Different people communicate in different ways. But it is important to know how to communicate better. Besides, this is a skill that can be learnt and improved upon. There are many ways of doing this.
No matter how diverse we are, each one of us has this fundamental need to be heard and understood. Even though we may feel that this need will get fulfilled by friends and family, but sometimes we tend to get short. This is where we realize how ineffective people are in their listening skills. The same applies to us too. And once you begin to hone your listening skills, you will be amazed at the number of new friends you would be attracting!
In order to learn how to be a good listener, you need to follow a few tips.
Always make eye contact with the speaker. This would convey to the speaker that you are genuinely interested in the conversation. But do keep the cultural sensitivity in mind while doing so in order to ensure that you do not make the speaker uncomfortable.
You need to maintain a proper listening posture. Basically, body language is as important as your verbal language. So you need to sit in a comfortable position and face the speaker directly.Your arms need to be on the sides and legs must be relaxed.Other aspects of body language would include nodding the head, smiling and such other body actions.
In order to know how to communicate better, you need to listen deeply and actively. So you must paraphrase the talk. This means that you need to repeat whatever the speaker is saying in your own words. This does not mean that you recite the complete speech. You can just say a few important statements in your own words. This will also tell the speaker that you were listening intently. Besides, it will help to foster your understanding, and in case something has been missed out or misunderstood, then the speaker can clarify that point.
To communicate better, you need to ask open ended questions. This will let the other person know that you were actively listening and were not bored or disinterested. It helps to renew the enthusiasm of others. Also, it helps to develop good understanding and hence, better communication.
You need to make appropriate comments during the conversation. Also, answer any questions that are asked by others. All this will indicate the genuine interest that you are taking in the talk. Also, do not try to change the topic suddenly as that will take away the flow of the conversation.
You need to be open while communicating. Do not try to be judgmental. Rather, try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes any try to understand his perspective. Do not try to interrupt others in your haste to share your own ideas.
You will know how to be a good communicator once you use the verbal as non-verbal cues properly. Communicating is an art that needs to be developed with constant practice. You would be amazed at the advantages this will bring to you!
It is better to incorporate some amount of humor into your communication. This helps to lighten the mood. Besides, it helps to see things from other perspectives too. Also, it helps to lighten the daily stress. This does not mean that you need to joke all the time. But it is important to remember that there is a child in each one of us. It is up to us to keep it alive. After all, communicating is also a way of enjoying life. A light tone of playfulness will help to have a healthy conversation.
Today is the world of technology. Thus means that you do not need to communicate in person only.There are many other ways available to communicate. This includes e-mail, SMS, besides others. This means that you can just leave a message during the course of your day. This is a highly effective means of communication. It ensures that you remain in touch throughout the day, besides helping to elevate the mood of the other person in an instant.
In addition, people are sometimes much more comfortable talking about certain issues through messaging than talking about them in person. They are able to discuss certain issues more openly and directly this way.
In order to be a good communicator, it become necessary to cede an argument at times. The fact remains that it is not important to have an argument every time. Similarly, it is not important to win that argument each time. After all, a communication needs to lead to a healthy relationship. Any argument takes place when two people do not agree to the same thing. Each one thinks that he is right and the other one is wrong. But it is not important to prove it. The fact remains that each person has a right to his opinion. Also, being right always does not have to take a priority over your partner’s happiness.
A good communication is one that has an agenda, especially in case an important issue is being discussed. This helps to ensure that less time is wasted in talking about other issues. This is very important in official matters. It ensures that meetings are fruitful. This way nobody wastes time. Proper planning is required in order to ensure that the discussion remains on track. This way it become easier to reach a decision more effectively.
In order to know how to communicate better, you need to focus on your body language too. This says a lot about you. In case your arms are folded, the other person will realize that you are being defensive and are closed to the conversation. In the same way, if you do not maintain eye contact, it will indicate that you are not interested. This will make the other person drift off. You need to keep a smile and have an interested look on your face in order to ensure that you have a smooth conversation.