Why Is Communication A Top Skill Needed In The Future of Work?

In today’s hyper-connected digital world, repeated studies show that communication is one of the most important skills you can master to improve your chances of success in your personal and professional life.

But before we deep dive communication to show you how it applies in workplace settings, let’s look at some recent data to get perspective on the phenomenal amount of digital communication that spins across the planet every day:

• Globally, there are now 5.15 billion unique mobile phone users who send a combined total of approximately 18.7 billion texts every day

• Worldwide, a total of 4 billion email users send and receive 300 billion emails each day

• The invention of the ‘world wide web’ (now know as the internet) in 1989 completely revolutionised our history of communication. The inventor of the world wide web was the English scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who created a system to share information through a network of computers. As of July 2020 4.57 billion people (59 per cent of the global population) are now active internet users.

• A recent LinkedIn survey shows communication consistently tops the list of skills most required in the workforce, and sought after by today’s employers.

So what are communication skills?

Communication is how you connect and engage with others by speaking, writing or online. 

Communication skills allow you to understand and be understood by others, express ideas and feelings, or give and receive different kinds of information.

Successful communication can deepen relationships in personal or professional life, help you find ways to compromise, contribute to better decision making - and avoid conflict.

Why is communication an important skill in your future career?

Communication is important in your future career because it helps you better understand people, situations and the work to be done. It also helps overcome differences, build trust and respect, and create conditions for sharing creative ideas and solving problems.

Every day, we all receive, send and process a large number of messages. But successful communication is far more than sharing information - it is also understanding and interpreting the feelings and intent behind this information.

Let’s have a look at the different ways we communicate.

Top 4 Communication Styles

1. Body Language

When we talk about things that matter to us we send a lot of nonverbal signals to people around us.

Non-verbal signals are wordless ways of communicating: Things like your body position, facial expressions, hand movements, gestures, eye contact, attitude, your tone of voice, and even the way you breathe. In fact 93 per cent of communication is non-verbal. So don’t forget that the way you look, listen, react and gesture speaks far more about feelings than words will ever be able to.

2. Listening

Listening is one of the most important aspects of communication.
 
Successful listening is not just an understanding of spoken or written information, but also an understanding of how the speaker feels during communication. Deep listening can also create an environment in which everyone feels respected and safe to express ideas, opinions and feelings, or plan and solve problems in a creative way.

3. Public Speaking

Public speaking is important in workplace communication since it is often used for delivering motivational speeches, professional presentations or sharing ideas with others.

Public speaking focuses on communicating ideas in an effective and engaging way. You will need to present your ideas in an organised and coherent manner, and be able to connect with and influence the audience to listen to you, whether online or offline.

4. Digital Communications

In a technology fuelled world, effective digital communication is critical.

Think about how often you use digital communication like email, messaging and text every day, and how often you consume digital content on internet platforms, social media and multiple digital devices. There might have been times when you have sent someone a message that they interpreted the wrong way which caused conflict. That’s because the online world is different to the offline world, and our language and communication can often be misunderstood. For example, using exclamation points, capital letters and even emojis can have very different meanings online. So make sure you think about - and edit your communication - before you click and send!

Now let’s take a look at a few examples of how communication is used in jobs and industries:

A Project Manager or Foreman on a work site working on a  tight project delivery timeline must use effective communication to give clear instructions to tradespeople working with them, so they can work quickly and independently to successfully complete the project. 

An Entrepreneur or Founder of a new startup business uses communication to sell their idea and attract interest to their company. They might use verbal communication when pitching to investors or featuring in online webinars, and excellent public speaking skills to communicate their business idea to audiences at events and conferences. 

A Nurse uses communication skills to interact with patients and other health workers. Nurses need to professionally communicate important information about individual patient’s health and well-being, and also use empathetic and warm body language to make patients feel more comfortable when they are sick or alone. 

A Diplomat relies on digital communication skills because they often work with people and teams in different time zones. Digital communication skills include concise emails, shared documents so they can work collaboratively with distributed teams, and video conferencing like zoom for meetings.

As you can see - there are so many ways that communication is an important skill for your future career!

Tips for Building your Communication Skills Today!

There are plenty of ways that you’re probably practicing your communication skills every day already.
Here’s some more ideas for how you can practice: 

1. Speak up: If you have the option, try doing an oral presentation for your classwork. This will help you gain confidence speaking in front of others, and improve your ability to engage an audience. 

2. Practice at work: Working part-time or casually in customer service is a great way to work on communication skills. Dealing with the general public and their needs on a daily basis can help you work on active listening, empathy, conflict resolution and open body language. 

3. Join a club: Get involved in your local club! It could be sport, art, music, volunteering, or anything you’re interested in. Being in a team environment is a great way to practice building rapport with people, communicating ideas and giving support or feedback to others around you. 
   
   
   Don’t forget to keep an eye on our socials over on Instagram and Facebook this week as we explore the skill of communication with experts, and give you more great tips on how to build your communication toolkit for your future career!