Top 10 types of communication skills for career growth

Effective communication is the cornerstone of thriving in various aspects of life. Honing these skills will enhance your ability to convey ideas and navigate diverse situations. This article explores essential communication skills that can help you excel during interactions, boost your confidence, and open doors to new opportunities.

What are communication skills?

Communication skills refer to a person's ability to express their ideas clearly and effectively to others. More than just talking and listening, core aspects like facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice matter in proper communication too.

Regardless of age, job, or background, nurturing communication skills is essential for fostering meaningful interactions with others. This transformation doesn't happen overnight; it requires constant practice, dedication, and feedback to see improvements.

To help you get started, let's explore 10 different methods of communication below.

1. Active listening

Active listening goes beyond merely hearing the words being spoken. It focuses on understanding the speaker’s underlying meaning and intent. This type of communication skill requires concentration, empathy, and a genuine desire to comprehend the speaker's perspective.

To demonstrate attentiveness via active listening, you must show certain cues such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, and using appropriate facial expressions. You should also be able to ask relevant and open-ended questions to gather further information and clarify understanding.

Practicing active listening at work can help you follow instructions accurately. It prevents you from making assumptions and executing tasks incorrectly. Moreso, it helps you catch important details and notice non-verbal cues. With active listening, your team can spot which tasks need priority based on the urgency of their tone.

You can improve your active listening and other communication skills by taking communication skills courses from SC Training.

Recommended courses: Active Listening, Social Media and Electronic Communication, Communication in Project Management

2. Verbal communication

Verbal communication involves expressing thoughts, ideas, and information through spoken words. It's the ability to articulate messages clearly, concisely, and effectively to others. It's not limited to just the words spoken but also includes tone of voice, pitch, volume, and pace of speech, which all contribute to conveying meaning and intent.

Effective verbal communication involves using appropriate language for the intended audience, adapting communication style to match the context, and actively engaging in conversation. It also entails listening to others and responding appropriately, demonstrating respect and understanding.

Verbal communication is often used in presentations and team meetings to help convey new ideas and proposals. Mastering this skill teaches your team how to emphasize important points. It also trains them specific techniques to enhance clarity in their presentation and promote comprehension.

Recommended course: Effective Communication

3. Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication conveys messages and meaning through body language, facial expressions, gestures, and other non-spoken cues. As a complement to verbal communication, it significantly influences how messages are received and interpreted.

Nonverbal cues demonstrate important contextual information, such as emotions, attitudes, and intentions, which either enhance or contradict the spoken words. This form of communication is universal, transcending language barriers and cultural differences, making it a powerful tool for effective communication.

With this type of communication skill, you’ll be able to effectively express yourself, gauge others' reactions, and adapt your own behavior accordingly. It also lets you facilitate more accurate and empathetic communication.

Recommended course: Effective Communication in Customer Service

4. Written communication

This communication skill involves the effective transmission of information, ideas, and messages through written words. It encompasses various forms of communication in the workplace, including emails, reports, memos, letters, and text messages. They allow you to convey your thoughts clearly while maintaining professionalism.

Written communication requires careful attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting to guarantee comprehension. It also involves organizing ideas logically, structuring content appropriately, and adapting the writing style to suit your intended audience and purpose. This conveys information and encourages response to a call to action.

Training your team to be an expert in written communication can help them display professionalism in their emails and other communication channels with stakeholders. This positively affects your company's reputation and increases credibility, which is crucial in forming partnerships and collaborations.

Recommended course: Communication in Project Management

5. Interpersonal skills

The key components of interpersonal skills include active listening, effective verbal and nonverbal communication, empathy, and the ability to adapt to different communication styles and personalities.

These will help you build rapport, understand others' perspectives, and navigate social interactions with empathy and respect. With strong interpersonal skills, you can establish trust, foster open communication, and create a positive and inclusive environment. Communication training activities should also help you improve this skill.

Recommended course: True Influence - Developing Enduring Impact

6. Negotiation skills

Negotiation skills are a specialized type of communication skill that involves the ability to reach agreements or compromises through effective communication and persuasion. Negotiation skills are essential in business deals, conflict resolution, or interpersonal situations where conflicting interests or differing viewpoints need to be reconciled.

This skill requires the ability to articulate your position clearly and persuasively, while also actively listening and understanding the perspectives of others. It is the art of finding common ground, exploring alternatives, and creatively seeking mutually beneficial solutions.

As a good negotiator, you can navigate through disagreements and conflicts while maintaining a respectful and collaborative atmosphere. This way, you’ll be skilled at building relationships, understanding the motivations of others, and finding win-win outcomes.

Recommended course: Negotiation Fundamentals

7. Persuasion skills

Persuasion is the art of presenting compelling arguments and evidence to sway others' opinions or decisions. So, it’s a valuable type of communication that involves the ability to influence others' attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors.

To master this skill, you should be able to clearly articulate your ideas, establish credibility, and understand the needs and motivations of your audience. Persuasive communicators use logical reasoning, storytelling, and compelling evidence to support their viewpoints. They are adept at tailoring their message to resonate with the values and interests of the audience, and they can address potential objections or concerns.

If you work in sales, marketing, leadership, or public speaking, this skill will be highly useful for you. Just remember to use persuasion ethically and responsibly, and to respect the autonomy and perspectives of others while presenting a compelling case for their consideration.

