Think about your Communication Skill

BPM (Business Process Management) is one of the fastest growing industries in India. As per NASSCOM the industry is worth $17 Billion and provides employment for over a million people and caters to 52% of world’s Business Process Solutions. BPM is related to all kinds of professions like Medical, Technology, Commerce, Finance, Law etc and the processes varies from simple data entry to complex systems like Data Modeling, Data Analysis, Quality Assurance, Service Delivery and Strategic Planning.

 However what is common in all these processes and activities is Communication Skill. It is the most important skill which is required from each and every individual in this industry. There are only few companies that really spend enough money and time in training their employees on Communication skills. Our education institutions do a measly job in imparting good training. So here I tried making a list of few parameters which will help you improve your communication skills and with a structured approach you can master at it.

 We all know that an effective communication is achieved when the audience understands exactly what the speaker/writer is trying to convey. This is the process where the intent is fully comprehended by the audience and is reciprocated with an acknowledgement. But an ineffective way of communicating will not only lose its real meaning but may also distort and create confusion. There are various factors why a message is interpreted in a wrong way. Some of the distracters are Incorrect Grammar, Phonetics, and Mother Tongue Influence. I will not dwell too deep into them but it should be helpful for a structured approach if you are willing to improve.

 Pay attention to tenses, parts of speech and know the difference between affirmative and interrogative sentences. You cannot leave the customer thinking whether you asked him a question or merely suggesting something.

• Phonetics – Intonate, Stress and Pause when required and only if required. Here is a classic example of stressing a word in a sentence inappropriately. “I Stole a Pen”. Now try stressing only one word when you say that sentence and see how the meaning changes.
  • I Stole a Pen –Are you accusing me of stealing
  • I Stole a Pen – You call that stealing, I just took it and didn’t know someone owns it
  • I Stole a Pen – I probably thought I took something else but wasn’t a pen
• Mother Tongue Influence – There is nothing wrong and it is quite natural that we all get influenced from the circumstances that we grew and how we learnt a language. MTI is not just confined for Asians it is a generic term for any individual who deviates from Normalized pronunciation. Americans too have MTI, have you ever heard how differently a Southern guy speaks than an Eastern. To overcome this, try to avoid framing the sentences based on your regional language. English should be spoken with its own fundamentals but not by another language.
• Be interactive. Do not sound like broken record. Be confident and take that courage to interact, speak more and try to loosen your muscles and let that free speech flow. You become eloquent only when you let your fears go.

 Remember that for any individual his career and its progress mainly depend on how effectively he communicates. This is a wonderful tool that can bring you success and it is easy if you practice.

 We do not have enough Henry Higgins than Eliza’s’ in this industry. Read books, they are man’s best friends for life. Enjoy life.