Communicating Effectively

Dr. Purushothaman
June 6, 2014

Communication is a method of expressing ourselves and our ideas to a person or a group of people. It is a
verbal or non-verbal message given, which expresses our ideas to others. Proper communication methods
make a person express his thought successfully.Effective communication skills can prevent misunderstandings, conflicts, and frustrations in life, both personal and professional. By communicating effectively, we can better a relationship your family or your co-workers.
We can develop our communication skills in order to communicate properly with others.

Clarity in expressing words. More often, while conveying a message, people go about speaking more on advanced matters than concentrating on the topic and its main part. The major points relating to the topic are omitted unknowingly. The solution to this problem is to check yourself every now and then about the main points to be conveyed. Make the necessary steps to remember the core of the topic.

Communicate honestly. Be truthful to yourself and others while you are communicating. In order not to hurt the other person’s feelings, you may pretend to be well-mannered and not to put in the full details of your conversation. The solution is ‘be specific and clear completeness in communication. All the facts necessary for the listener must be provided. The person conveying the message should not peep into the thought process or the mindset of the listener. If you care too much on how the other person would be feeling, then an effective communication will not be possible.Communicate using least words as possible. Never drag your conversation to nowhere. And never beat around the bush. Neglect unnecessary words and to the point.

Convey the correct message. To influence the listener, you have to give the exact and correct message at the right time.

Like speaking, listening too has its own role in communication. A successful communication makes the needs a good listener in you to wake up. Give full attention to the speaker so that the speaker feels that they are being understood properly by us. Avoid interrupting the speaker unnecessarily and avoid giving unnecessary opinions or comments. Let the speaker feel that you are showing your interest in listening to the conversation.

Communication also means not only about the use of words, it also depends on the non-verbal part. Maintaining an eye contact with the listener and keeping an open body language helps in a better communication. Signs like nodding to the conversation and keeping a smiling face help a lot in effective communication. The way you look and respond too matter a lot in a conversation.

Manage your stress. Stress can act as a shield between you and the person you are communicating with. If you are in stress, and you are involved in a conversation, it is 100% sure that your attention will be diverted. Your mind might wander here and there, though you are physically in front of a person. The full details of your conversation will not be conveyed properly and the reception of ideas is also not done sincerely as you are not able to concentrate and will feel irritated. Practice techniques to manage your stress. Take a deep breath and make yourself focused. Tackle one problem at a time.

Being emotionally aware helps you to manage different emotions and manage uncomfortable feelings like anger, disgust, surprise, joy and sadness. Emotionally aware about situations help you to communicate more effectively.

Communicate in a proper way even if it is an argument. Avoid unnecessary mental stress while arguing on any topic. Use of right words without hurting the listener can help in giving out your opinion rather than shouting and becoming more stressed.

If you feel you have not communicated the proper way or you have not put your full effort on making the listener understand you, make it a point to re-communicate. Work on your conversation skills to deliver a message properly.

Choose the right place for your conversation. To convey any negative message, choose a secluded area so that the listener might not be embarrassed.

Avoid electronic gadgets like cell phones from interrupting the conversation. If in case you receive a call while in a talk, be polite enough to turn the phone in the silent mode or else you will be distracted.

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