How do we Communicate Better?

3 Communication Skills to Prioritize

In an age where more and more of our communication happens from behind a screens, our face-to-face interactions probably need some TLC. Even if its just to brush up on skills you’ve already established but maybe are a little out of practice. The tips below can go a long way for having clearer communication in any conversation.

1. Making eye contact. Direct eye contact with the person you are speaking to can mean a lot. Not only will it help you pick up on non-verbal cues from the other person, but it will show respect and that you are engaged in the conversation. So few individual feel comfortable making direct eye contact, it can be intimidating at first and maybe feel a bit awkward but it’ll be worth it in the long run to practice getting comfortable with this skill. Soon enough you’ll be having conversations and not even realize you’re looking each other in the eye with ease.

2. Write it out. While face-to-face communication is vital for relationships, whether they’re personal or professional, when you’re in a heated or complicated situation, writing your thoughts down can be very helpful. Whether you actually send what you’ve written to the person you need to communicate with or just use it as practice for what you will say when the time comes, getting your thoughts and feelings down on paper can be a useful tool. It can also be helpful if you are still learning the right words to say to get your point across, writing things out and allowing yourself time to ponder your words and thoughts is a good strategy in communicating well and clearly.

3. Listen! Last but certainly not least, remember to listen! Communication is often stalled when one (or more) persons involved simply awaits their turn to speak. This can limit our attention and makes it challenging to truly hear what the other person is saying. When someone is speaking, try to clear your mind and focus on what they’re saying, and how they’re saying it. Allow them their space to speak and try not to interrupt but also acknowledge you are engaged and hearing them or understanding by a simple head nod, “mhm” or another form showing you are still in the conversations even though you are silent.

Connecting and communicating is vital in todays world, whether it be over zoom or face to face, making it work and honing your some basic skills like these can help out as you navigate the business or personal world, either way we hope these simple tips can be of use to you, your family, friends, coworkers…etc. We also hope we can communicate with you and assist you in any way we can.

-BHT