Start this new year with an honest examination of your own communication strategies. Then implement necessary changes. Your words may not change the course of our nation, but improving your communication awareness, strategies, and skills is under your direct sphere of influence!

These practical tips can serve as a starter list:

• Implement a suggestion system or team/employee feedback system.
• Demonstrate a positive, timely response to your feedback system.
• Encourage opportunities for interacting with team members. Your personal net worth can often be traced to your network.
• Strive to make your policies and actions consistent with your words.
• Show genuine concern for and interest in people.
• Avoid communicating mixed messages. Example:  A manager saying, “Tell me what’s on your mind?” while never stopping to look at the person speaking. Example:  “I’m going to have to suspend you without pay for a day for this because it’s company policy. But personally, I don’t agree with the policy nor do I blame you for how you handled the situation yesterday.”
• Communicate respect in your body language. (Disrespectful: Rolling your eyes in a meeting when you disagree. Interruptions. Refusing to listen to another viewpoint. Facial expressions that belittle or patronize.)
• Pay attention to your tone of voice. As with products, advertisements, or food, sometimes the “presentation” (delivery) matters more than the thing (words) itself.