|
Ideas
Forums:
The Ideas Forum is a publication of the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of AWC, presenting current ideas
in marketing, graphic design, professional development, public relations and other
communications fields.
Note: You will need the Adobe Acrobat Viewer in order to view and print the Ideas Forums. If you do not have this viewer, you may
download the free Acrobat Viewer from Adobe.
The Three Habits of
Highly Effective Communicators
by Gay Alberts Ruby
The Communication Coach
www.rubybiz.com
Communication is powerful, whether you communicate by speaking, listening, writing, through body language or by other means. Learning to communicate effectively makes a tremendous difference in both your personal and professional lives.
Here are three habits of highly effective communicators:
-
Get back promptly to people who communicate with you. Mark McCormack, the CEO of the International Management Group says, "When you promise to do something, people wait for you to do it…The quicker you keep your promise, the greater the courtesy you extend to people - and the more they will want to continue dealing with you." In the workplace, establish standards for responding to phone calls, fax messages, e-mails, and letters. Stick to these standards. If you will be delayed in responding, let the person know that there will be a delay.
-
When you have a conflict with someone, try to resolve the conflict directly with that person before you bring in a third party. Learn to use "I" messages, which are specific, non-judgmental statements. To use an "I" message, start by stating your feeling about the other person's behavior: "I feel irritated when you…" Then, state what you would like instead and why this behavior would be preferable: "I'd like you to…because then…" Using "I" messages helps communication because the other person will not feel attacked. Being attacked and blamed makes most of us put up our defenses.
-
Listen carefully to what others are saying. We can be distracted if we have negative feelings towards the person speaking, if we stay focused on our own ideas, or if we think ahead to what we're going to say. Instead, give the person full attention and block out distractions. Keep an open mind and watch non-verbal cues closely. Make sure to listen to the entire message before responding and always focus on the main ideas, not on the person delivering the ideas. Paraphrasing, e.g. "If I hear you correctly, you're saying…" can be an effective way to ensure that what you are hearing is what they are trying to communicate.
|
|
