At SpeechSkills, we believe that we are all trying our best, so if we aren’t communicating effectively, it is almost certainly unintentional.

In this article, "Communication: What You May Be Doing Wrong Without Even Realizing," Meghan M. Biro (CEO of TalentCulture), discusses some "communication pitfalls" to watch out for.

First on the list: “Over-communicating." Sending out multiple reminders is a waste of your time and can be construed as an insult to your colleagues' ability to remember information. Whenever you send out communication on an ongoing subject, make sure it offers added information and is not merely a reiteration of the material you already shared.

Also, make sure not to rely too heavily on one channel (or the wrong channel) of communication. Many people suffer from email “in-box overload.” If you aren’t getting the response you want, consider a different medium for your message such as live announcements or stand up meetings.

We at SpeechSkills encourage you to consider: What communication pitfalls can you turn into professional advantages this year?

In any collaborative work environment, the meeting is the main component of office life. However, it can also be the source of company-wide complaints. So how can can you help ensure that meetings are more productive and less of a waste of time?

This HBR article by Jordan Cohen, suggests that you should start by collecting data. Have your colleagues anonymously rate the efficacy of each meeting on a scale from 1-5 after it’s over.

Use the data to diagnose the problem: was there an agenda? was the objective clear? was there adequate preparation? did it start on time? was it too long? were the right attendees present?

Next, design an intervention. Rather than telling employees what to do, try a more subtle approach – a slight behavioral cue that needs no explanation.

For example, at the Weight Watchers Headquarters in NYC, Cohen chose to install a preformatted whiteboard in each conference room with the word “Agenda” at the top. Underneath were three columns: “Agenda Topic”, “Desired Outcome” and “Time.” The Agenda Whiteboard not only suggested that people in the conference room should have an agenda, but that there should be a clearly desired outcome and a certain amount of meeting time allocated to discussion.

As a result of this test, meeting dissatisfaction dropped from 44% to 16%.

We at SpeechSkills urge you to consider: what subtle behavioral cue can you use to increase the efficacy of meetings at your office?

Trade shows, conferences, and job fairs are great places to work on your skill set. Even farmers' markets and festivals can provide low-risk practice opportunities - any place with people in booths and exhibits.

In these environments, it's customary to step up to strangers and start chatting. At each booth, you can focus on a different skill. Start by exhibiting strong posture, a strong voice, and strong eye contact. Avoid any kind of fidgeting, even when you're listening. Use a strong declarative inflection when introducing who you are and what your do. Try to eliminate extraneous fillers such as "uh," "you know," "sort of," "actually," and "like."

Sometimes these events can be career-building opportunities. If you are the candidate at a job fair, each person you meet could have the potential to influence your future. If you are the exhibitor at a trade show, who knows what business prospects might walk up to you. At the bigger trade shows, top executives are often mingling with the crowd, giving you rare access to introduce yourself. Focusing on your communication skills in these settings will not only help you build good habits, you'll show up strong if a serendipitous opportunity comes your way.

Do you find it difficult to ride a bike?

Your answer depends on whether you've ever taken the time to learn. Riding a bike is easy. Learning to ride a bike is hard. However, once you acquire the skill, doing it is almost effortless.

Like riding a bike, the skills taught in our workshops - keep your head level, hold eye contact for three to five seconds, speak at optimal volume, and so on - require focused effort to master. However, once they become subroutines, they are effortless to perform. And luckily for you, each individual skill in The Credibility Code is significantly easier to learn than riding a bike. Less than two hours of focused practice can cement any one of these skills into a subroutine.

However, for the busy professional, resources like time and energy can be in short supply. If this is true for you, try practicing more often but in short increments. If you spent 10 minutes a day of quality attention on eye contact, for example, you might be amazed how easily you acquire the habit.

We often use the “True or False” exercise in our workshops to help people develop the skill of attentive listening. Students are divided into groups of four at separate tables. Each person must tell two stories about themselves, one true and the other untrue. Listeners must guess which story is true and which is made up.

After all the stories are shared, I tell them the real purpose of the exercise. It was purely to get them to pay attention to each other. Typically, when people take turns telling stories, they don’t really listen. They spend most of their time rehearsing in their heads the story they plan to tell.

But when participants are tasked with telling fact from fiction, suddenly they focus on every word that’s said. They notice every gesture and nuance. The lesson, of course, is to use this same level of attentiveness in all of your communication interactions.

Most people will tell me that they can focus more on their posture, voice, and eye contact when they know their message well. I absolutely agree. However, it is unrealistic to expect to be well-prepared for all of your interactions.

I'd like to turn that thinking around. Imagine if you were so habitual about good posture, strong voice and optimal eye contact that the ONLY thing you had to think about was your message. That's the comfort zone.

Your message may change in every conversation. However, if you put in the practice time, your optimal speaking skills will become habits your can rely upon in every interaction.