Recommended course: Persuasive Selling

8. Conflict resolution skills

Conflict is a natural part of human interactions, and conflict resolution skills are essential for maintaining healthy relationships, fostering collaboration, and creating a harmonious environment.

Individuals with strong conflict resolution skills can navigate through difficult conversations, manage emotions, and facilitate open dialogue. They seek to understand the underlying issues, perspectives, and interests of all parties involved. With this communication skill example, you can address and resolve conflicts in a constructive and mutually satisfactory manner.

Recommended course: Handling Conflicts with Guests and Owners in Hospitality

9. Empathy

Empathy is a powerful type of communication skill that lets you understand and share the feelings, emotions, and perspectives of others. It requires actively putting oneself in another person's shoes to connect with their experiences. As an effective communication skill, empathy is crucial as it helps to create a sense of understanding, trust, and validation.

When practicing empathy, you should actively listen to others to grasp their emotions and underlying motivations. You must validate and acknowledge the feelings of others, demonstrating care and understanding. Empathy allows you to respond in a supportive and compassionate manner, fostering a safe and open environment for communication.

Team leads and other workers handling leadership roles will find empathy helpful as they try to understand and address coworkers’ feelings and perspectives. Empathy is what enables them to foster trust, loyalty, and camaraderie within their team.

Recommended course: Operating with Empathy

10. Cross-cultural communication

In today's globalized world, where diverse cultures often intersect, cross-cultural communication plays a significant role in fostering understanding and building inclusive relationships. This type of communication skill allows you to effectively interact and exchange information with individuals from different cultural backgrounds.

Sensitivity, open-mindedness, and a willingness to adapt communication styles and behaviors are required for accommodating cultural differences. As a cross-cultural communicator, you must actively seek to understand and appreciate cultural differences, actively listen to others, and avoid making assumptions or judgments based on culture.

You should also try communication strategies such as using clear and simple language, practicing patience, and asking clarifying questions to make sure that you understand each other.

Working in teams increases your chances of collaborating with multiple people from a a diverse set of backgrounds. Practicing cross-cultural communication fosters respect among teams that bring them closer and enhances their ability to work together.

Recommended course: Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Awareness (AUS)

How to improve communication skills in the workplace

Now that you’re aware of the different communication skills you can leverage in the workplace, it’s time to explore how you can practice and improve these skills. Following these tips can make sure you take full advantage of them at work.

1. Listen actively.

Being part of an important conversation can cause some people to become eager to share their point. While an enthusiasm to share your ideas can be a great way to maintain a fruitful conversation, it can cause you to miss valuable information and lead to a misunderstanding.

Instead, focus on paying attention to what other people are saying. You can try non-verbal cues, like a simple nod to show you’re listening. If you’re worried about forgetting what you’re going to say, you can associate your point with specific things they say to jog your memory when it’s your time to speak.

2. Be clear and concise.

Some people tend to overexplain or add unnecessary details that strays off from the main point of the discussion. Since most people can only process a few pieces of information at a time, this can make it confusing and harder for listeners to follow. Plus, the more words you use, the more likely you are to create misunderstandings. 

The key to clearer communication is balancing enough detail to be understood without overwhelming the listener. So focus on the core message, trim unnecessary background or justifications. If the details are really important, you can get back to that after you’ve said your main point or wait for the other party to ask clarifying questions. 

3. Ask questions.

Always remember that the point of discussions at work is to form new ideas and learn something new. If something isn’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask questions, even if you feel like it’s something you should have known. Clarification is free, but committing a mistake is costly to the business. 

Not every person you work with will share every single detail you need to know by default. They’re human too, so they’re just as likely to miss some points as you are. Asking questions can help fill those gaps and it maximizes the benefits you can get from presentations and brainstorming sessions.

4. Use positive body language. 

A good discussion means utilizing all forms of communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Smile, make eye contact, and keep an open posture. Avoid crossing your arms or doing something else while you’re participating in a conversation. That way, you  can look friendly and encourage people to share more of their ideas.

This is especially helpful during a forum or when you’re gathering feedback from co-workers or other employees. Maintaining a friendlier demeanor makes other people feel safe and comfortable enough to offer honest feedback that can help create effective solutions. 

5. Practice giving and receiving feedback. 

A good use of your professional communication skills is during feedback sessions. During these sessions, it’s crucial to maintain a safe space that encourages honesty among participants. However, knowing how to give feedback and getting in the right headspace to receive feedback is just as important.

Try to give feedback nicely and constructively. Make sure to focus on the issue, and not the person to avoid things from getting too personal. Also, accept feedback without getting defensive. This centers the discussion on improvement rather than negative criticism. 

How can SC Training improve your team’s communication skills? 

SC Training offers practical, engaging, and efficient learning modules for various communication skills examples. Whether verbal, nonverbal, or written, SC Training’s content library has a course for it. Some focus on best practices like active listening and conflict resolution to help them handle different situations effectively.

These courses are delivered in microlearning templates that divide learning materials into 5 to 10 minute lessons. This format keeps learners engaged without overwhelming them, promoting better retention and consistent practice. Plus, it makes it easy to insert training into their busy schedules.

The training often interactive quizzes and gamified assessments in between lessons to check your team’s understanding. Most course creators use them to check if your team can put their learnings into practice by creating assessments centered on real-world scenarios.