What what? Ways to improve communication

Communicating well is one of the most common mistakes in modern life and certainly historically as well. Talking and telling something to another person is essential for good relationships. Listening, hearing and understanding the message is a necessary part of good communication. Often what is heard was not the intention of the messenger. Thus, we have apples and oranges, instead of apples and apples.

Being able to communicate is probably one of the most important life skills. We learn to communicate from our parents or primary caregivers and emulate the way they communicate.

Communication, in its simplest form, is the act of transferring information from one person to another. It can be verbal (using your voice), written (using print or digital media such as books, magazines, websites, or emails), visual (using logos, maps, charts, or graphs), or nonverbal (using body language, gestures, and the pitch and tone of voice). In practice, it is usually a combination of several of them.

Communication is a two-way process, involving both sending and receiving a message. It is imperative that both sender and receiver understand the word content of the message sent. Otherwise confusion and misunderstanding prevail.

Basic verbal communication skills include paraphrasing, this remedy is to paraphrase for clarity. Simply tell the person what they heard. “So what I heard you say was _______.” The messenger will say, “Yes, that’s what I said.” Or “No, I said_________”. And then it will restore and clear the message until both of you are on the same page.

It is crucial that the recipient of the message actively listens and responds appropriately, either by asking questions for clarification or more information or by offering support to the messenger.

A common mistake is to respond by removing the thought and recounting a similar personal experience that has the effect on the messenger of being unheard or belittled.

Another is to interrupt the messenger when something being said is triggered. Again discounting and interrupting effective communication. Being interrupted or receiving inappropriate responses has the effect of the messenger being sabotaged and reluctant to communicate further with this person. In this case, feedback to the other person may be appropriate.

Listening is a crucial component to effective communication. Being heard is important to the messenger who may be vulnerable when sharing ideas or personal information. Active listening can be shown through gestures such as eye contact, nodding, smiling, etc.

Stay with the messenger and respond appropriately when he appears to finish. Most of the time, asking for more information will be welcome as an indication of being listened to.

Feedback is one of the important communication skills. It can be risky to let the other person know the effect you’re experiencing, especially when you’ve been interrupted, but it can also be a positive experience.

Feedback always begins with an “I” statement. “I feel frustrated when I tell you something personal and you take it off the subject and intersperse an experience of yours.”

The important elements are “I feel” and “when you”. This way of communicating avoids blaming or accusing the other of having done wrong, thus feeling defensive, but encourages being receptive to hearing the mistake, which is often an unconscious way of communicating, probably from old patterns learned in life. childhood When a person is defensive, the ability to listen and be willing to change disappears.

Non-verbal ways of communicating are beyond the scope of this article, however they are important ways of giving and receiving information.

Conflict resolution can be challenging but necessary when opposing views prevail in a relationship. Negotiating for a good time to work on problem solving is

a good idea. if both of you are ready and willing to set aside time and are willing to work on differences.

Next, set some ground rules. I recommend that each person take an allotted time to speak without interruption and that the other person actively listen, including taking notes if both agree. I suggest 5 minutes each. This will bring out various differences and the next step is to agree on which ones to work on together, using the communication skill discussed earlier, paraphrasing, “I” statements and feedback.

Negotiate a resolution that you both agree on and put an end to that particular issue. Of course, any promises made must be honored.

In every relationship we all contribute something new, good ways of communicating can embellish and promote a mutually enriching relationship with positive skills to resolve differences and share experiences.