Last month, in the first part of this communication refresher mini-series, we looked at the importance of building rapport. The ability to communicate effectively is part of this, as it is key to understanding other people and being understood by them in return. This module outlines a simple strategy that will help you to get your message across comfortably and successfully to others – whoever they may be.

Are the people you engage with in a professional capacity – customers, patients, team members, fellow pharmacists, other healthcare professionals, suppliers, policy makers, and everyone else your business brings you into contact with – hearing you loud and clear?

Clear communication, especially at times of great change, is fundamental to the success of any business, however big or small. But with so much going on, it’s easy to overlook the importance of planning and to fall into the trap of speaking before you think: trying to cram everything you want to share into one rambling communication can easily lead to confusion and misunderstanding.

As a community pharmacist, effective communication is one of the most important tools for future business success. It is becoming increasingly impossible for any healthcare professional to work in isolation without impacting upon their ability to influence, inspire or initiate action. Communicating clearly can be easier said than done, however.

Often, we have information we want to communicate, but we don’t share it effectively because of time constraints or poor planning. What stops us is simply not having a structure to ‘hang’ our communication onto. 

But there is a simple three-step process that can help you to overcome this, and it involves a simple framework that will help you get your message across effectively at every level.