Effective Communication Tips
Effective Communication Tips can be achieved. Women say all the time that they just want to have an open-line to communicate. We have thoughts and ideas to share and we want to engage in meaningful conversations.
Communication is something most of us think as just talking to another person. We learned to talk at an early age, nothing special about that. Why is it then that we are so often misunderstood when we speak to someone? Or why don’t we seem to grasp what someone has said to us?
Effective communication skills are a learned practice. To effectively communicate with another person you must convey the message of your intent in a way that the other will person comprehend the exact meaning of what you are trying to say.
Communicating takes another skill; listening. This is where the rub may occur. We occasionally don’t actually take the time to interpret what someone has just said to us. In the hustle bustle lifestyles we have created today we are so anxious to get out the information that we deem important that we don’t listen to what we have been told.
Have you ever tried to express your feelings to someone and then it seems as though they haven’t heard you at all? Frustrating isn’t it? You hear it in conversations all over the place…talking over each other. EEK! I’ve done that myself. How fair or right is that? No wonder we are having communication failures.
So what can we do about it? Here are a few suggestions:
• Set boundaries – 1 person talks, the other listens. Take turns!
• Give time for interpretation – it may take the brain a little time to let the information sink in.
• If you don’t understand what was said – repeat what you heard or ask for a better explanation.
• Be attentive – Give good eye contact and stay focused on the conversation at hand.
• Don’t be judgmental – allow each person to express themselves freely.
• When it is your turn to speak – do so calmly and in a mild tone.
• Think before you speak – make sure the message you are trying to get across is the right one.
• Give credit where credit is due – if the other person is right, acknowledge the fact.
• Agree to Disagree – we all have our own opinions and that is perfectly fine too.
• Be Patient – Rome wasn’t built in a day and it make take a few practice runs before the real communicating takes place.
Remember words are powerful! You can’t take them back once you have said them, so be clear and to the point with what you are trying to say. Also be a good listener, don’t dominate the conversation with your own agendas.
The goal is “effective communication” in which mutual understanding is the key factor. Practicing good communication skills builds confidence and better relationships.
Give it a try; you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
