In today's ever-changing marketplace, communication is key. Not only do you need to be able to communicate your ideas well, you need to be able to do so in a variety of media. Since college is the beginning (or perhaps continuation) of your professional life, what better time to start than now? Here are some tips for effectively communication with classmates and colleagues (for tips on how to effectively communication with professors, please see my earlier post on this subject). Just to be clear, in this post I'll be talking about professional communication (of course, you'll communicate with classmates who are your friends in a much different, more casual way).
- Decide exactly what you want to say (the intent of your message). This may sound simple, but very few people actually think about what they want to communicate/convey before sitting down to compose a message (or speaking it).
- Choose the medium for your message based on the type of message you are communicating. Thanks to advances in technology, there are now many options for communicating messages. At times, the medium you use is as important as the message itself. Written media are best if you want to retain a record of what was communicated. For example, if you are organizing a group project and want a record of what each person is responsible for, a written communication (like email) would be best. Email or electronic messaging (via Facebook, for example) are also good ways to convey information to a group of people.
- Remember that face-to-Face communication is still important. Many millennials consider face-to-face meetings to be pointless and obsolete. However, there are times when face-to-face communication is still important. For example, if you are working on a group project, oftentimes brainstorming is more easily done in person (because you can immediately play off of each others ideas). Also, as you enter the workforce, remember that many baby boomers still prefer phone and face-to-face interaction over email or other forms of electronic communication.
- Always be respectful and polite, no matter what medium you're using. It's best to err on the side of being too polite in your communication. Be respectful of others' time and ideas and use basic politeness formulas in written communication such as 'Dear so-and-so,' etc. It's okay to ask a few personal questions (especially if you've worked with the person before) like 'how was your trip?' etc., but then its time to get down to business.
