Poor Communication
5 Tips for Improving Poor Communication Skills
The effects of poor communication should never be ignored or overlooked. Poor communication skills can cause relationships to end, arguments to ensue, and even result in being dismissed from a job. However, sometimes a person isn’t even aware that their communication skills are lacking. The following article will provide 5 tips for improving poor communication skills and how to use effective communication skills when you want to hear and be heard.
1. Focus on the person that you are speaking to.
This might sound simple, but many times distractions can lead to misunderstandings as far as communication is concerned. It’s important to maintain eye contact and not let outside influences distract you from the conversation that you are having. This means that when you are speaking to someone you should not be texting, answering your telephone unless it’s an emergency, and not looking at your computer screen and continuing to work.
When you are doing other things at the same time, the other person is not getting your full attention. This can make them feel frustrated. In addition, if you are not providing them with your full attention, then you might not be able to hear all that is going on, as well. This can result in crossed signals and miscommunication.
2. Talk clearly.
Poor enunciation can oftentimes lead to poor communication. When speaking to someone, especially someone that you don’t often speak to, try slowing down your speech, enunciating your words, and avoid using slang or other colloquialisms that the other person might not understand. You should also refrain from muttering or speaking so softly that the other person is unable to hear and understand you.
Take into account that some people from different countries, or even different states, might have difficulty understanding you. Therefore, enunciating clearly can help them better comprehend what you might be saying.
3. Stick to the main points.
As with the publishing world, some people simply need good editors. It’s important to make your point using as few words as possible. Sometimes, rambling can derail your point, or bring out an entirely different point that you didn’t need to make. Instead, try to limit the number of words that you use. This will help you be concise and clear. When you ramble, you tend to lose people’s interests, too, and this can result in communication mishaps.
4. Don’t interrupt.
This might be one of the most difficult tasks of all. More than likely, you both will have points to make and it’s important that you both be allowed to make your points. It is extremely important that you don’t interrupt the other person while they are talking. On the other hand, it is equally important that you don’t sit there and plot out your response while the other person is still talking. If you find that you are doing this, then you are probably thinking more than listening and that can be detrimental to the conversation at hand.
5. Don’t jump to conclusions.
It is very easy to hear what someone says and to interpret it an entirely different way than what they actually meant. If you are having a conversation with someone, especially if it sounds as though it is leading to an argument, then one of the best things that you can do is to repeat back what they said to you and then follow it with “When you said (fill in the blank) I hear you saying that…” This will help ensure that the two of you are on the same page. It can help the other person clarify what they were saying, if need be, as well as help you understand what you thought you might have heard.