Communication:
Communication is an essential part to:
- Relationships
- Resolution
- Team work
- Understanding
- Concepts
- Relating
- Conflict
Without communication we really have nothing. You can’t relate to your spouse, partner, friend, child, coworker or otherwise without some form of communication.
Even the simplest of task – take for example getting a haircut – if you do not explain to the stylist or barber what you want the end result to be, you could walk out of there very unhappy with the outcome.
Why do people shy away from communicating with others:
- They haven’t been honest or don’t know how to be
- The other person is critical of what or how they say things, which can lead to more misunderstandings
- They don’t know where to start
- People aren’t good listeners
- People don’t want to deal with things
These are just some examples off the top of my head.
Communication is not always easy but it is necessary.
- Be honest and truthful, then you don’t have to remember who you told what to. It keeps things simpler. It may not always be what the other person wants to hear but it is real and people can deal with that. Lies just bind people up – both parties.
- Respect the person who is sharing and communicating, hear them out, don’t be critical and try to see the point they are trying to make from their side.
- Start somewhere – just make the effort to start the communication, the longer you leave it, the harder it is to deal with.
- Remember we have 2 ears and 1 mouth – we were made to listen twice as much as we were made to talk. Learn how to be a good listener.
- When you don’t deal with things, they tend to escalate – sometimes beyond repair. It is better to be honest and deal with things head on than it is to wait and beat around the bush – eventually the truth comes out anyway
- Try not to react:
- This is a different one for people especially. It has taken me quite a while to work on this, but I am very glad that I put in the effort. I do my best not to react to things – instead I have learned to respond. I take my time to think about the situation and then present it without emotion and from a calm state.
- Whether I am the one doing the talking or the listening, I do my best to respond and not react. Reacting to things can be explosive and create more damage to all parties involved. Take the time necessary to respond and you will be glad you did. It gives you an opportunity to think and process things and give honest feedback instead of just blurting something out that you really don’t mean and once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.
I have said this expression a few times in different posts relating to the past few years, Covid, etc. – the biggest tragedy in all of this is how and what we have taught the children through this:
- Panic
- Fear
- Irrational and quick decisions
- Selfishness
- And many other negative things
Questions to Ponder:
What decisions have you made based on the list above?
What have you been teaching your children or the children around you by your words or actions?
How good of a communicator do you think you are?
How good do others rate your communication?
