Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Adjust your communication style
• Method 2 of 4: Dealing with employees and colleagues
• Method 3 of 4: Dealing with emotionally charged situations
• Method 4 of 4: Communicate with large groups

To learn to communicate effectively, you have to adapt the things you say and write to different contexts. This means that you have to adapt your communication style to your audience. In the workplace, this means doing your very best to be clear, respectful and professional. When dealing with an emotionally charged situation, focus on validating the other person's feelings, rather than putting in your own opinion. When communicating with a large group of people or giving a presentation, you can adapt by sticking to a clear structure, emphasizing important points, and interacting with the audience to keep their energy and attention.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Adjust your communication style

1. Adapt your vocabulary to the audience. It is important to be able to speak in different registers, some of which are formal and others informal. In your work or in your professional life, it is probably important that you look well-educated, informed and polished. However, your friends may be more likely to expect to see a more casual side to your personality. By adapting your vocabulary to the situation, you can better connect with other people.
   • Make sure to use words that others understand.
   • For example, slang and slang may be appropriate for talking to friends, but may get in the way of your career if you use them in the workplace. Likewise, big words and professional language at work can make you appear more intelligent, but can be irritating and alienating if you use such language among friends.
2. Mirror the language and gestures of the person you are speaking to. Mirroring the other person's attitude can make them feel comfortable. It also makes you more convincing. You can copy gestures, posture and / or word choice.
   • Imitate just a few of their gestures and word choices. Doing this too much can start to annoy them.
   • Only mirror someone when it is seen as appropriate. For example, if you are a man talking to a woman holding a purse, it is not a good idea to hold your arm by your side as if you were also holding a purse.
3. Vary your tone according to the situation. Toon can tell the other person a lot about the situation. You can use a serious tone when discussing business in the workplace, an encouraging tone when evaluating an employee, or a casual tone when hanging out with friends.
   • When adjusting your tone, make sure your nonverbal and verbal communication match, which will show sincerity. For example, a firm, serious tone would be undermined if you were to laugh and be lanky. A serious tone would suit a straight face and light gestures, while an encouraging tone would go well with nods and some more gestures.

Method 2 of 4: Dealing with employees and colleagues

1. Schedule face-to-face meetings for new or complicated topics. Opt for personal contact, even if you feel like you can raise the subject in an email or newsletter. In this way you give people the opportunity to ask questions and the opportunity to provide clarification where necessary.
   • For example, you might think that you can explain new rules for employee breaks by e-mail or by hanging the rules in the canteen.
   • However, if you hold a meeting with your employees, you can be sure that everyone understands the rules and can be held accountable.
2. Discuss issues privately with subordinates. Never hold a coworker to account in front of other employees as this can cause resentment. E-mails can be misinterpreted, so it is better not to want to address employee problems in this way as well. Instead, schedule a private meeting to talk.
   • Use words that can be understood by the other.
   • Open the conversation with something like "Frank, I wanted to talk to you about some of the things I've noticed in your work lately, and how we can do something about it." This creates a strong, but future-oriented tone, instead of an overly critical tone.
   • Afterwards, write a summary of each meeting and email it to everyone involved. This makes communication even clearer.
3. Use social media professionally. Do not send out personal complaints or confidential information about work via social media. In short, keep your business professional. If you usually only use social media to connect with friends, this could mean changing both the tone and the content of your posts.
   • Keep your social media posts positive and concise: "Hey Groningen, come to Totaalsport today for a 20% discount on all equipment!"
   • When communicating with colleagues, employees or customers via social media, stay away from personal attacks, venting, complaints and inappropriate images.
   • Know that anything you post online can be seen by anyone.
   • Many people like to maintain a separate social media account - one for personal use and one for business use.
4. Wonder what you want to convey if you don't communicate in person. Read an email or text before pressing "send". If you need to talk or use the phone with someone, make a few notes about what you want to say before starting the conversation. Communication through text can be difficult to interpret because you don't have contextual cues such as tone and facial expressions. Make sure you are completely clear:
   • If you're writing in the workplace, put the main point of your email in the subject line or, if it's in a text message, at the top. The recipient will appreciate that you save time by being direct.
   • Use the email subject line carefully. Avoid vague or obvious topics, such as "Job Notice". Instead, use specific titles such as "Meeting with Berend Wijmans on November 16!"
   • When on the phone, use clear verbal cues such as "So, Natasha, the reason I'm calling is to talk about the declining sales" and "André, I want to make sure I understand. Can you repeat the slogan again?
5. Set aside time for small conversations if you are an introvert. Do your best to speak informally too, so that when they talk to you, people feel comfortable and comfortable regardless of the context. Even if you're an introvert and talking doesn't come naturally, it's easy to find ways to have neutral conversations with people.
   • Stick to neutral, non-controversial topics. For example, you can talk about popular television shows, food, or one that you can always use: the weather.
     • For example, try something like "Hey, what did you think about that last episode of Game of Thrones?
   • If you are in a managerial or managerial position, talking or everyday affairs will make your employees feel that you are getting up to their level and that you are approachable. Talking about things to a manager or boss helps to forge a bond, making it easier to talk about more complex or serious matters later on.

