MUR
Communication is one of the most important tools for determining our success. Regardless of how much knowledge we attain, if we are unable to effectively communicate it further, the knowledge is of no use.
These days, one can get any sort of information through the Internet. So the question becomes: if all the information is available, then what is stopping us from growing? Well the answer to this can be a number of things, but considering the fact that we attain relevant info and yet still we are not achieving our results, this might be because of either our speaking or our listening.
Communication is not just what we say. It is also how we speak, our intent, our body language, and our expressions. Why does it happen sometimes that we have been trying to do something for a while and then all of a sudden someone else comes and brings the transaction to closure in less than a minute? Other times we may be negotiating a deal and the moment our boss pitches in, he closes that same deal at an earlier price without much discussion.
Now if we take a moment to think about how these people are able to get their tasks done, we observe that they are able to understand and communicate their views more efficiently, and their ability to address the other party’s concern is superb.
This sentiment is seen in the book Talk the Talk: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” When we care more, we tend to listen properly; our tone and body language show that very clearly.
Sometimes we are not able to understand what the other person is saying. This might be because:
- The matter is not of our interest
- Personal bias for the topic/speaker
- Premature evaluation of thoughts
All these are barriers to effective communication. The moment we learn the art of communicating our insights clearly, there will be no limits to our accomplishments. So how can we overcome these barriers and grow significantly? It is often said that knowing the problem is the first part of the solution. Since we know the barriers to effective communication, the next time we feel that any conversation is not going the way we hoped, we can fine-tune the non-verbal aspects of our communication. With more attention given to how the listener is receiving our message, we will surely see positive changes happening.
Always remember:
