Blog

Four Tips for Communication Success

If you want to succeed in the workplace, good communication skills are essential.  After all, communication plays a key role in several other workplace skills needed on the job including conflict management, negotiation, networking, crucial conversations, leadership, teamwork, coaching and feedback, motivation, emotional intelligence, delegation, etc.

For example, poor communication often gets us into conflict situations and good communication skills are the only way to resolve conflict.  Similarly, an effective team probably has a good communicator as a leader and has strategies and processes for handling communication in an efficient manner among members.

 

Here are four tips to becoming a better communicator:

  1. Ask Open Questions

  • These types of questions always begin with one of the 5 W’s or H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How).
  • They encourage people to talk mostly because they cannot be answered with a yes/no response.
  • You should use them to get more information, focus the conversation, solicit opinions, and gain consensus.

 

  1. Use Probing Techniques

  • Ask an open question
  • Pause
  • Ask a reflective or mirroring question
  • Paraphrase
  • Make a summary statement/question

 

  1. Improve Your Active Listening

  • Listen intentionally and with interest
  • Avoid assumptions and suspend judgments
  • Listen for what isn’t being said and pay attention to non-verbal clues
  • Do not interrupt
  • Keep your eyes focused on the speaker’s face and your ears tuned to their voice
  • Use non-verbal messages to demonstrate listening and understanding
  • Listen with a positive attitude

 

  1. Watch the Words You Use and Your Non-Verbal Messages

 

Helpful Words

Hurtful or Unhelpful Words

  • We
  • Please and thank you
  • Words easily understood
  • When I…
  • Specific days/dates
  • Could you try…?
  • What do you think?
  • Jargon
  • Words that are perceived negatively
  • Vulgar language/Swearing
  • When you…
  • “But”
  • Always/Never
  • Must/Have to/I insist!

Helpful Facial Expressions

Hurtful Facial Expressions

  • Eye contact​
  • Relaxed​/Friendly​/Smiling
  • Alert
  • No eye contact
  • Frowning/tense/angry​
  • Bored/disinterested/yawning​

Helpful Tone of Voice

Hurtful Tone of Voice

  • Variation in pitch​
  • Interested​
  • Patient​
  • Friendly​
  • Can be heard​
  • Clear
  • Monotone​
  • Too fast or slow ​
  • Impatient
  • Too indecisive or abrupt​
  • Too hurried or mumbled​
  • Condescending​

Helpful Body Language

Hurtful Body Language

  • Attending to the person listening​
  • Slightly leaning toward person​
  • Open body movements​
  • Not interrupting
  • Looking at a watch/phone/ ​
  • Arms crossed​
  • Shrugging shoulders ​
  • Hands on hips​
  • Getting too close

 

To learn more about Communication and Active Listening or other important workplace skills, check out Centriq’s ProDev classes here or fill out the form below.

Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Jan 23, 2023
Jul 27, 2023
Eve
4/3/23-4/7/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-V
Jan 30, 2023
May 5, 2023
Day
3/6/23-3/10/23
4/10/23-4/14/23
CSSP-V
Feb 6, 2023
May 19, 2023
Day
3/27/23-3/31/23
FSCP-V
Mar 20, 2023
Jun 23, 2023
Day
4/24/23-4/28/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
CSSP-V
Apr 10, 2023
Jul 28, 2023
Day
5/29/23-6/2/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
FSCP-V
Apr 24, 2023
Oct 19, 2023
Eve
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/21/23-8/25/23
CSSP-V
May 15, 2023
Dec 14, 2023
Eve
7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Jun 5, 2023
Sep 8, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/7/23-8/11/23
CSSP-V
Jun 19, 2023
Oct 6, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
FSCP-V
Jul 24, 2023
Jan 25, 2024
Eve
10/2/23-10/6/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Aug 14, 2023
Nov 17, 2023
Day
9/5/23-9/8/23
10/16/23-10/2/23
CSSP-V
Aug 28, 2023
Dec 15, 2023
Day
9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Oct 30, 2023
Feb 2, 2024
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Oct 30, 2023
May 2, 2024
Eve
11/20/23-11/23/23
3/4/23-3/7/23
CSSP-V
Nov 6, 2023
Mar 1, 2024
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
1/29/24-2/2/24
FSCP-V
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our campus calendars.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Feb 29, 2024
Mar 24, 2024
Day
3/25/24-3/29/24
4/22/24-4/26/24
CSSP-I
May 13, 2024
Aug 16, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
Aug 19, 2024
Nov 22, 2024
Day
9/2/24-9/6/24
10/21/24-10/25/24
CSSP-I
Dec 2, 2024
Mar 14, 2025
Day
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
2/10/25-2/14/25
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Jan 15, 2024
Apr 19, 2024
Day
2/19/24-2/23/24
3/18/24-3/22/24
CSSP-I
Feb 26, 2024
May 24, 2024
Day
4/1/24-4/5/24
CSSP-I
Apr 08, 2024
Jul 12, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
May 20, 2024
Aug 23, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
Jun 24, 2024
Sep 27, 2024
Day
7/1/24-7/5/24
9/2/24-9/6/24
CSSP-I
Jul 29, 2024
Feb 6, 2025
Eve
9/2/24-9/5/24
11/25/24-11/28/24
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
CSSP-I
Aug 5, 2024
Nov 8, 2024
Day
9/2/24-9/6/24
10/7/24-10/11/24
CSSP-I
Sep 9, 2024
Dec 13, 2024
Day
10/14/24-10/18/24
11/25/24-11/29/24
CSSP-I
Oct 21, 2024
Jan 31, 2025
Day
11/25/24-11/29/24
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
CSSP-I
Dec 2, 2024
Mar 14, 2025
Day
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
2/10/25-2/14/25
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.