am I filling you in consistently?"

Those who are hungry for feedback are the ones who will improve most consistently.

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Be Human

It’s important to remember that all people have good days and bad days.

Being a good communicator requires compassion, empathy, and understanding when communicating—especially in potentially difficult conversations.

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Define Your Expectations

If you’re not getting the result you want, go back to whether you were clear about what, exactly, those results should have been.

If you’re using a lot of jargon or vague language or trying to communicate in endless emails instead of calling a quick face-to-face meeting where you can...

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Listen

Listening is essential to good communication.

After meetings, for example, jot down a few notes about what was said and what others’ viewpoints were. If you can’t articulate them, it’s a sign you need to go back and ask more questions to be sure you are clear.

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