Communication Check-in

Thank you! 

Your Score is: {yourScore} 

Score	Comment
15-35	You need to keep working on your communication skills. You are not expressing yourself clearly and you may not be receiving messages correctly, either. The good news is that, by paying close attention to the way in which you communicate, you can improve your effectiveness at work and enjoy better working relationships with your colleagues! The rest of this article will direct you to some great tools for improving your communication skills.
36-55	You're a capable communicator, but you sometimes experience communication problems. Take the time to think about your approach to communication, and focus on receiving messages effectively, as much as sending them. This will help to improve your ability to communicate.
56-75	Excellent! You understand your role as a communicator, both when you send messages and when you receive them. You anticipate problems, and you choose the right channel to communicate. People respect you for your ability to communicate clearly and they appreciate your listening skills.

The Source – Planning Your Message
(Questions 2, 11)

Your score is {planningThe} out of 10       

Before you start communicating, take a moment to figure out what you want to say, and why. Don't waste time conveying information that isn't necessary – and don't waste the listener or reader's time either. Too often, people just keep talking or writing because they think that by saying more, they'll surely cover all the points. Often, however, all they do is confuse the people that they're talking to.

To plan your communication:

• Understand your objective. Why are you communicating?
• Understand your audience. With whom are you communicating? What do they need to know?
• Plan what you want to say, and how you'll send the message.
• Seek feedback on how well your message was received.
  
  When you do this, you'll be able to craft a message that will be received positively by your audience.

Encoding – Creating a Clear, Well-Crafted Message
(Questions 1, 5, 8, 10, 15)

Your score is {encodingScore} out of 25       

When you know what you want to say, decide exactly how you'll say it. You're responsible for sending a message that's clear and concise. To achieve this, you need to consider not only what you'll say, but also how you think the recipient will perceive it.

We often focus on the message that we want to send, and the way in which we'll send it. But if our message is delivered without considering the recipient's perspective, it's likely that part of that message will be lost. To communicate more effectively:

• Understand what you truly need and want to say. 
• Anticipate the other person's reaction to your message. 
• Choose words and body language that allow the other person to really hear what you're saying.

With written communication, make sure that what you write will be perceived the way you intend. Words on a page generally have no emotion – they don't "smile" or "frown" at you while you're reading them (unless you're a very talented writer, of course!)

When writing, take time to do the following:

• Review your style. 
• Avoid jargon or slang. 
• Check your grammar and punctuation. 
• Check also for tone, attitude, nuance, and other subtleties. If you think the message may be misunderstood, it probably will. Take the time to clarify it! 
• Familiarize yourself with your company's writing policies or style guides
• Another important consideration is to use pictures, charts, and diagrams wherever possible. As the saying goes, "a picture speaks a thousand words." 

Also, whether you speak or write your message, consider the cultural context. If there's potential for miscommunication or misunderstanding due to cultural or language barriers, address these issues in advance. Consult with people who are familiar with these types of barriers and do your research, so that you're aware of problems you may face. 

Choosing the Right Channel
(Questions 7, 11, 13)

Your score is {channel} out of 15       

Along with encoding your message, you need to choose the best communication channel to use to send it. You want to be efficient, while also making the most of your communication opportunities.

Using email to send simple directions is practical. However, if you want to delegate a complex task, an email will just lead to more questions, so it may be best to arrange a time to speak in person. And if your communication has any negative emotional content, stay away from email! Make sure that you communicate face to face or by phone, so that you can judge the impact of your words and adjust your message appropriately.

When choosing the right channel for your message, consider the following:

• The sensitivity and emotional content of the subject. 
• How easy it is to communicate in detail. 
• The receiver's preferences. 
• Time constraints. 
• The need to ask and answer questions.

Decoding – Receiving and Interpreting a Message
(Questions 3, 6, 12, 14)

Your score is {decoding} out of 20       

It can be easy to focus on speaking: we want to get our points out there, because we usually have lots to say. However, to be a great communicator, you also need to step back, let the other person talk, and listen.

This doesn't mean that you should be passive. Listening is demanding work, which is why effective listening is called active listening. To listen actively, give your undivided attention to the speaker:

• Look at the person. 
• Pay attention to his or her body language. 
• Avoid distractions. 
• Nod and smile to acknowledge points. 
• Occasionally think back about what the person has said. 
• Allow the person to speak, without thinking about what you'll say next. 
• Don't interrupt.

Empathic listening also helps you decode messages accurately. To understand a message fully, you must understand the emotions and underlying feelings that the speaker is expressing. This is where an understanding of body language can be useful.

Feedback
(Questions 4, 9)

Your score is {feedback} out of 10       

You need feedback, because without it, you can't be sure that people have understood your message. Sometimes feedback is verbal, and sometimes it's not. We've looked at the importance of asking questions and listening carefully. However, feedback through body language can also help you to assess the impact of your message. By watching the facial expressions, gestures, and posture of the person you're communicating with, you can spot:

• Confidence levels. 
• Defensiveness. 
• Agreement. 
• Comprehension (or lack of understanding). 
• Level of interest. 
• Level of engagement with the message. 
• Truthfulness (or lying/dishonesty).

As a speaker, understanding your listener's body language can give you an opportunity to adjust your message and make it more understandable, appealing, or interesting. As a listener, body language can show you more about what the other person is saying. You can then ask questions to ensure that you have, indeed, understood each other. In both situations, you can better avoid miscommunication if it happens.

Feedback can also be formal. If you're communicating about something important, it can often be worth asking questions of the person you're talking to make sure that they've understood fully. And if you're receiving this sort of communication, repeat it in your own words to check your understanding.