Communication influence skills are often essential for professionals who fulfill leadership positions. You can convince members of your team to follow your direction, and you can seek strong connections that create a positive work environment. Learning how communication influence materializes in the workplace can enable you to strengthen your abilities and build a rapport with key figures at work, such as clients, supervisors and teammates. In this article, we provide examples of communication influence skills, explain ways to improve them and offer guidelines for highlighting them throughout your job search.

What are communication influence skills?

Communication influence skills are abilities that help you make an impact on a person’s thoughts and actions when interacting with them. You can persuade them to use the same techniques that you do to accomplish work tasks, and you can provide information about yourself that enables them to view you as a credible source. Communication influence manifests in the delivery of your speech behavior and the quality of your responses when others speak. It also entails your ability to evaluate nonverbal cues for insight into a coworker’s feelings. Communication influence skills can benefit leaders who aim to direct professional conduct.

Examples of communication influence skills

Here are seven examples of communication influence skills you can use in leadership positions:

1. Assertiveness

An assertive leader is an employee who can communicate their expectations in a firm manner. You can be personable enough to relate to the professionals who report to you, but your assertiveness informs that you expect them to follow your rules. They can understand your guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and they can recognize when to approach work with a sense of urgency. Assertiveness can also command respect for you as a manager or a supervisor. You can show that you can hold employees accountable, and they may aim to meet your standards.

2. Confidence

As a confident leader, you can build trust with the team members who report to you. They can perceive that you know what you’re doing, which inspires them to follow your directions and adapt to changes you make. They may trust your judgment and rely on you to help them grow as professionals.Confidence also involves how well you trust yourself and your ability to do your job. You can seek assurance that the challenging decisions you make were the best for the team and the company. Other examples include knowing that you can learn from mistakes, lead successful projects and develop meaningful relationships in the workplace.

3. Active listening

Active listening means paying attention to the message that your conversational partner sends. You can also indicate to them that you’re hearing and interpreting their thoughts. For instance, you might maintain direct eye contact with the speaker and nod your head to encourage them to continue with their explanation. After they’ve finished, you might paraphrase what they said and offer a thoughtful response. Understanding their perspectives can enable you to influence them. You can realize how to answer their questions and acknowledge their concerns, which heightens the possibility that they agree to follow your leadership.

4. Empathy

An empathic leader is a professional who recognizes the emotional needs of their colleagues. You can identify when someone needs extra support, and your thoughtfulness can deepen your relationships with them. You may also try to understand their point of view and think about what you might do if you experienced the same situation.For instance, when an associate struggles to gain a new skill, you may empathize with them because you know what it’s like to work toward a goal but have limited success. Your awareness of their feelings enables you to offer advice that appeals to them, and they trust that your guidance can benefit them.

5. Persuasion

Persuasion means to encourage someone to agree with your perspective and act in your favor. As a leader, you may convince employees to vote to enforce a new company policy or agree to adopt a new technique for completing assignments. Persuasion entails channeling the perspective of the listener and communicating details that appeal to them. For example, you might discuss the benefits of the action you want them to take, which can pique their curiosity and decrease any resistance. You can also keep your persuasive messages concise to sustain their interest and make your descriptions easier to remember.

6. Critical thinking

During a conversation with a coworker, you can use critical thinking to analyze their nonverbal cues and draw conclusions on how they may feel. Critical thinking can help you determine if your coworker believes your persuasive messaging, which can allow you to adapt your explanation if necessary. When identifying patterns in someone’s workplace conduct, you might recall instances when they exhibited the same behavior and determine what their actions mean. As leaders, it can be important for you to evaluate a situation thoroughly so you’re making effective decisions and staying informed about office activities.

7. Negotiation

Negotiation can allow you to compromise with your coworkers about handling activities in the workplace. You can present a solution that benefits both parties and enables you to maintain a positive relationship, although you had a disagreement. Your colleagues may also appreciate that you listened to their opinions and satisfied their needs. Negotiation involves convincing fellow employees to agree with your point of view and be willing to sacrifice some of their desires to fulfill yours. You can show you can do the same for them, which builds trust, enhances collaboration and compels you to proceed in the right direction.

How to improve communication influence skills

Follow these steps to strengthen your ability to influence others during social interactions in the workplace:

1. Look for commonalities

At the beginning of a conversation, look for traits that you and your conversational partner have in common. Examples include graduating from the same college, working in the same department or growing up in the same city. Discussing commonalities can allow you to build a rapport with your coworker, which serves as the foundation for a successful interaction. You can initiate a conversation that enables you and the coworker to relax, and the casual tone can work as smooth transitions into more important topics. The listener may feel inclined to agree to your sentiments once they’ve learned more about you.

2. Pay attention to the speaker

As the conversation progresses, concentrate on the context of their verbal messages to ensure you’re making correct interpretations. You can learn more about your partner’s viewpoint, which can tell you how to deliver an engaging response. For example, when trying to convince a chief officer to expand a budget, they may explain that the company wants to see a particular amount of revenue for the next project. Now you know to focus on the financial return and benefits when it’s your turn to speak. You can also pay attention to their non-verbal communication for insight into their current feelings.

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