2 Becoming a Better Communicator

Basics​

Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity. - Nat Turner.

According to Stevenson University, "When communication is effective, it leaves all parties involved satisfied and feeling accomplished. By delivering messages clearly, there is no room for misunderstanding or alteration of messages, which decreases the potential for conflict. In situations where conflict does arise, effective communication is a key factor to ensure that the situation is resolved in a respectful manner."  Having a goal of limiting conflict will make you more efficient at your work, and ensure your relationships with others on staff are positive. 

You should know the following terms:

  • Communication

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it that’s important”? Nothing could be more true than when you are communicating with someone in a professional setting. It’s not just the words you say but how you say them that will or might not get your point across. You can use voice components like the tone of your voice, the volume, and others to positively or negatively impact your communications with others, sometimes without meaning to. Your body language also plays a role in how well you communicate with others, and sometimes your body language and/or facial expressions can negate what you are saying.

You have two primary audiences you’ll communicate with:

  • Your colleagues, including those in the IT Department
  • Your clients or customers.

That’s true with verbal and written communications, and understanding some strategies to strengthen your professional communications can benefit you whether you are in a team meeting, working with someone one-on-one,  communicating on the phone, sending an email, or adding information to a helpdesk ticket.

Learning to speak two "languages"

Imagine taking a job in a country where people speak a different language than you.  You may have the experience and knowledge to do your job, but may struggle in everyday interactions because you do not have understanding of the language. You know how to interact with the objects you come into contact with (eg. a door) but you do not know how to talk about them to local inhabitants. You could probably imagine the frustration you might have if trying to ask someone to explain why your key does not work in the door.

The same is often true of people dealing with technology.  They know how to interact with technology, but do not know how to talk about it in the terms IT personnel who "understand the language" would use.  This can lead to frustration and even anger as they try to seek help but don't have the language to do it. 

As IT personnel, you will essentially be speaking 2 languages with other people in your school - English and "technology."  It will be important to remember that not everyone will have the experience or background in understanding the technical language and acronyms used in the technology world.  Your communication skills will be key to both helping them communicate their needs, frustrations or struggles, and providing them a level of understanding about the problems you are solving and solutions you provide. It will be your communication that can leave all parties satisfied at the outcome.

A favorite Maya Angelou quote has always been: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That's an awesome quote to remember in our personal and professional life as a benchmark for our service to others.

Here are additional resources you may find useful:

Complete the following task or self-assessment:

Begin jotting down technology terms/phrases that you notice others struggle to understand; add simple explanations or definitions to them that you can use when communicating with people who are not tech literate and begin using those alternatives in your communications to help with understanding.