How to Measure the Effectiveness of Communication
Hear the responses listeners give you., Don't take yourself, or your ideas, too seriously., Make sure you aren't equating agreement with understanding., Be clear and concise., Speak clearly., Remain calm., Respect the viewpoint of others., Ask your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Hear the responses listeners give you.
If your audience (be it one person or many) tells you they don't understand what you are saying, hear them.
Many a good point is lost on listeners when a speaker refuses to stop pressing on with their speech to clarify a point they've made.
Stop and clarify what you are saying even if it means it'll take longer to make your point(s). -
Step 2: Don't take yourself
If feeling "misunderstood" defines your life-long interaction with others, that's not a communication problem.
It's probably an emotional and psychological problem. , Humans understand an amazing amount of stuff, but they don't necessarily agree with what they see and hear.
Communication is about the expression of ideas and thoughts, not gaining acceptance and agreement with every assertion made. , You may have a million thoughts spinning through your mind as you communicate with others, but it is best to limit your expression of thought to one or two (related) things at a time.
Attempts to de-clutter your head by talking to someone (unless you warn them first) will likely result in muddled communication.
If your audience shows signs of being confused, frustrated, or inattentive, you may be drifting and need to stop talking and gather your thoughts before proceeding.
Remember, the more you pack into a communication session, the less people will remember of it without prompting. , If the words you speak are garbled, your grammar is poor and you speak too loudly or too softly, your communication is negatively affected.
Practice reading into a recorder and listening to yourself talk to find the pitch and volume necessary for people to hear you easily, and refine your cadence and enunciation of words.
There are many education websites, online, that offer help in grammar and phonics; take a few minutes each day to brush up on your skills. , The more agitated you become while speaking or writing, the more difficult it is for you to clearly communicate your thoughts.
If your voice rises and quakes, your listener will be distracted from what you are saying and retain little of it.
If you find anxiety kicking in while you are speaking, stop for a moment, take a deep breath and let it out fully, then try again; no doubt your listener has been in your shoes and they'll be patient until you're ready to go on speaking. , If you want to be a good communicator, you must learn to accept the strongly held views of others.
People are not mentally weak, morally bankrupt, or inherently evil, merely because they disagree with the ideas you feel very strongly about.
If you conclude arguments with others by saying "Well, you must be stupid" or "You're just scared" you've succumbed to the temptation to bully others, rather than keeping good perspective and allowing for dissent.
To communicate more effectively, try playing devil's advocate with yourself over your most strongly held philosophical beliefs; bully yourself into seeing the opposing viewpoint. , Those with whom you speak regularly can best tell you how well you relate to others, including people you don't particularly care for.
Ask them if you tend to bully others.
Ask if you most often persuade them to agree with, or inform them of your opinions.
Ask them if they believe you are honest in your communication.
And finally, ask them if they consider you trustworthy or in need of a major character overhaul. -
Step 3: or your ideas
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Step 4: too seriously.
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Step 5: Make sure you aren't equating agreement with understanding.
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Step 6: Be clear and concise.
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Step 7: Speak clearly.
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Step 8: Remain calm.
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Step 9: Respect the viewpoint of others.
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Step 10: Ask your co-workers and friends if they see you as an effective communicator; better yet
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Step 11: ask your boss.
Detailed Guide
If your audience (be it one person or many) tells you they don't understand what you are saying, hear them.
Many a good point is lost on listeners when a speaker refuses to stop pressing on with their speech to clarify a point they've made.
Stop and clarify what you are saying even if it means it'll take longer to make your point(s).
If feeling "misunderstood" defines your life-long interaction with others, that's not a communication problem.
It's probably an emotional and psychological problem. , Humans understand an amazing amount of stuff, but they don't necessarily agree with what they see and hear.
Communication is about the expression of ideas and thoughts, not gaining acceptance and agreement with every assertion made. , You may have a million thoughts spinning through your mind as you communicate with others, but it is best to limit your expression of thought to one or two (related) things at a time.
Attempts to de-clutter your head by talking to someone (unless you warn them first) will likely result in muddled communication.
If your audience shows signs of being confused, frustrated, or inattentive, you may be drifting and need to stop talking and gather your thoughts before proceeding.
Remember, the more you pack into a communication session, the less people will remember of it without prompting. , If the words you speak are garbled, your grammar is poor and you speak too loudly or too softly, your communication is negatively affected.
Practice reading into a recorder and listening to yourself talk to find the pitch and volume necessary for people to hear you easily, and refine your cadence and enunciation of words.
There are many education websites, online, that offer help in grammar and phonics; take a few minutes each day to brush up on your skills. , The more agitated you become while speaking or writing, the more difficult it is for you to clearly communicate your thoughts.
If your voice rises and quakes, your listener will be distracted from what you are saying and retain little of it.
If you find anxiety kicking in while you are speaking, stop for a moment, take a deep breath and let it out fully, then try again; no doubt your listener has been in your shoes and they'll be patient until you're ready to go on speaking. , If you want to be a good communicator, you must learn to accept the strongly held views of others.
People are not mentally weak, morally bankrupt, or inherently evil, merely because they disagree with the ideas you feel very strongly about.
If you conclude arguments with others by saying "Well, you must be stupid" or "You're just scared" you've succumbed to the temptation to bully others, rather than keeping good perspective and allowing for dissent.
To communicate more effectively, try playing devil's advocate with yourself over your most strongly held philosophical beliefs; bully yourself into seeing the opposing viewpoint. , Those with whom you speak regularly can best tell you how well you relate to others, including people you don't particularly care for.
Ask them if you tend to bully others.
Ask if you most often persuade them to agree with, or inform them of your opinions.
Ask them if they believe you are honest in your communication.
And finally, ask them if they consider you trustworthy or in need of a major character overhaul.
About the Author
Aaron Freeman
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
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