Are communication skills really important?
Have you ever wondered if communication skills are important at all? I'm going to help you answer this question, buckle up.
For a long time, we've been told to work on our communication skills. They make our life better and help with work, marketing, problem-solving, social lives. Let's decipher this together.
We will start by learning exactly what communications skills are because it is important to understand them fully.
Communication skills are the abilities that aid in effective and efficient communication of information, ideas, emotions and messages to others. Communication refers to the process of sending and receiving information and it involves talking, listening, observing, writing and responding.
There are 5 types of communications.
a) Verbal communication
It entails use of verbal messages through the use of spoken words, it is the most common form of communication.b) Non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication complements verbal communication. Some forms of non-verbal communication include: body language, facial expressions, gestures, posture and eye-contact. Non-verbal communication reinforces or contradicts verbal messages and powerfully conveys emotions and ideas e.g. maintaining eye-contact as a sign of confidence.c) Written communication
This entails sending messages using written words e.g. emails, letters, reports and messages. It is an everlasting record of information and is much utilized in academic and professional environments.d) Listening
Listening is a very essential component of communication that entails comprehension and interpretation of messages in a proper manner. Listening means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding the emotions the speaker (the other person) is trying to convey which means you will make the person feel heard and understood.e) Visual communication
It is a method of passing information using visual media like images, charts, graphs, diagrams and videos. Some major examples would be infographics, presentations, signboards, movies and news channels. Visual communication simplifies the complex information and makes it more interesting.Understanding theses five types is great in theory, but to see why they matter, let's look at a moment where communication saved a multi-billion dollar company.
The Speech that saved Nike (1972)
Nike started as Blue Ribbon in 1964, distributing Onitsuka sneakers in the United States. Eventually, Onitsuka revoked their exclusivity in 1972, forcing Blue Ribbon to produce their own sneakers.When they received the news, the team was in shock. Phil Knight had prepared a speech, but before speaking, he decided to leave his notes behind and speak from the heart. This is what he said:
"What I'm trying to say is, we have them right where we want them. This is the moment we've been waiting for, our moment. Our supplier Onitsuka has limited us for years. Who among you is not tired of that? It's time to face the facts. Whether we win or lose, it will be on our terms. with our ideas, with our brands. We sold two million USD last year, all thanks to you. Let's not see this as a crisis; let's see it as our liberation. The day of our independence. Yes, it will be tough, I won't lie to you. We're definitely going to war folks, but we know the terrain and that's why I feel in my heart that this is a war we can win. And if we win, when we win, I see great things for us on the other side of this victory. We're still alive folks, we are still alive..."
This message was so successful that a few months later, Blue Ribbon released their first original sneaker onto the market: the Nike Cortez. The rest is history.
Now, think of Yourself !!
Think about what that can mean for your job, your career, and your community. How far you'll go and how much impact your work will have largely depends on your ability to inspire others.I started working on my communication skills when I stepped into roles that needed me to communicate not just well but really well to deliver impact.
It did not take me long to realize I wasn't communicating as I thought. After gaining awareness I started working on it and that's where it usually gets uncomfortable because as you dig deeper you learn more about yourself, and you realize how far you are behind from being a good communicator or a public speaker. This stage has a name, Valley of Despair from the Dunning-Kruger effect.
The Valley of Despair is where most if not all people stop when it comes to learning something new; this is where your confidence and motivation crash. I don't know If I overcame it or not but I kept going because it was more costly to give up, and I'm still going.
There are stages to learning anything new, it is full of ups and downs so never start learning expecting a journey of smooth sailing. You will be tested and that means you need perseverance to survive just like life in general.
So are communication skills important? By now you probably have your answer but let's just confirm it.
YES they are!!
I cannot stress its importance enough, but I hope you've seen it from the story of Nike.
Below are some of the benefits of being a good communicator in a nutshell:
- Better leadership and influence
- Improved problem-solving
- Professional and personal growth
- Stronger and meaningful relationships
In my quest to improve my communication skills, I wanted a platform where I can practice my communication skills, learn, check on my mistakes and work on them.
Unfortunately I couldn't find one that met my expectations.
So what did I do? I built a platform that met my own needs perfectly and I would like you to try it out and if you have a few extra seconds leave feedback.
The platform is comskills: here's the link
References:
21kschool: communication skills
astrolab: Stories that demonstrate how your communication skills can change your life.