Communication is more than just our words. Visual cues like facial expressions, posture, and gestures communicate more than words do. This means that it’s really important to “send the right signals”.
Look at this woman.
How do you think she is feeling?
What would you think if she said that she was happy to see you?
Tips for Saying What You Mean (Getting Your Point Across)
Talking is sharing your ideas and feelings with another person. Getting your ideas across effectively involves a number of skills
1. Be clear and direct
- Speak to the other person.
- Don’t be distracted by other people or other things going on in the same room.
- Focus on what you have to say.
- Make short and simple statements.
2. Speak about yourself, your thoughts and feelings
- Don’t assume to know what the other person is thinking or feeling.
- Use “I Messages:” Say, “I feel let down,” rather than “You broke your promise.”
3. Keep what you say brief and to-the-point.
- Stop and think about what you want to get across and the clearest way to say it.
- Avoid saying the same things over and over.
- Once the listener understands what you are trying to communicate, move on.
4. Stay on topic.
- Stay with the subject being discussed and do NOT get sidetracked.
- Don’t bring up other past, present, or future problems.
- Listeners can get confused and turned off if you don’t stay focused.
5. Don’t interrupt other people when they’re talking.
- Let the other person finish before responding.
- Interruptions break the speaker’s train of thought and can cause the other person to become angry.