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Before you can start sharpening your communication skills, you need to know what you're working with. It's all about taking a good, honest look at your current style—figuring out what you do well and where you might be falling short. This first step, this moment of self-awareness, is the bedrock of any real, lasting improvement.
To build better habits, you first need a clear picture of where you are right now. Think of it as a personal communication audit. This isn't about judging yourself; it's about getting real so you can create a practical roadmap for where you want to go.
So many of us fall into communication patterns without even realising it. Maybe you're a straight-shooter who gets right to the point but sometimes steamrolls others in the process. Or perhaps you're brilliant in a one-on-one chat but clam up the second you're in a big meeting. Nailing down your default style is the key to making progress.
Take a moment to think back on your recent conversations. A bit of reflection can shine a light on habits you never even noticed. A good way to start is by asking yourself some direct questions.
Here are a few areas to consider:
The most important first step in improving your communication is developing an awareness of your own style. You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.
Understanding these patterns is huge because they’re often tied to our deeper thoughts and beliefs. For instance, holding back in meetings might come from a fear of saying the wrong thing. Recognising these connections is a massive step forward.
For a more structured way to tackle how you share ideas and listen to others, you might want to look into effective communication skills training. Once you've got this baseline, you can start setting smart, achievable goals for yourself, which we'll get into next.
Exceptional communication isn't just one skill; it's a careful blend of four distinct elements working together. When you get them right, confusing conversations transform into clear, impactful exchanges. Think of these as the four pillars holding up every message you send.
When these pillars are strong and balanced, your ability to connect with people, influence outcomes, and build solid relationships goes through the roof. Let’s break each one down so you can start building a more powerful communication toolkit today.
Hearing is passive, but listening? That's an active sport. It’s the difference between letting words wash over you and truly absorbing the meaning, emotion, and intent behind them. Active listening is all about making the other person feel genuinely heard and understood.
This means you’re not just waiting for your turn to talk. You are completely present, processing what's being said—and just as importantly, what's being left unsaid. It's the most respectful and effective way to start any conversation.
So, how do you put it into practice?
True listening is one of the most powerful tools you have. It builds trust, sidesteps miscommunication, and helps you uncover insights you would have otherwise missed completely.
We live in a world of information overload. A clear, concise message is what cuts through all that noise. It's about getting your point across without wading through unnecessary jargon, rambling, or confusion. Whether it’s a quick email or a project update, clarity ensures your message lands exactly as intended.
This skill is particularly prized in the workplace. In fact, New Zealand employers are very clear on what they need. A survey from MBIE’s Future of Jobs report found that a massive 88% of large employers rank communication skills as the top priority—well ahead of other attributes like attention to detail (72%).
To sharpen your own clarity:
It’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. Your vocal tone—your pitch, volume, and pace—can completely alter the meaning of your words. A monotone voice can make exciting news sound dull, while a sharp tone can turn a simple question into an accusation.
Think of your voice as an instrument. Learning to control it allows you to convey warmth, confidence, and empathy, making your message far more engaging. A huge part of effective communication is consistently improving verbal communication skills, as they are fundamental to getting your message across clearly and confidently.
To help you see how these elements work together, here’s a quick summary of the four pillars.
This table gives you a snapshot of each pillar and a simple tip you can start using right away.
Putting these tips into practice consistently will make a noticeable difference in how effectively you communicate.
Believe it or not, your body often speaks louder than your words. Non-verbal cues—like your posture, facial expressions, and eye contact—send powerful signals that can either support or completely contradict what you're saying.
Being mindful of your non-verbal signals helps ensure your entire message is aligned. For example, if you’re praising a team member but you’re slouched with your arms crossed, the message they'll really receive is one of insincerity.
Key non-verbal cues to focus on include:
Developing these core skills is an ongoing process. You can explore more avenues for growth with our guide to professional development courses in NZ. By consciously working on these four pillars, you build a rock-solid foundation for becoming a more effective, respected, and successful communicator in every part of your life.
As our workplaces have evolved, so has the way we connect with our colleagues. We've moved away from a world where every important conversation happened face-to-face. Now, we lean heavily on emails, instant messages, and video calls—each with its own unwritten rules and potential for missteps.
Without the safety net of body language or vocal tone, a quickly typed message can easily be misinterpreted, leading to frustration and crossed wires. Getting this right isn't just a 'nice-to-have' skill; it’s fundamental to keeping projects moving and maintaining strong professional relationships. This is your guide to staying clear, professional, and impactful, no matter what platform you're using.
In the digital world, your words are doing all the heavy lifting. The real challenge is conveying nuance and feeling without sounding blunt, sarcastic, or demanding. Your choice of words, punctuation, and even the occasional emoji can completely flip how your message lands.
