Lately I have been in numerous situations where I had the ability to observe individuals as they communicated to a group—or at least attempted. Afterwards, in personal conversation,  the individual would assess the meeting's results by questioning the group’s ability to respond, follow instructions or a myriad of other accusative comments at everyone but themselves.

In each case these individuals meant to do well—they strived for the interaction they did not get yet they were unable to identify their part in the outcome they received. This can be attributed to the fact that we are often unaware of our communication flaws. Our own beliefs, perceptions, and past experiences–and of course our ego, makes us blind to what is really occurring.

In business, effective communication is vital. Strategic goals and objectives are established at the top and it is the job of the executives and managers to communicate the strategy to their subordinates. Too often, the message is not properly conveyed, which result in frustration between the team members.

Some people are by nature good communicators. However, you do not need to be born with such skills as they can also be learned. Here are three simple concepts that will immediately move you in the right direction.

 1) Pay attention to the results of your actions. If several attendees are expressing body language that suggest they are lost or confused—(frowns, restlessness, was intently listening at first but now wandering off)—consider changing your approach. Be flexible--if you are not getting the results you desire then try another approach. Say the same thing in as many different ways as needed to communicate your point- do not just say the same thing louder. In other words, the speaker is responsible for the understanding of the group.

2) Stories and metaphors are great techniques to communicate as long as they are of a subject matter that easily connects with the topic and is known by the individuals in the group. Be conscious of the latter, as adding more confusion by citing an off-topic that individuals now have to understand in order to understand the original topic is asking for trouble.  (No, football analogies cannot be used in all situations).

3) Your body language conveys more of the message than your actual words. Therefore, be conscious of the message your body is conveying. If you are physically expressing frustration and asking the group for participation—the result you will receive will more than likely be silence, which is the very opposite of what you are trying to accomplish..
Accepting responsibility for your communication and paying close attention to the results you are getting is the first step towards becoming an effective communicator. As you experiment with different approaches, you will begin to identify patterns of success and failure. This knowledge will provide you will a foundational understanding of what works and doesn't work, allowing you to continuously improve your skills and develop your own personal style.