You would think it was easy for us to communicate with each other, wouldn’t you?
However, if we look at how we communicate, when we communicate, and who we communicate with, I am sure we would agree, that in most instances, our communication isn’t the best it could be.
We may avoid certain communication because we fear it may be confrontational, or fear the outcome of the discussion.
Communication is more than good or bad. The timing can cause a problem. The method we are using i.e. telephone, video conference, text or email has its pros and cons. If we measured how often our communication is good, positive and successful we would see how well we communicate with others, and vice versa.
Communication has a sender and receiver. When communication breaks down, or the message isn’t received in the way it was sent, is it the ‘fault’ of the sender or the receiver?
It’s up to the sender to ensure the message has been received and understood. Things can be misconstrued, due to how we are feeling, our past, our current situation, our impression of how things are between us and the other party, not to mention assumptions blurring our message.
How can we improve our communication?
I would like to share 3 elements of good communication skills with you:
- Ensure your message is understandable; don’t use jargon or words the other person or people can’t or don’t understand or relate to
- Be mindful of the tone you use in your voice; we might be saying the right things but if the tone says something else, this will generate a different reaction from the other person
- Keep to the story or point of what you are saying; like many of us we sometimes can be tempted to ‘go around the houses’ which can cause the person to drift off and not be so attentive to what we are saying
- Body language is another important factor; we might be saying the right thing, with great tone, but our body language could be causing a barrier or have negative connotations
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