Effective Communication Begins With You
YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL YOU ….Should be the mantra at the beginning of every training. “Be careful who you point at because three fingers are pointing back at YOU”. You cannot control how someone will say something, interpret something, react to something. However, each of us has the power to make choices to ensure that individually, we are using our combined skills and life experiences, to be our highest and best self – professionally and personally. Our actions serve as a model for those around us and inspire them to want to be like us or perform at a higher level to impress us. How we effectively communicate with anyone, has everything to do with the expectations we place on others AFTER we understand what we should and can control.
We should and can control – HOW we say something when verbally communicating to our Team. The WORDS that we use and sometimes even the order that we put words in, can create a different meaning, a different mood, a different reaction. The tone, emotion, level of force, voice inflection, all contribute to how words will be interpreted. Your words can inspire someone or they could cause resentment, resistance. How someone receives your words will have a direct impact on how they interpret the desired outcome and possibly impact the quality of the outcome. Words are used to detail scopes of work – concise and straight to the point with expectations clearly outlined. Words can tear down or build up and the tone in which words are delivered will also define the meaning of the presenter and the listener. Although verbal communication is one of the primary means of communication there are a number of effective communication tools – at anytime, of which, can be combined to deliver message clarity.
Non-verbal communication comes in the form of body language, written communication, visual/pictorial expression, actions and listening which is received and interpreted by each person’s perspective developed by life experiences. Stand alone or presented as a combined collaboration, effective communication is key in achieving the desired outcome. The outcome is defined by the expectations of the person providing the communication. This means that communication is a two way street and everyone involved in the outcome has to accept accountability and responsibility for the clarity of their message and the delivery. Although all communication has the potential of being misinterpreted, non-verbal communication has a higher likelihood of causing confusion, frustration, being ambiguous or chaotic. Therefore the chosen delivery will contribute to the clarity, structure AND the acceptance of the information being relayed whether it is done through text, email, signs, pictures, hand signals, and new technology through virtual platforms like zoom, teams and webinars.
Understanding effective communication, regardless of what form is chosen, begins with understanding that your message may not be interpreted the way that you meant for it to be received. The person/entity receiving the information is the second piece of the puzzle to ensure effective communication. Neither party can be 100% certain of where the other is coming from. Whether it be a spilt coffee first thing in the morning, a history of sexual abuse, news of a huge bonus or finding out a close loved one has passed away, we never know what someone is going thru or how they will react at the moment that we are presenting communication. Each of us needs to take control of what we can control, and providing clear structure to our communication, inserting awareness of the situation so that individually, we can control the re-packaging of information in an attempt for it to be understood with the desired intent. Most of all, ALL of US, must create a space for forgiveness, empathy, and permission to make mistakes and/or to have a different perspective so that we may work through our differences to come to a negotiated outcome with defined expectations.