Think about a short message like "Need that report." It can feel aggressive. A simple tweak adds warmth and transforms it: "Hi team, just checking in on the report. Is there anything I can help with to get it across the line?" This small shift encourages collaboration instead of creating pressure.
Here are a few practical tips to help you refine your written tone:
A truly effective email respects the reader's time. It needs to be easy to scan, simple to understand, and crystal clear about what action is needed. Sending a wall of text is a surefire way to have your message ignored or completely misunderstood.
A well-structured email makes it easy for the recipient to pull out the key information and respond. This isn't just about being polite; it’s about being efficient and making sure your message actually achieves its goal.
Your subject line is the first impression your email makes. Vague subjects like "Question" or "Update" get lost in a busy inbox. Be specific: "Question About Q3 Marketing Budget" or "Update on the Wilson Project Timeline."
The body of your email should have a logical flow. Put the most important information right at the top, use short paragraphs and bullet points to break up the text, and always finish with a clear call-to-action. Tell the reader exactly what you need from them, whether it’s, "Please provide feedback by Tuesday," or, "Could you approve this draft?"
Video calls are now a fixture of modern work, but they come with their own unique challenges. It’s tough to read the room, find the right moment to speak up, and project confidence when you’re just another box on a screen. The secret is to be present and engaged.
This is a space where younger professionals can particularly struggle. A survey of New Zealand workers found that 68% of Gen Z have experienced miscommunications because of digital tools. That number jumps in larger businesses, where a massive 84% of Gen Z workers find it hard to speak up in video meetings. You can read more in the full Gen Z in the workplace report.
Here’s how you can make a better impression on camera:
Knowing when to jump into a conversation can also be tricky. Instead of talking over someone, use the "raise hand" feature or wait for a natural pause. You can then ease in with something like, "If I could just add a thought on that point..." or "That's a great point, Sarah. I was also wondering..." These phrases show respect for the speaker while still allowing you to contribute in a meaningful way.
Today’s workplaces are a vibrant mix of cultures, backgrounds, and ways of thinking. This diversity is a huge asset—it fuels creativity and brings fresh perspectives—but it can also create some unique communication hurdles. What’s considered direct and efficient in one culture might come across as blunt or even rude in another.
To get it right, you need more than just good intentions. You need what's called cultural intelligence. This is all about recognising and adapting to those subtle but powerful differences. It means ditching the one-size-fits-all approach and learning to tweak your communication style to build real connection and understanding. Get this right, and you not only sidestep misunderstandings but also help build an inclusive place where everyone feels valued and ready to do their best work.
One of the biggest ideas in cross-cultural communication is the difference between high-context and low-context cultures. Getting your head around this is the key to figuring out why messages sometimes get lost in translation, even when you're all speaking the same language.
For instance, a manager from a low-context background might say, "I need this report on my desk by 3 PM." A manager from a high-context culture might float the idea more softly, maybe saying, "Do you think it would be possible to look at the report this afternoon?" Both are asking for the same thing, but the delivery is completely different. Knowing how to spot these styles helps you read between the lines and understand what’s really being asked.
The typical Kiwi workplace is pretty firmly in the low-context, egalitarian camp. Research on Communication and Culture in the NZ Workplace points to our low "power distance," meaning flat hierarchies are standard.
In fact, the study found that 91% of respondents prefer managers who give them autonomy and treat everyone as equals. This means direct, clear communication is usually the most effective way to go. But this can cause a bit of friction when colleagues from high-context cultures join the team, as they might find the Kiwi directness a bit jarring or lacking in personal warmth.
Good multicultural communication isn’t about memorising a rulebook for every culture. It’s about staying curious, paying attention with empathy, and being flexible enough to meet people where they are.
Getting better at communicating in a diverse team is a journey, not a destination. It’s all about building bridges.
Here are a few practical things you can start doing right away:
Understanding the principles of great communication is a fantastic start, but true improvement comes from doing. Just like building muscle at the gym, strengthening your communication skills requires consistent, targeted practice.
This is where you move from theory to action, transforming abstract knowledge into a natural ability. These daily exercises are designed to slot right into your existing routine. You don't need to block out hours; just a few minutes of focused effort each day will build momentum and create lasting change. Think of it as your personal training plan to turn communication weaknesses into strengths.
One of the most powerful ways to get better at active listening is to make it a conscious habit. A simple yet incredibly effective technique is the summarise and question method. You can use it in your very next conversation, whether it's with a colleague or a friend.
