Great Communication on the Job

Communication skills can be learned and improved on the job!

When your boss asks you to do a task or take on a project, make sure you understand what he or she is saying. If you're not sure, ask for clarification.

Checking the information you've been given is key to good communication. This increases your knowledge and often saves time and effort. But there's a difference between asking good questions and wasting your boss' time. First, try finding out the answers yourself.

A huge block to good communication is thinking that you know everything, or that you know better than anyone else. Learn to listen to what others are saying (even if you don't agree). Listening skills are important in the workplace; we all need to be heard when we have questions or concerns about our jobs. Strong listening skills also help us come up with smart answers.

As author Kenneth A. Wells says in his Guide to Good Leadership, "A good listener tries to understand thoroughly what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but before he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with."