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CAREER DEVELOPMENT
The habits of effective communicators
Stephen Covey's nearly ten-year-old best seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and the seminars and planning tools it spawned have had a lasting influence on many people. It has particularly influenced those in business, even though it is not specifically about the work place.
Other writers have applied Covey's principles to everything from finances to mediation. Because they are so basic, and because much of effective living involves relationships which involve good communication, here is another application of Covey's tenets-the habits of effective communication.
1. Be Proactive. Communication involves a sender, a message, and a receiver. If you have something you want to tell someone, you won't get a chance if you wait to be asked about it.
Be an active "sender." Do you want your boss to know how much your group has contributed? Don't wait to be asked-do a report! Do you have an idea for how your group and another could work together better? Go to your counterpart in the other area and make the suggestion. Remember, too, that the more proactively you share of yourself the more there exists a basis for the relationships you want. So, don't be reticent about what makes you who you areÑyour background, your aspirations, your reactions to things, and so on.
2. Begin with the end in mind. What do you want the receiver to do as a result of your communication? No one can read your mind, so be explicit in asking for what you want. Sometimes this is simple. For example, do you want to make a sale? Ask the customer to buy something.
Other situations may be more complex. It is not a good idea to decide over your lunch hour that you want a raise and then march into your boss' office at 1 p.m. to tell him how much it should be and when it should be effective. It is a good idea, however, to begin with a thorough definition of what you want and to then strategize the kinds of information that would help persuade your boss to give you what you want. The proper timing and setting for your proactive communication is also an important part of this strategy.
3. Put first things first. When you are communicating, you need to present your case in a way that can be easily received and acted upon. Putting first things first in this case means figuring out how your "receiver" prefers to get informationÑin written form, or in person, for example.
It is also helpful to know how your receiver processes information. Does he like to make quick decisions, or does he prefer to mull things over? One person may want the big picture first. Another might want more detail first. So, prioritize the components of your communication in the order that will be best received by the receiver.
4. Think win-win. Knowing what you want is important. But you will be better able to get what you want if you put something in it for the other guy. What is the benefit to him of giving you what you want? If you can't think of any, broaden your scope.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. If you do your homework on putting first things first, you are almost there. You have worked to understand the communication and processing style of the receiver. To be effective, though, you must realize that, as you communicate, the communication is not just one way. As you "send," you get reactions. They may be verbal or non-verbal. Pay attention and make adjustments in what you send and how you send it.
So, listen and observe. Because our minds work so much more quickly than we speak, we tend to mentally jump ahead, especially in communication situations. We get so busy formulating our own next message that we fail to get the one being sent, and soon neither party understands or is understood.
6. Synergize. The saying that "two heads are better than one" is true. If you decide you want better teamwork between your shop and another, the same thought has probably occurred to your counterpart. Effective two-way communication helps you come up with improvements that neither of you would generate on your own.
The bottom line for synergy is open-minded communication. You can improve your solution by incorporating aspects of your counterpart's solution.
7. Sharpen the saw. Keep your communication skills sharp. You may have to learn a new vocabulary to communicate well with people in certain professions.
Perhaps you have not written a report or a memo in a while. Practice. Read. Take a class. Or do something totally new that may give you a different perspective on an issue or new examples to use in your messages.
From a communication perspective, these seven habits are interrelated. So, if you adopt one, you will find it easy to adopt several. Your communication will improve, and so will your results. 
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