Here’s the breakdown:
This quick two-step process achieves two critical things. It confirms you've understood, nipping miscommunication in the bud, and it shows the other person you're genuinely engaged. That's how you build trust and rapport almost instantly.
Real change happens when you stop just learning about communication and start doing it. Consistent daily practice, even for just 15 minutes, is far more effective than reading a dozen books on the topic.
Ever find yourself rambling, taking way too long to get to the point? The elevator pitch exercise is a brilliant way to train yourself to be clear and concise. The goal is to structure your thoughts so you can deliver a core idea in the time it takes to ride an elevator—roughly 30 to 60 seconds.
Start by picking a topic you know well, like a project you’re working on or even your favourite hobby. Then, structure your thoughts using this simple framework:
Practise this out loud. You can even record yourself on your phone to see if you’re hitting the key points clearly and staying within the time limit. This drill forces you to trim the fat from your message, leaving only the most important information. Once you get the hang of it, you can apply this tight structure to emails, meeting updates, and casual conversations.
For more ideas on enhancing team dynamics, check out our guide on effective team building activities for the workplace.
Your voice and body language are powerful tools that often say more than your words. To improve your vocal variety, try reading a page from a book or an article out loud each day. As you read, consciously play with your pace, pitch, and volume.
Emphasise different words to see how it changes the meaning and emotional impact of the sentences. This simple exercise helps you break free from a flat, monotone delivery.
For non-verbal cues, the mirror is your best friend. Practise discussing a topic while paying close attention to your posture, facial expressions, and hand gestures. Are your arms crossed? Are you slouching? Consciously adopt an open posture and use natural gestures to reinforce your points. It might feel a bit strange at first, but it builds the self-awareness needed to project confidence and approachability in real interactions.
To make all this a consistent habit, a little structure goes a long way. Here’s a simple weekly plan you can adapt to get started.
By committing to these small, daily actions, you’ll start to see a significant improvement in how you connect with others and, just as importantly, how your messages are received.
As you start putting these new strategies into practice, you're bound to run into questions. That's a good thing—it means you're growing. Think of improving your communication skills as a journey; having answers to common bumps in the road keeps you moving forward with confidence.
Here are some of the most frequent questions we hear, along with some practical, real-world advice to help you navigate them. Each answer ties back to the core principles we’ve already covered, giving you targeted support right when you need it.
First off, feeling nervous before speaking is completely normal. In fact, it shows you care about what you're saying and the impact it will have. The trick isn't to get rid of the nerves entirely but to manage them so they don't hijack your message.
One of the most powerful things you can do is prepare, prepare, prepare. When you know your material inside and out, you free up so much mental space. You can stop worrying about remembering your points and start focusing on how you deliver them. Before a big meeting, take some time to structure your thoughts. The 'elevator pitch' method works wonders here—boil your main idea down into a single, crystal-clear statement.
Also, don't underestimate the power of your breath. Just before it's your turn to speak, take a few slow, deep breaths. This isn't just fluff; it's a simple physiological trick that can slow your heart rate and calm that fight-or-flight response, allowing you to speak more clearly and with a steady voice.
Tackling a tough conversation with a colleague is always a delicate balance. You need honesty, but you also need empathy. Your goal is to address the issue head-on without torching the relationship. The best way to do this is to plan the conversation carefully and focus on specific behaviours, not someone's personality.
Start by finding a private space and a time where neither of you will feel rushed. When you begin, frame the conversation using "I" statements to explain how a situation is affecting you. This feels collaborative rather than accusatory. For instance, instead of saying, "You missed the deadline and created a huge problem," try something like, "I felt concerned when the deadline was missed because it impacted my part of the project."
The cornerstone of any tough conversation is active listening. Go in with the intention to understand their perspective, not just to unload your own. Acknowledge their points before you respond. It shows you've genuinely heard them out.
This is a big one. Improvement in communication is a slow burn, not an overnight explosion. You'll probably notice the small wins first. Maybe you'll successfully use the 'summarise and question' technique in a chat, or you'll speak up in a team meeting and feel a little more confident doing it.
Consistency beats intensity every single time. Seriously. Just committing to 15 minutes of practice each day will create massive, lasting change over weeks and months. This could be anything from reading an article aloud to improve your vocal tone to consciously observing non-verbal cues in your next video call.
The real key is to be patient with yourself and celebrate those small victories along the way. Take a moment every so often to reflect on recent interactions. It's a great way to recognise how far you've come and keeps you motivated to keep honing your skills.
At Get Course New Zealand, we believe that continuous learning is the key to personal and professional growth. If you’re ready to take the next step in upskilling or exploring a new career path, we can help you find the right online course to match your goals. Start your learning journey with us today at https://getcourse.co.nz.
