1.2 Effective communication

Arguably one of the most important skills for career resilience is communication. There are several ways in which boosting your communication skills can have a positive impact on your career resilience.

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This decorative photo gives a view over someone’s shoulder, as they look at their laptop. They are in the middle of an online videoconference.

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At work:

• being able to communicate clearly with those around you in the workplace can reduce conflict and clarify shared goals, boosting team resilience as well as your own
• clear and appropriate communication can enable your voice to be heard by leaders who don’t always ask for feedback
• asking questions can ensure you are more informed about upcoming changes and so can plan more effectively
• the ability to communicate well with clients can boost your success at work and bring you greater job satisfaction.

Progressing your personal career goals:

• positive self-talk is an important form of internal communication – boosting your self-esteem and confidence
• good communication skills will enable you to network more effectively if/when you are looking for a new job or career change
• good communication skills will significantly enhance your recruitment performance, in applications and interviews.

Clearly, working on your communication skills can be a useful way to build your career resilience.

SkillsYouNeed (2019) suggests four key areas ‘that most of us would do well to improve’:

1. Learn to listen – don’t forget that listening to the response is just as important as broadcasting your message.
2. Study and understand non-verbal communication (including body language, tone and pitch of the voice, eye contact, facial expression etc.) – this will help you to understand people better.
3. Be aware of your own and other people’s emotions, and learn to manage them – this is also known as emotional intelligence.
4. Develop your questioning skills – crucial in ensuring that you’ve understood someone’s message correctly.

The second point raises the issue of non-verbal communication, an important element of communicating clearly.

Here are some other examples of non-verbal cues:

• Crossed arms and legs present a physical barrier that can signal resistance to ideas. Avoiding this type of body language can demonstrate that you are interested in a conversation or meeting.
• Gestures, such as the way someone uses their hands or arms during a conversation, can impact on the message being delivered. They can either be distracting or used for impact when making key points.
• Eye contact – people who avoid eye contact can seem to be untrustworthy or very shy – both barriers to overall performance in a job interview for example. However, it is useful to note that in some cultures eye contact can appear to be disrespectful, so bear that in mind if you are working with colleagues globally.
• Facial expressions can help you to understand whether the other party has understood what you are saying, or is listening to you properly.

Emotional intelligence

Another important element of communication highlighted by SkillsYouNeed is emotional intelligence. Watch this short video from MindTools to find out more.

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Transcript: Video 3 Developing emotional intelligence

NARRATOR

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognise, interpret and process emotions in yourself and others. While genetics, upbringing and environment all play a role, there are steps you can take to develop your emotional intelligence over time.

Get to know yourself. Emotionally intelligent people are self-aware. They have a realistic appreciation of their strengths and weaknesses, and how they come across to others. Peer feedback is one way of improving your self-awareness, and may uncover a few of your emotional blind spots.

Learn your triggers. Linked to the notion of self-awareness is knowing how you are likely to respond in particular situations. Think about how you felt the last time you were under pressure. Did these feelings help or hinder you? Recognising emotions, and the source of these emotions, can shift your emotional state.

Empathise. Seeing things from someone else's perspective will help you understand their values and beliefs. This is important when it comes to motivating and engaging others. Make a conscious effort to get to know your colleagues. Ask open questions and actively listen to what they have to say, rather than simply waiting for your turn to speak. Be on the lookout for body language and other nonverbal signs, as these may tell you more than someone is willing to express out loud.

Own your emotions. Part of being emotionally intelligent is about taking responsibility for the way you interact with others. If someone upsets you, pause and reflect on why their actions led you to feel this way, instead of reacting impulsively. Recognise that a conversation is a two-way interaction, and it takes two people to make you angry, sad or frustrated.

Go with your gut. Finally, listen to your body. If your stomach starts doing backflips every time you speak to a senior manager, or your muscles tense up before you go into a meeting, what does this tell you? Counterintuitive as it might seem, emotions can be a valuable source of information when making rational decisions at work.

Remember, emotional intelligence isn't about suppressing emotions. It's about learning how to recognise, process and channel them in a way that benefits you and your team. Enhancing your emotional intelligence requires effort, but it can be achieved with sustained practice.

End transcript: Video 3 Developing emotional intelligence

Video 3 Developing emotional intelligence

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Did you notice that some of the themes you’ve already explored this week came up? Many of the themes you’re exploring in this course are closely interconnected.

In fact, emotional intelligence is also closely connected to resilience. Shuman (2016) describes an interview with Dr Daniel Goldman, author of a key text on emotional intelligence, where he provides a new perspective on it as a critical factor affecting a person’s resilience during crisis:

He explains that a person who is self-aware, socially adept, and empathetic [… has] the social and relational skills to be able to handle unexpected and unfortunate circumstances. They know how to advocate for themselves, to problem solve, and to seek support when they need it the most.

Another element of resilience is boosted when emotionally intelligent individuals provide empathy to those around them:

Being supportive and compassionate to others can have a positive impact on our emotional adjustment – when we feel needed and believe that we can help others, we also become stronger and more resilient.