Do you ever get misunderstood when you are trying to say something important? Just last week I was speaking a word of encouragement to someone and they were very offended by it. Now obviously my intention was not to slander or offend them, yet that is what occurred. According to Webster communication is "a technique for expressing ideas effectively." Well, if that is the case I did not express my ideas very effectively last week. How can we express our ideas in a way that makes it hard for the person to misunderstand us?
To communicate we have to keep in mind that it is not just us, but also the other person who has to be willing. It is not all our responsibility. The other person has to be willing to participate as well. This is a key though and this is something that you can use as a tip. If you can tell that the person you are trying to communicate with is not actively engaged in the process, back away. It might be a good idea to pick a different time to talk to them when they are more receptive. One example is this, trying to communicate with me anything in which I have to use my brain prior to my morning coffee is a bad idea.
Think before you speak. This seems simple, but it is really true. Think out the words you are going to say, then say them. Very often when I have done this I have realized before I ever said something that it might sound offensive or that it just didn't make that much sense outside of my head.
Remember your audience! A five-year old and a ninety-five year old perceive the world very differently. If you want to be an effective communicator you will analyze the person you are speaking to and speak to them on their level. A great man by the name of George Bernard Shaw gave us this quote "The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred." A mistake we make is to speak the same to all people. This is a problem, not everyone perceives us the same way. Before you come to a group or a person with a concept consider who your audience is.
A real leader; in the workplace, your family, or in your dating relationship will communicate effectively and therefore avoid costly and hurtful problems from people not understanding what you mean. When we fail to communicate effectively we get lost in problems that may not even exist. Communication is a two-way street, think prior to speaking, and always remember your audience. In any effective message transfer there is always a message, a sender and a reciever. No matter what role you are playing it is important to listen more than you speak.
To communicate we have to keep in mind that it is not just us, but also the other person who has to be willing. It is not all our responsibility. The other person has to be willing to participate as well. This is a key though and this is something that you can use as a tip. If you can tell that the person you are trying to communicate with is not actively engaged in the process, back away. It might be a good idea to pick a different time to talk to them when they are more receptive. One example is this, trying to communicate with me anything in which I have to use my brain prior to my morning coffee is a bad idea.
Think before you speak. This seems simple, but it is really true. Think out the words you are going to say, then say them. Very often when I have done this I have realized before I ever said something that it might sound offensive or that it just didn't make that much sense outside of my head.
Remember your audience! A five-year old and a ninety-five year old perceive the world very differently. If you want to be an effective communicator you will analyze the person you are speaking to and speak to them on their level. A great man by the name of George Bernard Shaw gave us this quote "The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred." A mistake we make is to speak the same to all people. This is a problem, not everyone perceives us the same way. Before you come to a group or a person with a concept consider who your audience is.
A real leader; in the workplace, your family, or in your dating relationship will communicate effectively and therefore avoid costly and hurtful problems from people not understanding what you mean. When we fail to communicate effectively we get lost in problems that may not even exist. Communication is a two-way street, think prior to speaking, and always remember your audience. In any effective message transfer there is always a message, a sender and a reciever. No matter what role you are playing it is important to listen more than you speak.
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