Communication is what will keep your relationship from failing -not just any kind of communication but effective communication. It could be a pain for all parties involved, if conversations are not engaged in the right way. Maintaining your interpersonal relationships with the people around you should foster togetherness and mutual understanding. Anything short of this, only leads to chaos, animosity and frustration.
In order to improve the quality of your conversations by making certain you are in charge of what you say, you need to be intentional about what you say and how you say it.
This assures you that the message or what you just said is not misinterpreted or taken the wrong way.
So how do you ensure that what you have to say is well understood and not misconstrued or taken out of context?
These 15 top tips can help you improve your communication so that it’s effective enough to deliver exactly what you have in mind.
Applying these tips to your daily communication can save you the hassles of ineffective communication and the emotional turmoil that comes with it.
Related: 20 Mistakes People Make When Meeting Someone New
15 Top Tips To Improving Your Communication To Make It More Effective:
1. Be a good listener
Listening is key in any form of conversation.
You want to make sure that you hear (correctly) what the other person is trying to communicate or say to you so there’s no confusion as to the execution or delivery of what is being requested or said.
Distraction if allowed in communication, could change the main idea behind what is being communicated giving it a different meaning entirely-and this could lead to chaos and problems down the line.
2. Ask questions
Any time you are not sure about something, the best thing is to ask. Asking helps to clear out any form of ambiguities and ensures you and the other person are on the same page.
3. Be polite
Communication and humility goes hand in hand most times. When you are polite, people are generally willing to listen to what you have to say with no questions asked.
4. Be empathetic
Putting yourself in the shoes of others and trying to understand their plight or what they are going through, helps build trust in your relationships. It gives room for vulnerability because trust has been earned.
Empathy might just be what you need to take your relationship or friendship to the next level. Give it a try.
5. Treat others with kindness
Treating others the way you want to be treated, goes a long way in helping to improve your relationships.
Kindness speaks it’s own language and has the ability to break the hardest of hearts. Let it break down those hard communication barriers for you including with your spouse or lover.
Strive to be in the good books of Kindness. Do to others as you would love to be treated.
6. Be Patient
When it comes to building relationships, patience is a virtue that helps you navigate through particularly difficult relationships.
At times, when you don’t seem to know what to do or how to go about a problem you face with friends, colleagues or family, being patient can come in handy to surmount whatever problem you may be facing.
7. Be slow to speak
Many times, we may want to blurt out words as they come to our minds but taking a moment to evaluate the intent behind those words and the impact it would have on the listener is important.
If those words don’t edify or help in any way, it’s better left unsaid.
8. Don’t be easily angered
Maintaining our cool when communicating especially when something gets triggered in us, could make us react in negative ways.
This is particularly difficult when it’s in the heat of the moment.
Knowing how to manage your anger however, is a skill that you will need to be able to effectively relate with others regardless of who they are.
Related: 5 Natural Ways To Manage Your Anger
9. See things from others perspective
There’s always two sides to a coin which means there’s always another angle to a particular problem or more than one solution to a particular problem.
Seeing things from others perspective could help you gain insights on what a particular outcome could be-if you are open to it.
10. Take ownership of your mistakes
I love this one so much.
Admitting that you are wrong might seem like a sign of weakness but it’s actually a sign of strength if you can do it.
Taking responsibility for your mistakes and oversights could actually make the other person feel better.
11. Think before you speak
Thinking before speaking cannot be overemphasized. Sometimes, total silence could actually be a response.
Not everything that comes to mind has to be said. You could just decide to walk away to cool off or keep your response to a later time when you think you would be able to communicate it better.
12. Apologize quickly
Saying sorry could be tough sometimes, but that might be just what you need for the relationship between you and your spouse or that friend of yours to get better.
Go ahead and apologize if you are wrong. It makes things a whole lot easier and everyone is happy.
13. Choose your battles
All things need attention, but some need attention more than others. Are there things that are emotionally draining for you each time you embark on them?
Like trying to explain yourself over and over again and it seems like you are hitting a road block?
If you find it difficult making a head way or you are not seeing changes after a line of action is taken in a particular situation, the best thing is to let it go.
14. Be respectful
When you sow respect you reap respect. If you want to take your conversations or relationships a notch ahead, respecting others has the capability of doing just that for you.
15. Forgive and let go
Forgiveness is something you choose to do intentionally.
It does a lot for you than the other person because it helps you overcome bitterness and strife for your own peace of mind. It also gives you the freedom to be yourself and to decide on how to continue with your relationships with those around you.
Bonus Tip
Interactions with people or your spouse should bring good feedback and not negative reactions. Strive to be a good communicator in your relationships and be at peace that you are well understood every single time.
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