By Daniel Muñoz Pozo, Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy.
At Sánchez-Casal Academy, we believe that communication is the image and the nuance of each person, who, with mere silence or just a look, sends a message or reveals a simple intention.
Since childhood, each of us tries to argue in the best way we possibly can. As teenagers we observe other models of communication and copy those that seem to be most effective; then, we hone and refine those skills as adults.
But who teaches us to communicate better in our daily interactions, and in our personal and professional life? How much time do we actually spend on developing our communication skills, so that when we really need them, we can employ them to our advantage?
In the current competitive environment, if you want to stand out, good communication skills are critical, whether in conversations, via email, in a meeting, or on the personal front. Communicating effectively means weighing our words carefully; knowing not only what to say and when to say it, but also how to say it.
To develop our communication skills, we must learn when to use the right tone of voice, whether it is informative, expressive or convincing. We can then pair up the tone with other tools for effective communication, like body language, voice, and our physical image.
I saw a great example of this, coming from a former Sánchez-Casal alumni, Johanna Konta, who gave a great speech after winning the 2016 Bank of the West Classic Final.
Sometimes we are too focused on our conversation skills or on the physical impressions we make, and we forget how important it is to communicate well in writing. A well-structured email or a dynamic audio-visual presentation can also contribute to the image we project, and so we need to give equal importance to our communication skills when publishing.
How many times have we made a request, or been involved in a discussion or negotiation, and thought to ourselves afterwards that if we had just prepared the argument a little better, we would have been more successful? How often do we admire others for speaking well or writing something brilliant?
How about you? What value do you give to communication? What do you do on a daily basis to improve your communication skills?
Daniel Muñoz Pozo
Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy
