Communication

“The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished,” George Bernard Shaw.
1. Open communication - The biggest gap in communication that I observe is the “lack of openness”. Often what’s understood is not what’s intended and people see no reason to seek clarifications. Sadly, both parties may not take the initiative to “ask” and continue to build the relationship on “assumptions”.
2. Flow of information – Communication is considered powerful and complete when the message transmitted is well understood by the receiver in the manner intended by the sender. It is not just the ability to speak in a dialect or language. It involves the flow of information, ideas, concepts, thoughts from one person to another.
3. Forms of communication - Spoken words, gestures and expressions (body language) and the unsaid thoughts are the various expressions of communication. Our thoughts dominate our words and expressions.
4. Context vs content - For communication to be effective it is essential to focus on the context or the underlying emotions rather than just the words or what is heard.
5. Active listening - Listening with a purpose, it may be to gain information, obtain directions, understand others, solve problems, share interest, see how another person feels, show support, etc. It requires that the listener attends to the words and the feelings of the sender for understanding.
“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.”