Communicate with Impact – Mastering the Art of Effective Communication
Communicating effectively is vital for building deeper relationships, making meaningful connections, and having a more harmonious impact on our interactions with friends, loved ones, and colleagues. Despite the abundance of communication platforms, expressing ourselves clearly and listening actively can remain a challenge. Here are some strategies to improve communication:
- The Components of Communication:
- Words (7%): The literal meaning of our words.
- Tone of Voice (38%): The auditory quality of our words, including pitch, volume, intonation and attitude.
- Body Language (55%): Nonverbal cues like facial expressions, gestures, and posture.
Understanding these components can enhance our ability to communicate more effectively by paying attention not just to what we say, but also to how we say it and the nonverbal signals we send.
- Paying Attention:
- Be mindful of where your attention goes when someone speaks. Where do you look and how do you listen if there is disparity in your understanding of the communication, is it their words tone or body language ? All this is helpful in aiding understanding of how you communicate.
- Enhancing Communication and Presence:
- Be mindful, stay present and aware during interactions.
- Maintain good posture and be aware of your breath. Intentional breathing from the lower abdomen will deepen the breath, it can help inform your responses with calm.
- If you tend to mumble, speak clearly, and maintain eye contact with the person you are communicating with. If eye contact is uncomfortable, look just above the eyes.
- Before the scenario, consider how you want to be, this will help you speak with clear feelings and intentions and overcome self-consciousness.
- Let go of worries about others’ perceptions of you.
- Gradually develop a sense of presence by being calm and clear.
- Managing Emotions:
- Acknowledge and understand your emotions before communicating.
- Take time for self-reflection to address any internal obstacles.
- Write down your feelings to process them better.
- Practice being present with your emotions without letting them overwhelm you.
- Effective Feedback and Connection:
- Approach interactions with kindness and understanding.
- Ensure your communication is respectful and valuing of the other person’s contributions.
- Encourage others by recognising their efforts and contributions.
- Listening and Partaking:
- Be aware of how you change with different people. Sometimes you may be chatty, other times quiet, challenge yourself to do the opposite and get out of your communication comfort zone.
- Engage in a conversational “ping pong”: listen, respond, and encourage the other person to share more.
- When listening well, you embark on a journey with the speaker. Show genuine interest by reflecting on what they say and asking for more details.
Improving communication involves a combination of mindfulness, self-awareness, and active listening. By paying attention to our words, tone, and body language, and by managing our emotions and engaging respectfully with others, we can build stronger connections and communicate with greater impact.
*The 55/38/7 formula resulted from two research studies (Mehrabian & Wiener, 1967 and Mehrabian & Ferris, 1967).
