Communication

There are times where you have disagreements with people that you care about. How you handle it can break or fix the situation.

Communication is key in any sort of relationship. Romantic, platonic, professional, family and so on. The trick to communicating effectively is to look on all sides. Understanding other point of views. Keep an open mind when communicating, especially when expressing emotions.

Think before you speak because if you respond without actually thinking things through. There are times where you will say things you will regret, and the situation will escalate. Sometimes in a manner that is not pretty. How the other party reacts is out of our control but how we act we have complete control over. Control over one’s emotions and reactions takes practice. It takes strength to hold back an immediate response. It takes strength to pause, breath and think before we speak.

Communication is something we learn on a daily basis; from our parents giving us little tips on listening and speaking and teachers guiding us on how to talk to friends and elders. Communication is an essential social skill that is required for individuals to succeed in the real world. Effective communication can help people foster good relationships between other people. Skills that are involved in effective communication consist of being an active listener, straight talking, non-verbal communication, clarity, respect, timeliness, and showing empathy.

To communicate effectively, it is important to remember T.A.L.K. This stands for Think before you speak, assert yourself, Listen to others and Konnect (yes, the work connect is misspelled on purpose) with everyone. Learning to apply these helps enhance any communication which creates multiple opportunities for cohesive and collaborative partnerships and leading to success.

T: Think before you speak is how you react to the situation. Many times, there are situations that areuncontrollable and unpredictable to which people want to react. It is beneficial for people to pause and wait for that feeling to subside and think of an alternative way to react. In other words, thinking before you speak. Reacting on an impulse could lead to more than it initially started with or could have been. When thinking before you speak you come up with solutions to the initial issue. This technique not only helps someone to speak what is appropriate but also speak at the appropriate times, which enhances positive and effective communication.

A: Assert yourself is not only being frank and to the point in a respectful way, but also the ability to say no. Nebraska Wesleyan University states that “being assertive helps people to express their feelings and thoughts in a simple and acceptable way and definitely helps someone enhance their communication channels”. Assertiveness is also about many other aspects of communication, such as expressing a concern. This technique encourages communicating one’s feelings in a non-emotional and rational responsive way.

L: Listen to others is a core aspect of communication. Maintaining relationships while also communicating effectively has sometimes become a challenge, especially when everyone is busy with their respective jobs and has less and less time to bond with each other. Life tends to get in the way of bonding and effective communication. In many such cases, truly listening to the other person can be an effective solution.

K: Konnect with everyone. If the first thought that crosses your mind is that connect starts with a C and not a K, then this point has made its impact. The concept of being able to connect with other people is so important you need to constantly make an effort to keep that rapport alive, even when it comes to the person naturally. On many communication models, the most common set of techniques is how to connect to others and to build a trusting, long-lasting relationship. When you are connected to an individual you are in harmony or in sync with that individual. Building a two-way rapport between themselves and others is developing a bond of trust and connecting with each other which leads to a comfortable discussion and relationship.

The T.A.L.K method is a great way to improve communication. Many people forget to think before they speak which may cause more problems because of how people may interpret what is being said. Thinking before you speak is a way to filter your oral message. Filtering your words, may help with backlash and get to the solution in a calm way. Being assertive is based on tone. You can be forward and still be respectful when giving feedback. Some people don’t pay attention to the fact that tone is also a factor for how someone reacts to what is being said.

Knowing what kind of tone to say something in goes with thinking before you speak.

Listening is also a big issue when it comes to communication. So many people want to talk about their feelings and issues but not listen to what others have to say. Having the capability to listen and truly hear (accurately decode) what someone has to say can go a long way to communicating in more of a positive and respectful way. When you truly listen to what someone is saying you are able to detect what the person is saying and comprehend what is being said. When someone feels they are being heard and the listener understands what they say, they gain respect and feel like what they say matters.

A failure to communicate effectively can create stress, conflict, strained relationships, misunderstandings, and problems between any two or more individuals.

The problem is that good communication is such a well-known concept that everyone knows what the do’s and don’ts are. What they do not know are the simple ways to ensure they use the do’s and avoid the don’ts at the point in time while actually communicating. Using good conversation techniques helps individuals have seamless and smooth communication and thus work more effectively with each other and walk confidently in their path to individual success.

Communication is something I think needs a lot of improvement in today’s society. It’s just one of the reasons why I got a degree in Organizational Leadership and Communications. Learning more about leadership and communications and ways to implement them in everyday life and in relationships.