3 easy tips for instantly improving your communication at work (whether you’re task or people-focused)

Find a critical friend

“Having a critical friend at work who can give you feedback is very helpful,” says Bicknell. “This can be constructively critical, but it’s someone who will say it with love, rather than just to have a pop at you. If you receive criticism like this from a trusted voice, it gives you time to think about it and work on it before it becomes a problem.”

Practise active listening

“A fundamental tenet of any leadership or team development is: how good are your active listening skills? Do you know what to listen for?” asks Bicknell. “Listen to what people ask you most, and it will give you a good indication of what’s important to them and what you should prioritise when speaking to them. For example, if they’re always asking about data, make sure to present that first. Whereas if they’re always asking about how people will feel about a certain issue, you should get that out before discussing the numbers. Listen, then tailor your communication accordingly.”

Ask for anonymous feedback

“When I’m doing this with senior leaders who have lots of people reporting to them, I’ll often get their direct reports to give anonymous feedback,” says Bicknell. “This is something anyone could do in their workplace if they feel comfortable asking people to fill in a very short survey. Ask questions like: what does my colleague ask me about the most? What’s most important to my colleague? How much do I believe my colleague? It will get back such rich data and give you a new level of self-awareness.”

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