Issue 1 - ICTACT.IN

Language & Communication Skills
Nikhil Indrasenan
Business Head – Ma Foi Academy
Why is it difficult to talk with some people and so
easy to talk with others Is communication a skill or an
art Whatever be the type, communication is a
competency every professional has no choice but to
master. To be a good communicator, do we need to have
sound social skills or will language proficiency suffice
Well, both are important.
The four aspects of communication: reading,
listening, speaking and writing are equally essential and
important. In addition to these four dimensions of
language, body language is also a vital aspect. Conversely
body language is known as nonverbal communication.
Almost all job interviews are based on communication
and language competencies. A good presenter can make
an impression, a very positive one at that, even if he/she
does not demonstrate relevant domain knowledge. I have
heard employers state that role-based skills can be
developed but not language skills.
`Give me a candidate who can articulate well and
write with clarity; we can train him in work skills’. With
communication getting briefer and quicker in this age of
speed, written communication, being the most popular
mode of business interaction, needs to be faultless.
Written English requires more care than spoken English.
Usage of simple and plain words instead of fancy phrases,
and short and concise sentences is a pre-requisite of the
global communication work culture. Brevity does not
imply brusqueness or abruptness. On the one hand, we
have to dispense with redundancy in words – we do not
say `endeavour to ascertain and accomplish’; we just say
`try to find out and complete’. Jargon, trendy
buzzwords, sms-ese, acronyms are all, if featured in
written communication, read with impatience and
irritation! Mark Twain said, `I never use a word like
communication needs to be effective and impacting
getting the expected response to achieve results. Spoken
language is critical too, as it involves self confidence, non
verbal skills, active listening, expression and a good
vocabulary. More important, spoken communication
warrants earnestness, without which, the speaker can
sound shallow and pretentious. Spoken language is a habit
and needs to be cultivated consciously. If picked up and
practiced the wrong way, correction and unlearning takes
10
magazine
a long time. The reason why people think they can get
away with improper and incomplete verbal
communication is because the in-person interaction has
other aspects like body signs, expression, gestures,
interruptions, prompting from listener, and so on. While
all these are important for communication, the verbal
skills remain the primary focus. Many errors and gaps
occur in verbal communication. Verbal or speech tics are
those words which are habitually used by the speaker. Do
you recall your student days, when you noted down the
number of times your teacher uttered – you know, do you
understand, okay
Most of us are not aware of our speech tics and we
regularly use them to start a conversation, fill in the gap
and at times, as mere expressions. One of my colleagues
asked another colleague - so, basically, how are you doing
My other colleague replied - thank you, I am naturally
doing well; but, fundamentally you should not be asking
me this, because you see me every day! Verbal tics can
cause not only annoyance but also fatigue to the listener.
The best way to get rid of this habit is to choose someone
who interacts with you closely and have that person give
you instant feedback. Like I said, unlearning or breaking a
long standing habit takes a while, but in due course of time,
with conscious effort, you will have achieved the desired
results. There are other conversational irritants such as the
hemming and hawing; in other words, hesitation and
fumbling in speech. The new age of speed and quickness
has no room for classic meeting addresses such as this: er…
I attended, hmmm, a meeting with the VP, yes, the VP.
Okay And, and I thought hummm I should share what,
uhh what we discussed, so that………. The group members
by that time would have exchanged a few phone messages,
maybe made couple of quick calls and sent out some
emails. And, can we blame them Clarity, articulation,
pace, choice of vocabulary, assertiveness and confidence
are the components that make verbal communication
highly effective and impactful.
A good communicator is a preferred business leader.
Nikhil Indrasenan possesses over 18 yrs of
entrepreneurial and HR experience in recruitment,
consulting & training. He has managed and delivered on
assignments across multiple industries / locations and found
career opportunities for over 5,000 professionals in his tenure.
He currently holds a dual responsibility of Head - Ma Foi
Randstad Academy and Country Manager and Director of
Ma Foi Randstad Sri Lanka.
ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE