Abhishek Agarwal asked:
Communication has been a part of society since times immemorial. It is shocking then, that people still fail to understand each other correctly at times. How often do we argue with somebody simply because we misunderstood what they had meant in the first place?
It is definitely a myth that some can communicate better than others simply because they are blessed with better skills. At the same time it is true that some people cannot communicate as well as others thanks to handicaps. However, communication can be fine tuned through practice in any case.
In fact, people who have disabilities work at their communication skills harder than others, and shame them by communicating much better than them at times.
A. The power of perception is a key factor in improving your communication skills. Try and perceive in your mind how you think of an issue before you try and convince someone else about it. At the same time, try and be a little objective as well – not everybody perceives the same issues in the same way.
Did you know that in countries other than America it is rude to open a present in front of the person who gifted it, because in case you do not like what you see your expression may hurt the person? In America people do just the reverse by opening the presents to show their appreciation. Neither seems incorrect. It is just the way you think about it!
B. Do pay attention to details both with verbal as well as non verbal forms of communication. A comma or decimal could mean a huge different if you were writing on finance, while a gesture like a hand shake could show your sincerity in a meeting. A handshake should be firm and inviting, not a by-the-way formality.
C. Speak from the heart. When you know exactly what a word means you use it with such confidence that the listener is keen to understand more. Non verbal forms of communication like what you wear also play a crucial role in what you are trying to convey. In other words, dress formal when you are speaking on a serious issue, and casual when you are talking about sports is fine.
D. Practice does make perfect, and that holds true in fine tuning your communication skills as well. You could practice speaking in front of a mirror to get visual feedback of your non verbal communication. Similarly, you could speak into a recorder to get feedback of your verbal communication, and make corrections and re-record where applicable. Doing so regularly will no doubt turn you into a great speaker over a period of time.