The previous title may seem elementary; however, I assure you that it is not. The fact is, most people don’t communicate effectively at all; therefore, they do not really understand the definition of communication.
The goal of this article is to give you a deeper definition and understanding of it. The goal in doing this is to help you communicate more effectively by employing the correct tools and / or resources.
By definition, communicating means giving and / or mutual exchange of information and / or ideas. In this line, then, effective communication is to ensure that information and / or ideas mutually delivered and / or exchanged or not only clearly transmitted, but also acutely understood by all parties involved in the communication circle. .
In short, you are responsible for what you say and your actions about it. This is the ideal and the pinnacle of effective communication.
As one of my teachers says, and I have really come to experience and believe “The quality of your communication equals the quality of your life. “
To the extent that you can get your messages across and understand their views and those of others, the results you achieve will reflect the level of that clarity. As with diamonds, not all stones are equally pure.
To do this, it is important that you understand the true meaning of communicating effectively, and for this, it is critical that you first fully understand the true definition of communication.
First, let’s understand that we spend around 75% or more of our waking hours doing these 4 things: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These are all forms of communication.
Let’s define what it means to communicate effectively through these methods.
When it comes to writing or speaking, there are certain things to be aware of and take responsibility for when initiating these cases.
FirstYou should endeavor to take full responsibility for what you write or say and also for the clarity of these communications. This means that if the message it contains is misinterpreted, you should not blame the recipients of the message, but rather accept the burden that you are in charge of ensuring that the message is clear. Surely you cannot be expected to think for another person or to know that what you say will penetrate them in the way that you wish; however, you can take the position of humility and simply rephrase or ask for clarification on how you could best present your message so that recipients get the image you are trying to paint.
The point is to take full responsibility for getting your message across clearly, and rather than just doing the way you like to read or hear it, focus on those for whom the message is intended. Your goal should be to make sure they understand why it’s about them and not about you.
SecondIf something is expected from the recipients of your message, it is your responsibility to let them know at some point during your communication. In other words, you must provide the call to action. If you don’t, you can’t get upset or frustrated when they don’t respond or respond as you might have expected.
Here is a quick guide to follow when you are the initiator of the communication:
- Tell them what you are going to tell them
- tell them
- Tell them what you told them
This method of getting your message across ensures that many more people will understand your message much more quickly and completely.
When it comes to reading or listening, there are certain things you need to be aware of and take responsibility for when you are the recipient in these cases.
First, must be willing to read or listen without preconceived notions. I realize that this can be very difficult in some cases; however, practice will undoubtedly increase the effectiveness of your communications. People who really understand the definition of communication practice it relentlessly.
As recipients of any communication, our end goal should remain to be open, willing, and only seeking true understanding of what is being read or said. Only then do we formulate our opinions, comments or advice based on what is asked or expressed. We genuinely read and listen so that we can respond genuinely and authentically.
Second, you should remain responsible for any call to action once you have accepted it. This is how the circle of communication is completed and effective; It is only when all parties involved accept responsibility and remain accountable to the position in it.
There is no doubt that you can immediately improve the effectiveness of your communications once you begin to implement them. This is the true definition of communication.
