Effective Communication

I have been very observant lately in my personal and professional life about a major epidemic where people don't communicate effectively enough. This is a HUGE problem! Why is that? Because we all have a voice and we need to use it! Whether this is in your professional world and talking to your coworkers about an issue you're having, sending emails to those around you about process changes, or going to your boss with a problem. Whether this is in your personal life talking to your significant other or a friend about how you feel about something. Communication is SO important, hence why I studied my undergrad in it!

1. ACTIVE LISTENING

The first step to being an effective communicator is to learn about active listening. This is SO important. Active listening involves your full attention to the other person talking to you. Be alert to the person that is talking to you, yes, this means no cell phones, making eye contact, and showing that you are listening with head nods and listening more than you would talk.

Some gestures to show that you are listening are:

• Don't be quick to provide input

• Eye contact - this may be awkward at first, but you'll get used to it.

• Body language, make sure you are in front of them.

• Understanding non-verbal communication

2. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Non verbal communication is a big part in the effective communication world. Sometimes our tone, gestures, and facial expressions say more than our actions. If you state you are listening to someone and then you are looking out the window, that may cause the individual speaking to think you do not care what they are saying. When you cut off someone or immediately disagree or agree with them without letting them finish, this can also be a sign that you are not fully listening.

3. ASK QUESTIONS AND CLARIFY WHERE NEEDED

It is important to ask open ended questions when communicating with someone.

For example:

Charlie is talking to Joanne about his cat's sickness. This is important to him because he loves his cat. Joanne waits for him to finish and asks him "How long has your cat been sick?" "What do you need that I can help you with?".

Asking questions shows a genuine interest and it is important you have the time to ask these with sincerity.

Sometimes when people talk, it is hard to understand what they are saying - either they are speaking fast, not wording it right, or even have an accent. It is important to clarify where we don't understand something so we can get the full story and be and active listener.

Some ways to clarify without being rude are:

"I am sorry, what do you mean by..."

" I understand ____ but need to ask about ____"

4. PROVIDE FEEDBACK

Okay, this topic can be a little confusing considering not all individuals want feedback. If someone is asking a question that call for feedback, it is important to give.

Let us go back to our Charlie and Joanne example from earlier.

Charlie says "Do you think that I should take my cat to the emergency pet hospital today? The vet told me to wait with this medication, it has only been two days, but I am so worried about him".

Joanne should reply back with her honest opinion, but she hasn't ever had a pet so she replies with this: "I have never had an animal, but if it is like having a human, then I would wait for another day, then call your vet to get some direction from him. He did say the medication would take at least three days to show any signs of improvement correct?"

That shows she was listening to Charlie the entire time.

There are so many more ways to be an effective communicator. We live in a world with technology and there are so many different ways we can effectively communicate this way as well.

1. When typing an email, state the problem in 1-2 sentences, provide the main point, and a possible solution.

2. In text messages or email, all capitals indicates you are yelling. Tone it down. YOU ARE READING THIS IN A YELLING VOICE NOW AREN'T YOU? Now you are reading this in a normal tone.

3. Don't send multiple text messages in a row. The receiver on the other end will get confused for example:

Communication is everywhere and it is important that we learn to do it effectively. One too many times I have been in the crosswires of bad communication. Don't be that person who doesn't know how to do it!

How do you effectively communicate? Do you have any other tips?

Comment below!