Communication can be challenging. We have to learn to communicate with different people, in different settings and in different ways. The conflict arises when we do not know how to respond or react appropriately with the person we are communicating. Nonetheless, communication is key and is necessary in maintaining relationships.
I have taken many classes where I have been taught to communicate properly and I feel like I will always learn something new. Communication is an art, listening is an art, and responding is an art and we will never fully master these skills. They are processes that will take a lifetime to develop. I sometimes find myself avoiding situations where I need to communicate just to avoid disagreement of confusion. It is impossible not to communicate. Not responding or paying attention to someone speaking sends its own message. This can go to show that your demeanor/body language can do the talking for us whether we realize it or not.
Just to make everything a little more complicated, there are several types of communication. There are verbal and nonverbal forms of communication. The easy part is, we choose how we want to communicate.
I'll try not to copy everything from our book we are reading in this family relations course, even though I wish I could. I just learned so many valuable things that I hope to really emphasize.
There are different kinds of listeners: dependent listeners, interrupters, self-conscious listeners, and intellectual listeners. I could go on about these different kinds of listeners and explain which one is best, but I really want to focus briefly on improving listening skills.
1. Take the initiative in communication.
Taking the initiative makes communicating so much easier and way less awkward. You do not have to sit there wondering who is going to speak first. There is no harm in speaking first even if you really want to know what the other person has to say first. Often times I find that when I speak first, the person I am speaking with actually wanted to address the same things and that makes the conversation go so much smoother because we both have valuable input.
2. Resist distractions.
This is a no brainer. If there are distractions, you will have no way to focus on what the other person is saying. It can be hard to clear your mind, I understand, but if you try your best to focus all of your energy on the conversation, you can actually respond without pause.
3. Control your emotions and your tendency to respond before the other person is done speaking.
I struggle with this one sometimes. If I have something really important to say I have to say it or I will more than likely forget. I have learned to wait and maybe even write down what I want to say so I won't forget. Strong emotions can sometimes trouble conversation. These emotions can also make things awkward. Have you ever been talking to someone and they just burst into tears!? I mean what do you do?! I usually just sit there are forget everything that I had been talking about. Pull it together!
4. Ask questions/rephrase to clarify their meanings.
This not only shows that you are listening, but it shows that you are actually interested in communicating. It also keeps focus on the conversation so you don't forget the topic.
Those are just a few tips.
I do not think that we realize how powerful and influential communication is. Even acknowledging and stopping to talk to someone for a few minutes can really mean something to someone. It is important to express love and appreciation in conversation. Knowing how to respond properly and thinking about what you want to say can make communication great and agreeing upon words makes communication successful.
I have taken many classes where I have been taught to communicate properly and I feel like I will always learn something new. Communication is an art, listening is an art, and responding is an art and we will never fully master these skills. They are processes that will take a lifetime to develop. I sometimes find myself avoiding situations where I need to communicate just to avoid disagreement of confusion. It is impossible not to communicate. Not responding or paying attention to someone speaking sends its own message. This can go to show that your demeanor/body language can do the talking for us whether we realize it or not.
Just to make everything a little more complicated, there are several types of communication. There are verbal and nonverbal forms of communication. The easy part is, we choose how we want to communicate.
I'll try not to copy everything from our book we are reading in this family relations course, even though I wish I could. I just learned so many valuable things that I hope to really emphasize.
There are different kinds of listeners: dependent listeners, interrupters, self-conscious listeners, and intellectual listeners. I could go on about these different kinds of listeners and explain which one is best, but I really want to focus briefly on improving listening skills.
1. Take the initiative in communication.
Taking the initiative makes communicating so much easier and way less awkward. You do not have to sit there wondering who is going to speak first. There is no harm in speaking first even if you really want to know what the other person has to say first. Often times I find that when I speak first, the person I am speaking with actually wanted to address the same things and that makes the conversation go so much smoother because we both have valuable input.
2. Resist distractions.
This is a no brainer. If there are distractions, you will have no way to focus on what the other person is saying. It can be hard to clear your mind, I understand, but if you try your best to focus all of your energy on the conversation, you can actually respond without pause.
3. Control your emotions and your tendency to respond before the other person is done speaking.
I struggle with this one sometimes. If I have something really important to say I have to say it or I will more than likely forget. I have learned to wait and maybe even write down what I want to say so I won't forget. Strong emotions can sometimes trouble conversation. These emotions can also make things awkward. Have you ever been talking to someone and they just burst into tears!? I mean what do you do?! I usually just sit there are forget everything that I had been talking about. Pull it together!
4. Ask questions/rephrase to clarify their meanings.
This not only shows that you are listening, but it shows that you are actually interested in communicating. It also keeps focus on the conversation so you don't forget the topic.
Those are just a few tips.
I do not think that we realize how powerful and influential communication is. Even acknowledging and stopping to talk to someone for a few minutes can really mean something to someone. It is important to express love and appreciation in conversation. Knowing how to respond properly and thinking about what you want to say can make communication great and agreeing upon words makes communication successful.