Page 73 - kf fyi for your improvement license eng 3-4-15

the need to know it all. Ask what others can contribute. Welcome divergent views. Put yourself in
learning mode. Even when ideas conflict, new and better solutions can emerge. If you are closed to
new ideas or think you already know everything there is to know, then you are not a great
communicator. Period.

4. Sending the wrong signals? Watch your non-verbals. Pride yourself on preparing for meetings?
Have all of your messages lined up and ready to deliver? Your preparation can be derailed by a few
unconscious mannerisms or non-verbal habits. Non-verbals can cause distractions or send
unintended signals like impatience, disinterest, or nervousness. To clean up your non-verbals, give
others your full attention. Turn away from your computer, shut off your cell phone, and set distractions
aside. Keep your facial expressions open and friendly. Watch out for habits like glancing at your
watch, checking for incoming messages, or giving an impatient “I‘m busy” look when people need
more time. Avoid fidgeting. Don’t let your eyes “glaze over.” Stay focused and have good eye contact.
Ask a few trusted friends what they’ve observed. Work on eliminating mannerisms that suggest you’re
disinterested.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

Adams, S. (2013, November 19). How to communicate effectively at work. Forbes.
Charan, R. (2012, June 21). The discipline of listening. Harvard Business Review Blog Network.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). Types of nonverbal communication: 8 Major nonverbal behaviors. About.com
Psychology.

5. Using jargon or acronyms? Choose clear language. Every group has a lexicon of its own.
Teenagers. Politicians. Technical groups such as systems engineers. Functional groups such as
finance and human resources. They use acronyms specific to their function or sector—ROIC for
“return on invested capital” or OPEC instead of “Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.”
They fall back on jargon, choose an abstract term, or string too many nouns together. Like writing
“visual pattern identification depiction” when “map” would do. If you are writing or speaking for an
insider group, you may not need to translate anything. In fact, it can make you sound more credible
when you speak their insider lingo. But to reach a wider audience, you need to state things as simply
as you can. Watch out for jargon, acronyms, and insider terms. Translate slang—especially if you are
writing for an international audience. Watch out for spelling and usage errors. If you’re a regular
texter, you may have fallen into some bad habits. Ask someone from your target audience to review
your work for clarity. Use grammar check in Word to flag any unusual constructions. Use a thesaurus
to find the best vocabulary. Use a style guide—such as Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style—
for ideas on how to make things clear.

6. Communications missing the mark? Adjust for individual differences. Do people sometimes not
understand you? What you are saying seems perfectly clear to you. But others ask, “What exactly do
you mean?” A lot of miscommunication occurs because people process information differently. Some
get the picture without a lot of detail. Others need more explanation or examples to understand
clearly. Some need an illustration or a case study. Others ignore the diagrams. Some like to take
notes. Others retain most of what they hear. Don’t assume that everyone processes information as
you do. Get to know the communication styles of the people around you. Investigate what’s worked
© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

73