Communication Skills 101
In developing communication skills, you need to learn how to listen and how to share. You need to understand where the other person is coming from, and you need the ability to express yourself clearly. People communicate with words and actions. Tears or and angry voice can say a lot. You need to be sensitive to both verbal and nonverbal behavior.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to put you in other person shoes. Understand how the person feels. You are on the same wavelength. To develop empathy, you practice paraphrasing what the other person has said until you get the communication correct. The other person needs to be encouraged to correct your mistakes until you have the message exactly right.
Validation
The other person has the right to his or her opinion, and that opinion always should be important to you. This is an essential element in healthy communication. People need to be validated often, particularly when they disagree with you. Not everything that a person says is wrong. Find the areas that you agree on and emphasize those areas. Always pick out the things you have in common and bring out those points for discussion.
Be Reinforcing
Compliment the other person. Say something nice. Tell the person how much you appreciate him or her. Try to be patient and kind. Give the person your full attention. Try to understand the person’s point of view. Be positive Always try to find something positive to say to the other person. Even when you are disagreeing, you need to show the other person that you are going to be reinforcing. This shows the other person that you respect and care about him or her. Be genuine in your commitment; do not say something that is not true or that you do not feel.
Use Eye Contact
Good communication skills necessitate good eye contact. If you do not look at the person, you will miss a good deal of what the person is saying and the meaning he or she is conveying nonverbally. It also shows the person that he or she is important enough to warrant your full attention.
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