In the modern world, a number of professions are presented with completely defined, but not always understandable requirements, among which “communicative competence” always appears in the first places. Especially when it comes to such job responsibilities as attracting and retaining customers, and other types of interaction with them.
It would seem that incomprehensible in this phrase? Communicative means sociable. The competence of a person in this case is considered as the ability to establish contact, transmit and receive information from another person. Moreover, the communication process should be effective both for the employee and for his client (and, therefore, for the company as a whole).
However, the concept of communicative competence is not so narrow. Researchers, as they study the problem, have included many aspects in the term:
- the absence of communication barriers (including speech, for example, stuttering; national language features; the specifics of professional communication; psychological barriers);
- a kind of “slang”, formed by virtue of the circle of communication and cultural characteristics (psychologists and trainers advise talking with the client “in his language”);
- individual behavioral characteristics that cannot be attributed to barriers, but sometimes they create a barrier to communication (for example, different speech speeds associated with the characteristics of a person’s temperament).
Communicative competence has another important aspect - strategic. When conducting negotiations, communicating in an informal setting with “the right people”, it is important to always remember your goals and build a communication process in accordance with them, be able to predict the situation and change it in your interests. Otherwise, the time spent will be unjustified. Of course, to communicate in this way (“in suspense”) is always impossible. We draw the attention of the reader that this advice is intended for the professional field of activity (but in life such a skill is in demand more often than it may seem).
To be competent in communicating with different people (and clients are not always the same professional group, the same social status), you need:
- have an idea of the communicative process, form psychological skills (for example, recognize barriers and reduce their impact on the communication situation);
- keep abreast of political news, know the basic terms of various sciences (jurisprudence, management - depending on which professions you most often communicate with), know the national characteristics of speech (especially if you deal with citizens of other countries);
- Know your own characteristics and reduce their negative impact on the interlocutor.
Communicative competence of an individual is formed on the basis of life experience, acquired skills. But its adjustment is possible thanks to psychological training. Especially useful are highly specialized programs that allow you to acquire specific skills for situations that often arise in professional activities and in life: “Sales training”, “Communicative barriers”, “Negotiation training” (in any specific professional activity), “Speech for communication with client ”(sweat on the phone and for a personal meeting),“ Rhetorical techniques ”,“ The art of persuading ”. Hence the fashion for “advanced training” of employees, the requirement of managers to constantly improve and grow professionally.
The main useful skill that trainers in communicative training are called to teach is the ability to adapt to another person: to speak the same slang as he, to copy a pose, manner of communication, change the pace of speech (reduce or accelerate), fight or smooth out barriers. And if in other areas of life “adjustment” for other people is not considered a successful way of behavior (everyone should have their own “core”!), Then communicative competence cannot do without it.
Thus, when the term is decomposed into components, the necessary knowledge and skills are painted, it becomes clear in which direction one should develop further in order to be successful or at least understood by others. Communicative competence is not formed overnight, it is necessary to strive for it, since it is it that will ensure the achievement of the desired goals.