How To Communicate More Clearly
Let's put some color into this article, shall we?
CLICK PLAY TO HEAR MUSIC AND WATCH...
Communication is the foundation of everything we do.
Whether you leave the house or not, you still communicate with others daily, be
it online or in person. How well you get along with people hinges on how well
you communicate. How successful you are in life hinges on how well you
communicate. There are a few 'rules' that you can apply to all of your
communications.
Why?
This is specifically for work or professional
communication. Often, we waste a lot of time and energy communicating when we
don't actually know why we're bothering. So, think about what you would like to
accomplish?
This can also be applied to your personal life, even
idle chit-chat can have some type of purpose, whether it's bonding or
getting to know someone.
When others initiate a conversation, consider why it's
taking place. If you can't understand why try to gently guide the
dialogue to determine the why. The purpose of this is to focus and understand
the why to avoid rabbit trails and side issues that detract from the manner at
hand.
In-Person
Communication
Have you ever fallen out with someone over text
message? Or watched a fight unfold on social media because one person read
someone else's tone wrong? If you're dealing with a highly emotional issue,
then it should be addressed in person. If it's impossible to do so in-person,
at least do so via video call. This goes for positive and negative emotions. If
you're delivering great news then you want everyone to get sucked into your
positive energy.
As far as bad news or negative conversations go, it
will be received better if you do the job in-person.
Email Facts
People often lose concentration when they are being
given facts and figures verbally. If you're dealing with a finance issue,
statistics, or otherwise, opt for emailing this information so the other person
can easily look back on the numbers when necessary.
No Talking, Just
Listen
This is applicable to in-person communication. Stop
spending so much time doing all the talking and start listening. Unless you are
the one who came to the table to start a conversation, give others the respect
they're due when they are trying to communicate their ideas or feelings. Don't
dominate conversations with your motor-mouth.
Simplicity
We live in a society of information overload so
simplify your messages. You might use five sentences, but you can probably say
it with one.
5 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations with your Partner
You love your partner, but sooner or later, a tough
conversation needs to happen. While this is normal, (after all, what
relationship doesn’t have its bumps along the way) how you handle those
conversations will determine whether you come away from this particular
conflict with a stronger appreciation for each other. This is why it’s so
important to handle difficult conversations well.
How do you ensure you engage in the best conversation
possible in these circumstances?
Start with Not Putting
Off the Talk Longer than Necessary
Take time to count to ten or to take a few deep breaths
before beginning. After all, starting with too much emotion will be more
damaging than helpful. Once you’re cooled down though, it’s time to talk. Why
is it better sooner rather than later? By putting things off, you tend to build
up resentment and inflate the conflict. It’s important to address situations
before they get out of hand. A small problem today is much easier to solve than
a giant one several weeks from now.
Drop the Good News /
Bad News Approach
No one likes waiting for the other shoe to drop, so instead
of giving the compliment with a ‘but’ lurking to negate everything you’ve just
said, just come out and say the bad news first. If you’re determined to add in
the compliment, do so after the bad stuff is out of the way, so you leave the
person on a more positive note.
Plan Your Conversation
Rather than blindside your partner with an uncomfortable
discussion, let them know you have something you want to talk about. Make it
clear you’re wanting to discuss something that affects your feelings, rather than starting out in an attack. There’s a
vast difference between, “I’d like to talk to you sometime about your drinking”
vs. “I’d like to talk to you about how I feel when I see you drinking so
heavily.”
What Are Your Goals?
In any heavy conversation, you need to agree at some point on
common goals. Working toward the same thing will help you find your way through
the conversation to that eventual place.
Keep a Positive Spirit
Aim for optimism. Even if the conversation isn’t going how
you would like it to, finding something to hope for will soften the outcome no
matter what.
Difficult conversations are just that: Difficult. But having
a plan in place will help you to get through them. Use these steps to build the
framework of your conversation, and even if the outcome is bad, getting there
won’t be as difficult as you think.
Assertiveness for Better Communication
Learning to
communicate effectively means that you first must first learn how to be
assertive. The other options of communicating are passiveness or aggressiveness
– both of which tend to alienate those you’re trying to communicate with.
When you
learn to communicate effectively by flexing your assertive muscles, you’ll
experience a boost of self-esteem and a personal confidence which will help you
succeed in all areas of your life.
You’ll learn
to be less resentful or feel inadequate or guilty about your decisions and will
experience more freedom in your life. But, most of all – the way you
communicate will improve your relationships, both at work and at home.
Assertiveness
means that you’re able to express your thoughts and feelings without anger and
in an appropriate and honest way. You’ll be standing up for your rights as a
thinking and valuable individual and others won’t be confused about your
beliefs and opinions.
Some
techniques you should learn to become a more effective communicator are:
Broken Record
This technique that you persist in expressing what you want and how you feel
without bringing anger and resentment into your tone of voice. The trick is to
remain calm and express your wants very clearly. Then, keep repeating your
point and don’t give up unless you decide to agree to a compromise.
Fogging
A
technique which involves not responding in an anticipated manner (defensive or
placating). The method is one which gives a minimal response within a conversation
– rather than being argumentative. When you’re not expressing the desired
effect with the person, he or she will tire of the conversation.
Handling Positive and Negative Comments
You may have trouble responding to compliments – or
to respond to negative comments about you or something you’ve done. For
positive comments, you should express your assertiveness by thanking the person
and to negative criticism, you should express regret that the person feels that
way and then ask what, in particular, do they have a problem with.
As you
continue to practice your assertiveness with others, you’ll find that your
skills of communication will increase and you’ll have less problems dealing
with people.
You may find
methods of your own which work – like not engaging a person in arguments or
being able to walk away from a bullying situation calmly and without being
angry.
Developing interpersonal skills is a self-confidence booster which can help you with day to day communication with those who are close to you and those you may need to deal with on a one-time basis.
If you liked this article, why not subscribe to us. There are several ways you can follow us to the right of this post. If you would like a free ebook on how you can utilize YouTube for your business, subscribe to our GREEN LIST
Comments
Post a Comment