The millennial’s guide to souding smarter, more professional

The more millennials online take the power of speech for granted, the clearer it is that words do matter. Unfortunately, with all the variations of stress we deal with daily, it's been getting harder and harder to express ourselves politely while still effectively saying what we mean.

To help avoid miscommunication at work and in your personal life, here are a few tips to help you express your thoughts better:

1. Don't be mema— think before you speak (and react!)

In case you’re not aware, “mema,” the millennial term which abbreviates the Filipino phrase “may masabi” is not actually an applicable move when you’re already a professional. Being “mema” can be tricky when you're engaged in spontaneous conversation, but you can always help yourself. A few tips could be letting someone speak before you, or simply being honest and admitting that you need a few moments to gather your thoughts.

You can also buy yourself some time (and maybe gain more insight) by asking a question first before speaking. Just make sure that you listen to other people, too.

2. Make your intentions clear

Before saying anything in a meeting or a presentation, make sure to state your purpose or give context so that you're all on the same page. Think of it as a subject line in an e-mail. For instance, before setting a meeting, be sure to explain what the objective is and maybe even give an estimate of how long your session will be. Aside from being clear and purposeful, you also allow other people to manage their schedules better.

3. Know your prepositions

We learn prepositions as early as grade school, which is probably why we take them for granted. So take off your "alam ko na 'yan" hat and give yourself that much-needed refresher course. Prepositions, like after, in, on, at, to, and with, are short words (usually) before nouns and pronouns that help us identify time and location.

4. Avoid using the word very

Instead, think of a more appropriate word to describe what you really mean. You can use the word “awful” instead of “very bad,” “certain” instead of “very sure,” “forceful” instead of “very strong,” “obvious” instead of “very clear,” and so much more.

Also, it helps to expand your vocabulary by reading for at least 15 minutes every day. And when reading, look up the meaning of a word you don't know and try using it in a sentence that day.

5. Avoid repeating words

There's no hard and fast rule when it comes to this, but people can get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. Explore synonyms, use pronouns, or simply be more precise when describing something.

6. In writing, don't take punctuation marks for granted

There are about 14 commonly used punctuation marks in the English language, and each one has a different purpose. Learning them can be a little tedious, but using them correctly can save you a lot of time and effort in the future. When in doubt, always refer to an expert.

7. Avoid over-explaining one idea

During presentations, it's easy to ramble on to fill in silences or when you're faced with blank stares. To avoid this, make sure to prepare your notes thoroughly, and maybe even keep a timer next to it for reference.

To keep things brief you can also try the P-R-E-S method:

Point: Begin with the key point you want to make.

Reason: Explain what’s driving your comment on the matter.

Example: Give an example to expand on why your comment is important.

Summary: Close it out by reiterating your main point.

8. Practice in front of a mirror

It would be wonderful for public speaking to be as easy as it looks, but it never is. The reason why hosts are so good is because they practice almost daily, and experience hones their skills over time. In other words, you just have to keep doing it in order to get better. So don't be afraid to make mistakes, it's how you'll improve.

9.Work on your posture and make eye contact

Body language can be just as important as your words. Even if you don't feel as confident as you want to be, if you act it, no one will see the difference. Hence the expression fake it 'til you make it. Good luck, guys!