Good communication skills enable job seekers to get hired quicker and be promoted faster than other people, according to Charles Waugh, Ph.D., professor for 33 years of communication and psychology at the University of Maine at Augusta.
Communication is a two-way street.
It involves not only speaking but listening, he added. The goal is a speaking voice that is audible, clear, not too fast or slow, he said. Improving communication skills Watch for a friend or family member who is reading a newspaper, book, or magazine. Respectfully interrupt them and ask them to share some information about what they are reading. Using the good listening skills described above, leaning slightly forward, good eye contact, facial expressions, asking questions of clarity, and paraphrasing, practice your listening skills.