Improve Communication Skills at Work

Scope and Objective

Coordinate project execution with other team members on the same project.
Request resource allocation from other stakeholders based on identified dependencies.
Formally communicate project status.
Ask for help!
Escalation through the reporting chain to resolve a conflict.
Continuous improvement of your domain knowledge and development of your career.

Defined: "Effective communication is more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information"
Make informed decisions.
Improves productivity.
Build relationships.
Manage stakeholder engagement.
Provides visibility for you and your project.
Resolves conflicts or settle disagreements.
Communication style and effectiveness is usually an indicator of org culture.

Eager to get your point across without hearing what others have to say.
Lack of confidence in your written and verbal communication skills.
Lack of focus on the subject matter.
Lack of ability to recognize an adopt specific aspects of communication style/standard at your work.
Afrid of confrontation.
Lack objectivity when receiving feedback (e.g. you take negative feedback personally)

Groups or individuals which you need to frequently communicate with include:

Stakeholders directly involved on your project, e.g. product managers, designers, software developers, Legal, etc
Peers in the same org as you, e.g. team members of other projects
Superiors (immediate manager or 1-level up), e.g. your immediate manager, or managers from the same org.
Executives, e.g. SVP or VP who is your project sponsor.
Your formal and informal mentors

You are transparent about all relevant information (e.g. related to your project).
You communicate with stakeholders in ways (e.g. emails, documents, etc) that work best for them.
Do NOT judge what your stakeholders value, instead try to understand why.
Provide feedback to stakeholders how their concerns or asks are addressed and resolved.
Keep a record of all stakeholder communication that occur over time.

Think if you had just 3 minutes, what would you say?
5 Ws - why, what, who, when, and where?
Answer a question directly, e.g. starts with "yes" or "no" before elaborating
Focus on things that are impactful,. e.g. why is this information important?
Always include data, e.g. what's the expected business or customer impact?
Practice - if you bump into your VP in the pantry, and he says, "how's it going with...?", what would you say in 3 sentences?

Component	Question	Example
Context	Why is this information relevant to me?	"as part of the broader effort to drive new user activation..."
Goals & Objectives	What are we trying to achieve?	Unlock a new customer cohort or expand share of wallet of an existing cohort.
Use case	What problem are we trying to solve?	Allow business users to purchase multiple copies of a digital eBook.
Qualification and Quantification	Why is this problem important?	+xx% in total units of eBooks purchased (annualized).
Proposed Solution	What are we going to do to address this problem?	Launch a new eBook purchase experience that allows bulk purchase of eBooks.
Success Measurements	How do we know that our solution worked or not?	Net increase to total eBook sales without net negative impact to eBook purchase conversion.
Priorities and Timelines	When are we going to do what?	MVP includes...

Stick to facts, e.g. let metrics speak for themselves
Assume best intentions, e.g. everyone wants the best experience for customers
Get to the point, e.g. articulate a specific concern.
Be objective, e.g. just because someone disagrees with you does NOT make them wrong!
Be empathetic and don't kill the messenger, e.g. it takes a lot of courage for someone to bear unpleasant news.
Collect feedback, e.g. ask for other opinions

Not afraid to disagree, e.g. learn to say no.
Know your stuff, e.g. build up your subject matter expertise
Speak with clarity, e.g. focus on the main point.
Defend your point of view without being defensive, e.g. back up with data and anecdotal evidence.
Own up to mistakes, e.g. no afraid to say you were wrong or you don't know.
Seek feedback, e.g. welcome challenges
Show respect, e.g. treat less senior team members with equal respect.

Have clear goals in mind, e.g. what are you trying to get out of a conversation or meeting?
Pause to collect your thoughts, e.g. don't feel that you need to rush into responding.
Willing to compromise, e.g. finding a middle ground might be the path forward.
Look for humor in a dire situation, e.g. don't take yourself or a topic too seriously.
Agree to disagree, e.g. table a conversation that's not going anywhere to determine next course of action.

Learn to speak in public, e.g. there are ample resources available to help such as Toastmasters.
Take professional or business writing classes to improve written communication.
Prepare before an important meeting, e.g. write down key points on a piece of paper.
Practice with your peers and friends, e.g. dry-runs before a formal presentation always helps.
Write better emails, e.g. your manager and co-workers will recognize and appreciate it.
Find mentors, e.g. use your formal and informal mentors for coaching and guidance.