Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation at work caused by a communication failure? Breakdowns in communication can be frustrating and are often unnecessary. What we say at work and how we say it not only impacts our own work productivity and the quality of our work life, but also the work productivity and the quality of the work life of others. Communicating well at work promotes healthy work environments and employee well-being, and it starts with becoming a people-first communicator, which includes the five key communication skills discussed below. Use these five skills to level up how well you communicate at work.
Knowing who your audience is, what matters to them, and how best to communicate with them is the crucial first step to being a people-first communicator. Aristotle once said, “The fool tells me his reason; the wise man persuades me with my own.” If you want to influence a manager, colleague, direct report, or client, you need to think about what the audience needs from the exchange. What do they care about? When you start there, you have a much stronger chance at success that is mutually beneficial.
Emotional intelligence is like two sides of a coin. On one side is you and your emotions, and the other side is your audience and their emotions. You want to learn how to clearly identify your own emotions, why they are being triggered, and how they are affecting you—particularly when interacting with others. Emotions are often triggered when a value is offended. For example, if a colleague values responsibility and their team is not delivering on a promised output then the colleague may become upset or angry. The colleague needs to first understand what is triggering their emotions so they can then communicate effectively with their team.
On the flip side of the coin is being empathetic to the feelings of others. Imagine you work with the colleague from the previous example, and you see they have become upset over an email exchange about a promised output. You know they do not typically get upset unless something is off. This is a good time to check in with the person from a place of curiosity and a genuine desire to help.
Mastering good emotional intelligence is critical to becoming a better communicator and ultimately a better leader.
To be a people-first communicator also means you need to be a critical thinker and problem solver. Have you ever heard of a leader who is referred to as a firefighter? They are a leader who is either constantly reactively solving work-related problems (typically created by other people) or proactively working to keep problems from occurring in the first place. These are some of the most valuable employees a company can have because they are aware of and pay attention to both the bigger picture and details to keep their organization running effectively and efficiently. These leaders also understand what priorities to focus on and how to set appropriate boundaries with those they work with. Good critical thinkers and problem solvers also keep on top of their work and close the loop on tasks because they are responsible and reliable.
To be successful at work, it is crucial to create and manage healthy working relationships, and this requires developing your credibility. To develop credibility, you want to practice: strategic thinking (consider how best to solve a challenge or harness an opportunity), effective listening (listen carefully and ask follow-up questions), being authentic (be your professional self), setting healthy boundaries (know what is appropriate and what isn’t in the workplace), and practicing message discipline (be clear and concise in your communication). Doing all of this helps to establish credibility with your audience and allows you to build connection and trust because you are seen by your actions and the way you communicate as a thoughtful and effective leader or team member.
Closely connected to building connection and trust is being an ethical communicator. Think of a person you work with who is honest, transparent and reliable. Who would not want to work with them, particularly when things are challenging? A colleague you can trust who gets things done is always someone you want on your team. They help make the organization or company thrive. That is the kind of colleague you want to be as you establish and build your professional reputation. When people trust you, they will often look to you for leadership. Businesses have a much better chance at thriving under ethical, transparent and reliable leadership.
What Does This Mean For Working Well?
Overall, being a people-first communicator is about knowing yourself, trying to understand those you work with, and working with them to solve problems by being ethical in the way you communicate and act. All of this leads to building connection and trust and forming a team that can work together effectively to serve the needs of the business and its stakeholders. If you want to communicate well at work and be a successful leader, then consider adopting these people-first communication skills and see how it transforms your professional relationships and ultimately how you are viewed as a leader.
Kasie Roberson, PhD is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Business Communication and Associate Director of Outreach and Coaching for the Center for Working Well at the Purdue University Mitch Daniels School of Business. In addition to being an award-winning teacher, she is also a Performance and Leadership Executive Coach and author of Strategic Business Writing: A People-First Approach published by Kendall Hunt in 2024.
