Poor communication impacts our relationships at work and in our personal lives.

Communicating effectively opens doors and gives us advantages. It can build trust, create closeness, and resolve conflicts.

So how can you tell if you need to improve your communication skills?

Some of the most common signs of poor communication skills include: constantly interrupting others, excessive multitasking, rambling, constantly using qualifying statements and unchecked body language.

Consider some easy ways to immediately improve your communication skills:

1. Stop talking and just listen. Don’t listen just for your chance to speak.

2. Make eye contact. This builds trust and shows you’re listening.

3. Ask questions. Ask for clarification or for more information.

4. Speak confidently. Have conviction and confidence in what you’re saying.

5. Over-communicate. Often saying something once is not enough. We all benefit from reminders and follow-ups.

Improving communication skills may not get us everything we want in life, but it will help us get more of it.