Improved Communication Skills

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you couldn't communicate? That means no tone of voice, no body language or facial expressions, no words, no alphabet. Nothing. Effective skills in communication are necessary: Effective skills in communication are necessary  to maintain and increase the quality of our lives and our relationships. If we can’t communicate effectively, we will be led in a direction we don’t want to go. We all have misunderstandings within our relationships. And it would be very easy to become confused, frustrated and disappointed simply because we are unable to communicate appropriately. Broken and difficult relationships can be avoided by understanding the principles of communication, and the pitfalls we encounter. When we know and understand the process of communication, we can actively implement the principles, hone our skills, avoid the problems and become the effective communicators that we all desire to be. The langu...

Communication is the basic building block of our relationships: It is through communication that we convey our thoughts, feelings, and connection to one another. Developing good communication skills is critical for successful relationships, whether parent, child, spouse, or sibling relationship. We all have had experiences where (1) we have felt heard and understood  and  we've all had experiences (2) where we have felt misunderstood and even ignored. Generally, when we feel heard, we are less angry, stressed, and more open to resolving problems than when we feel misunderstood. Feeling heard and understood also develops trust and caring between people. Communication is a two-way process: For communication to happen there must be (1) a sender—who conveys a message—and (2) a receiver—to whom the message is sent. In successful communication the sender is clear and accurately conveys the message she is trying to send. Also, the receiver clearly un...

1-Show Appreciation Prior to getting into the meat of your conversation, be sure to express your thanks for the other individual’s time. Time is an extremely precious resource, and it important to be respectful and considerate of that. Also, complement or recognize any positive contribution they are making. Appreciation and praise can go a long way towards building good rapport. 2-Connect Connect on a personal level if possible. Look for places where interests overlap if any exist. Even in a professional situation, there may be some personal interests in common, hobbies, sports, children, etc. Take care to avoid such controversial topics as political leanings or religious beliefs. A real sense of connection makes a difference in the tone and outcome of the current conversation and most likely future communications as well. 3- Stay positive Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial to productive communications. Be constructive rather than negative or complaining. People...

1. Awareness of your own interaction with other people is the first step in improving your communication skills. Learn to identify which types of situations make you uncomfortable and then modify your behavior to achieve positive results is a critical step in improving your communication skills. You can learn to become aware of behaviors in other people that prompt you to respond in negative ways and modify your own behavior to turn the situation into a positive experience. 2. You must accept responsibility for your own behavior and do not fear apologizing for errors in judgment or insensitive actions. Asking others for honest feedback about the way you interact with others can be very helpful. Accept the negative feedback along with the positive and make changes accordingly. 3. Your non-verbal communication is equally as important as the things that you say. Positive body language is extremely important in your interactions with other people. If your words and your actions do not mat...

Develop your voice – A high or whiny voice is not perceived to be one of authority. In fact, a high and soft voice can make you sound like prey to an aggressive co-worker or make others not take you seriously. Begin doing exercises to lower the pitch of your voice. Try singing, but do it an octave lower on all your favorite songs. Practice this and, after a period of time, your voice will begin to lower. Animate your voice . Avoid a monotone and use dynamics. Your pitch should raise and lower periodically. Radio DJ's are usually a good example of this.  Use appropriate volume . Use a volume that is appropriate for the setting. Speak more softly when you are alone and close. Speak louder when you are speaking to larger groups or across larger spaces.

Enunciate your words . Speak clearly and don’t mumble. If people are always asking you to repeat yourself, try to do a better job of articulating yourself in a better manner.  Pronounce your words correctly . People will judge your competency through your vocabulary. If you aren’t sure of how to say a word, don’t use it. Use the right words . If you’re not sure of the meaning of a word, don’t use it. Grab a dictionary and start a daily habit of learning one new word per day. Use it sometime in your conversations during the day.  Slow your speech down . People will perceive you as nervous and unsure of yourself if you talk fast. However, be careful not to slow down to the point where people begin to finish your sentences just to help you finish.