Communication skill is one that not all people can grasp easily; yet whether in our business or professional lives communication and clearly articulating feelings, instructions and needs are a vital element to both success and happiness. There is more to the skill of communication than many expect. It is not just about what you say but also how you say and it, do your body language and eyes replicate the message and are you addressing each person in way to ensure that your message always gets across how you intend. Not only will learning an effective way to communicate improve your status in the work place but can stand to improve all relationships as you realize the importance of clear and direct communication.
We communicate in many ways each and every day, whenever we write, speak, or direct our ideas and thoughts towards someone else we are communicating and in these situations there are a few ways you can insure that your message is getting across. For example if you are excited about a new project you will be bubbly and infectious when sharing your idea causing more people to want to become involved whereas if you were quiet and down no-one will listen. So before you tackle the direct contact you must initially recognize how to best communicate your idea. Will you be passive or quirky? Confidence is key, stand tall, be direct, no stuttering, plan or rehearse what you will say before you do so as to deter fumbling for words.
Simple ideas include adding a spell checker to your email account so as to ensure 100% accurate and professional communication via email. When sending written contact check; no double check the words you have used to describe or create a visual picture. Remember you will not be there to clarify or add character to your words so they must be clear and understandable to the reader. It is also of importance that your language is suited to the reader; we all use differing types of language dependent on the kinds of people we communicate with regularly, and it important to remember some simple boundaries within written contact. Ensure that the language is suitable for the audience and that the words actively create a clear visual picture of the desired message. This may take some practice but you will notice a difference.
One of the hardest things to communicate whether in a personal or professional setting is feedback or correction and while giving advice or correction is hard; taking it is just as difficult. Your boss calls you into his office and says that there are a few changes he would like you to make concerning your work. Initiate acceptance and interest immediately never become defensive! Communication goes both ways and if you can effectively learn to listen then it will stand you in good stead when effectively communicating yourself. Eye contact and active listening skills are vital a person likes to know they are being listened to, and this in turn allows them the freedom to competently communicate with you. Be sure to ask for specific ways to improve while when asking for change it is important to ensure that you can articulate specific needs for improvement yourself. An easy trick for this is to try to summarize back to the person what they have just communicated that way any misunderstandings can be fixed immediately.
In relationships communication while being of vital necessity is often lost within the emotion and attachment of a relationship, but if you and your partner are struggling then it’s is likely that a lack of communication is at the core of the problem. When people are not communicating they are not sharing their ideas and feelings and will often complain that their needs are not being met. Communication offers a time and place where discussion and reprisal can be made in a safe and open manner. It is imperative not to hinder the communication boundaries for others concerned so that all involved can feel safe and listened to, in turn ensuring they listen to you. Communication skill especially conversation follows a general rule that the amount of information that a person gives you is how much they are comfortable receiving.
To assist you in becoming a better listener, you should consider a set of rules called LISAN. The letters of this mnemonic device stand for the key words in five rules for successful listening: Lead, don't follow--Anticipate what's going to be said Ideas? Look for them Signals--Watch for them Active, not passive involvement Notes--Take them and then organize them The first letter in LISAN reminds you to LEAD instead of following. Leading involves two steps: First, read chapter assignments before your class. If you read before you hear the lecture you will be more alert to important ideas, names and words. You will anticipate them.
Secondly, think up questions to keep yourself in the forefront . These are not questions that you ask your teacher, but ones around which you will plan your listening.
The I in LISAN tells you to look for the IMPORTANT ideas. Many professors will introduce a couple new ideas and provide explanation, examples and additional support for them. Your task is to identify the main ideas. The professor may come back to the similar couple of ideas again and again. Being aware of them beforehand will help you to "listen".
The S in LISAN reminds you to listen for the SIGNAL words. A good speaker uses signals to relay what he is going to say. Common signs that these are coming up are: To introduce an example: "for example" "There are five reasons why...."
To signal support material: "For instance...." "Similarly...." "In contrast...." "On the other hand..."
To signal a summary or conclusion: "Therefore..." "In conclusion...." "Finally...." "As a result...."
To signal importance: "Now this is very important...." "Remember that...."
The A in LISAN reminds you to be an ACTIVE listener. Listening is not just soaking up sound. To be an effective listener, you need to be active and not passive. This can be done in a couple or ways:
First, use the situation in the classroom for active listening. Sit close enough (front 1/3 of the room, near center) to see and hear the teacher as well as be seen and heard by him. Remember, the further away you are from the teacher, the greater the chance of not being able to hear everything correctly. An empty room is easy to hear sounds in, but when that room is filled with others, sound tends to get "consumed" and lost the further it is from its source. Add to that normal classroom noises, outside noises, fans and air conditioning units, heaters, etc., and the chances of hearing the entire lecture properly decreases.
Second, retain eye contact. The eyes can add a lot to the story. A teacher can tell whether you're "getting it" or not simply by looking at you, especially, your eyes. And, it is quite difficult to fall asleep when looking someone directly in the eyes, so your ability to concentrate should increase!
Third, let the teacher know you are listening. Ask and answer questions to nodding in understanding or smiling appropriately at your instructor's attempts at humor.
Fourth, ask questions for active listening.
Fifth, resist distractions. Keep reminding yourself that you are listening to someone else. Keep your brain focused and fill in what you think they mean.
Six, use thought speed. Your mind works much faster than the speaker can talk; some studies report that the rate of the brain is almost 4 times that of regular speech, which often explains why daydreaming during a lecture occurs so often. Anticipate and sum up what has been said. Anticipate where the instructor is going with the lecture.
Seven, fight back against distractions. If necessary, sit apart from friends or other classmates that might distract you. Do not sit at the back of the room or near the door; hallway noises and noises from other classrooms are more common at these points.
The N is LISAN reminds you to take NOTES. In everyday conversation we mentally interpret, classify, and summarize what is said. In classroom learning, we do this more effectively by keeping written notes. Taking notes helps us to "hear" by providing organization to what we are hearing. It is quite difficult to listen to and remember unorganized and unrelated bits of information.
One, if you heard someone shout out "nd, tckl, grd, cntr, hlf bk, fl bk, qrtr bk" you would find it tricky to listen and remember it.
Two, staying organized is the key to effective listening and remembering. The above letters are the names of player positions on a football team with the vowels omitted.
Third note taking is the way you find the orderliness. Good note taking means "getting" the underlying structure of what is heard, discovering the skeleton of ideas on which the professor has built his lesson.
Fourth and finally, good note taking is eighty percent listening and twenty percent writing, so don't ever worry about your penmanship or writing getting in the way of listening.
Both Peter Murphy & Jane Saeman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Peter Murphy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Modelling, Marketing and Web Development. Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. This report reveals the secret strategies all high achievers use to communicate with charm and impact. Appl. Peter Murphy's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Jane Saeman has sinced written about articles on various topics from Movie Reviews, Music and Cooking Tips. Jane Saeman runs an In-Home Tutoring service called Aim High Tutors. Find out about how to help your student at. Jane Saeman's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.