Excellent communication is crucial in all relationships. Talking with colleagues, bosses, friends, or our significant other, implies giving clear messages that are the foundation of respect and trust. In this post, I decided to share some tips that my husband and I practice and help us to build great communication with each other.
-Have a weekly meeting: Every day is different and brings its ups and downs. For this reason, my husband and I agreed on having a weekly meeting on Sundays. That day we talk about the things that we liked about each other during the week and the ones that we did not like. We believe that we do not need to wait too long or until we explode in anger for expressing things that make us feel uncomfortable. Weekly meetings help us to identify mistakes and correct them for strengthening our relationship and learning more about each other.
On the other hand, it is also important to have meetings at the workplace with supervisors for evaluating our work and areas in which we need to improve. Besides, they also help us to solve the doubts that we might have about particular tasks. Depending on the type of work and role that you have, meetings can probably be scheduled once a month instead of once a week. My advice is not to be afraid to ask questions. Let your team know that you need guidance if you feel lost or unsure about how to get something done.
-Listen and then repeat the full message: Every time my husband and I have our meetings, we let the other person talk without interruptions or judgments. We listen carefully, and then we repeat what we heard. This action helps us make sure that we interpreted the message correctly, and there are no misunderstandings that can cause resentment.
At the workplace, we can also repeat instructions that we receive; especially when a person tells them to us orally instead of writing them in an email. For example, we can say: "Ok, let me make sure that I understood your message. I need to create a new marketing campaign focused on the experience that costumers receive with our products. It has to include people from different backgrounds and races, and I need to deliver it before Tuesday the 29th". Doing this simple exercise can help us to be peaceful about the work we are doing. Besides, it saves us time, as we won't need to call the supervisor to confirm the information one more time.
-Practice emotional intelligence when expressing feelings: We all have the right to be upset, sad, or angry. However, this does not mean that we should make other people feel the same way. We need to be honest about how we think, but in a way that makes the other person understand the situation, instead of pretending to feel better by insulting or blaming others. Keeping a calmed posture helps us to give the right messages and generate empathy in the other person.
Good communication is about listening and treating other's opinions and feelings in the same way that we expect ours to be treated.
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