Effective Communication

Effective communication may be one of your strengths if you

• Served as the spokesperson for your group in college classes (and got A’s on all of your papers)
• Shine when making presentations at work
• Receive positive feedback on written reports
• Handle unhappy customers (or colleagues) with ease
• Facilitate discussions and bring people to agreement

Be sure to mention examples like this on your resume and in your interview as they serve as indicators that you are, in fact, an outstanding communicator.

Sample Communication Skills Interview Questions

What can you expect your interviewer to ask you regarding your communication skills? Here are a few examples.

• Tell me about a difficult client/manager/teammate you had to deal with.
• Describe a time when you were asked to make a speech or presentation at the last minute.
• Tell me about a time when you had to be very careful in communicating sensitive or delicate information.
• Give me an example when you had to present complex information in a simplified way to explain it to a superior.

Tips to Develop Stronger Communication Skills

If communication, verbal or written, is an area of weakness for you, there are things you can do that will help. The good news is that communication skills can be developed — natural talent helps, but anyone can learn best practices.

Consider any of these development options:

Take a business communication class.

You’ll find classes on presentation skills, business writing, and general communications at local colleges, continuing educations providers, and corporate training companies like the American Management Association or Dale Carnegie.

Sign up for an improv workshop.

This is also a great option for those who want to learn how to think on their feet — or just need an adrenaline boost.

Join your local Toastmasters group

Toastmasters is an awesome organization. You get to practice your speaking and presentation skills and can also meet interesting people from different industries.

Make a commitment to scrupulously edit and proofread all written work

Don’t over-rely on spell check, but use it and other tools like Grammar.ly if you’re rusty on Composition 101 topics.

Recruit an editing buddy

Find someone at work who can serve as a second set of eyes on important documents. You can play the same role for him or her. We often miss things in our own work and an objective reader can be very valuable.

Volunteer for assignments that stretch your communications skills

Ask if you can lead a meeting or take on managing this month’s internal newsletter. This also shows initiative and a commitment to your work.

Read up on communications best practices

Try classic writing books like “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White (short but enlightening), bookmark Grammar Girl for your grammar questions, read “Crucial Conversations” for advice on navigating tricky communication issues at work or “Getting to Yes” for advice on negotiation.