Effective Communications in the Workplace or Anywhere: Principle 1:  Talk with People

Good communicators are like magnets.  They draw people to themselves.

Like it or not, we are all measured to one degree or another by our ability as interpersonal communicators.  The more effective our communication skills, the more effective we can become in every aspect of our lives.  So, a couple of logical questions naturally follow, “How can I attract people by my ability to communicate?  How can I effectively learn to talk with people? 

Earn Their Trust by Taking Responsibility. The heart of any trust relationship is the belief that the person I am choosing to trust is willing to accept responsibility for his or her actions.  Therefore, to have others trust our ability as a communicator means we must readily take responsibility for making the communication effort successful, regardless the potential obstacles. 

Show Genuine Concern. Genuine concern cannot be faked.  Genuine concern is never established by casually talking about, talking around, talking behind, talking over or talking down to someone else.  Genuine concern can only be fostered by talking with an individual and thereby learning more about his unique circumstance—his needs, wants, desires, hopes, dreams, fears, failures, anxieties, and so on.  From this position of understanding comes the empathy necessary to connect emotionally. 

Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn. Effective listening is a formidable task that too few of us ever master.  But learning to be an effective listener is not impossible.  Practical listening skills include:  being patient, attentive and looking directly at the other person while he or she is speaking; striving not to interrupt unnecessarily; asking questions to clarify what is being said; showing empathy by fashioning questions that deal with the other person’s feelings; not changing the subject until all parties are ready to do so; and remaining poised and emotionally controlled throughout the communication.  The practical application and development of these listening habits ultimately allow us to listen and learn with greater effectiveness. 

Principle #2, Explain the Process, next time.