Ways To Improve Communication
Ways to Improve Communication
Communication is so important.
How many times have you given directions to someone or tried to set-up plans with a group of people, only to find that your intended message was not received?
Clear and effective communication isn’t as simple as sending your message and obtaining your desired result. It’s necessary to ensure that the message received was understood. Here are some ways to improve your communication:
Write it down - Putting your communication in writing has a slight advantage over verbal communication. First of all, you are able to have a physical trace of the exchange. If there are any discrepancies, you can go back to the emails, letters, text messages, etc in order to determine where the miscommunication occurred. In the same way that official and legal documents are put on hard copy, you should consider using the same caution when communicating. Also, there is no emotion in words. It helps give a clear cute message without any inflections.
Ask for translation - Once you have sent your message, it is necessary to ask for a translation from the recipient. Ask them to put into their own words what they got out of your message and what the next steps are. This will help you to determine if they understood exactly what you wanted and that your directions (if any) will be followed correctly. This is a great way to fix any errors before the process has begun.
Confirm - After correcting any potential misunderstandings, you should ask for confirmation that your message was received and clearly communicated. While technology is a great help to us, it isn’t without it’s own faults. Many times emails can get lost in the shuffle or wind up in the wrong place. A quick confirmation that your message was received will give you the peace of mind that everything went as intended.
While a physical trace of communication was the main type to be presented in this blog post, it is necessary to point out that verbal communication does have it’s benefits. People read the written word differently, due to their own personalities, upbringings and cultures. Instead of sending a dozen emails back and forth, it can at times be easier to jump on a phone or Skype call to clarify. While there will be no physical trace of the phone call, it can sometimes be easier to communicate with words and tone of voice than black and white lettering that lacks emotion.
Communicating all of the necessary steps in order for you to stay sane, save money and stay legal was a challenging but rewarding aspect to writing my book “Before You Sell Your Home”. In it, I break down every aspect of the process in small, manageable pieces so that you can succeed!
What ways have you found help you continue to improve your communication? Comment below and let’s talk!