Method 3 of 4: Dealing with emotionally charged situations

1. Use "I" instead of "you" statements. Reframe the things you want to say so that you convey how you feel or think, rather than focusing on what someone else has done. This will make the other person less likely to feel attacked. For instance:
   • At work, you could say something like, "I remember learning this as a new employee," instead of "You don't understand how this works."
   • Likewise, it is better not to tell a friend something like, "You get upset too easily. Instead, say something like, "I feel like this is something you really care about."
2. Look for a bond with whoever is upset. Even when someone upsets you, or when you're trying to mediate between two parties, you should do everything you can to find common ground in emotional situations. When the situation is emotionally charged, forging bonds helps prevent people from feeling attacked. This can also prevent someone from being on the defensive.
   • Emphasize partnership in the way you phrase things.For example, use sentences such as "We can do it" or "We are in this together".
3. Show empathy for the other person, rather than criticism. Sometimes when people are upset they need to speak up and they need someone to just listen. Show that you take their concerns seriously and are willing to try to understand what's going on. This means adjusting the way you communicate to focus more on responding to what the other person is saying.
   • Say something like "I totally understand why you're upset" or "You were right, that would be annoying to anyone."
   • Avoid comments like "You don't have to be really upset about this" or "I don't understand why this bothers you," even if you feel that way.
4. Do your best to show respect. Defusing an emotionally charged situation requires acknowledging the input and value of other people so that they don't feel powerless or unrecognized. Make it clear what the other has done well, or what rights and powers the other has, such as:
   • You really worked hard on this, haven't you?
   • I think you handle this with a lot of patience.

Method 4 of 4: Communicate with large groups

1. Adapt your presentation to your audience. It is important to know your audience so that you can tailor your message to your audience. You need to know who is in the audience, understand their background somewhat, and why they are attending your presentation. The more information you have, the better you can design your presentation.
   • For example, if you are giving a presentation to a group of executives above you in the corporate hierarchy, your language should be professional and polished, and disregard jokes or jargon. However, you can use jokes, jargon, and simple language when speaking with a group of subordinates, as this can help ease tension in the room.
   • Be aware of the background of people in the audience to make sure you are not using language or examples that are offensive.
2. Map out what you want to say. To communicate clearly with a large group, you need a plan for what you want to say, as opposed to talking informally with a few people. Otherwise, you risk losing the attention of your audience. Plan the following:
   • The main points you want to emphasize. For example, if you're introducing your company's new sales strategy in three points, plan to start speaking a little louder when you first mention each point.
   • Moments when you might want to slow down (such as introducing new or complicated information).
   • Natural places in your presentation when you can pause, such as after introducing each point of a three-point sales strategy. This gives attendees time to let the information sink in.
3. Indicate the most important points in your presentation. Use key phrases to outline the main points in your conversation. It can be difficult to follow oral presentations, but these "signposts" help your audience keep up with the text. Good phrases for underlining are:
   • "Continue ..." (to introduce a new point).
   • "As I said before ..." (to remind the audience of your main point).
   • "To wrap things up ..." (to let them know that the end of your text is approaching).
   • Tell people when you are going to answer questions. You could say, "Save your questions until after the presentation, then I will answer them.
4. Create visual aids to emphasize the most important points. Put together a simple slideshow. Use the slideshow as a way to emphasize important points, not explain them in detail. Otherwise, your audience will watch the slides instead of paying attention to what you say.
   • Only use a small amount of text or images per slide. For example, if you're outlining three goals for your organization for the coming year, create a slide that reads "Goal 1: Increase Membership by 10%."
   • That's enough information to remind the audience of the point you want to make, but not so much that it diminishes their attention.
5. Interact with your audience. Include pauses in your presentation, ask questions, and encourage people to ask questions if they need clarification about any of the presentations. You can also address people in the audience directly, either by name or by looking them in the eye. This helps make the presentation more engaging, engaging the audience, and increasing the amount of information they can derive from your conversation.