Communication

Do you find it difficult to make connections with those around you? 👤

Have you ever wondered why establishing a sincere relationship can be demanding just because of your personal needs? 👤

Are you looking for a solution for behaviors such as speaking vaguely in an unintentional way, or remaining silent in conversation as you do not know how to participate effectively? 😶

Do you, as an introvert, have doubts about whether the idea of “Your network is your net worth.” is true in real life? 🤔

Hoping that you guys could find a way to address these challenges above, we, Study Diary, will be sharing ‘Communication’ under the Essential Life Skills album for this week.

📌 What exactly is effective communication? What are the reasons behind various communication styles in mankind? What traits of ourselves should be evaluated and enhanced to be the one with impressive communication skills? These questions will be focused, so please tap on each photo to read in detail.

Special thanks to translator @Hilton

Graphics by @Glory

Fact checked by @Wunna & @Thadar

#study_diary

#translation

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What exactly is effective communication❓

🤝The fundamental concept of interpersonal communication is to exchange opinions and share information. If you can express what is in your mind with articulate and proper words to others or you are a good listener with the best, empathetic responses, then you are such a person with excellent communication skills.

The problem is neither talking too much nor too little, but not speaking up when and what you should say really is.

👥 When it comes to effective communication, the first thing that comes to mind might be strong social skills such as speaking eloquently, possessing a wide social network, the ability to capture attention while speaking in public with elegance, etc. Communication is not just talking. Some excel in other communication types despite their weakness in verbal expression.

In general, communication can be categorized as

1. Verbal 👄 (e.g., speaking)

2. Non-verbal ❌(e.g., gestures and facial expressions)

3. Visual 👀 (e.g., movie, photograph, badge) and

4. Written ✍️ (e.g., typing, emailing).

5 Cs of communication

There are 5 Cs which are the keys to effective communication. These include -

🔷 Clearness

Ability to convey your words in such a straightforward way to the target audience.

🔷 Conciseness

Speaking concisely what you want to say, avoiding unnecessities, figurative language, and digression.

🔷 Concreteness

Willing to substantiate your message, and have your audience easily understand.

🔷 Coherence

Smoothness in speaking coherently, free from frequent halting and meandering.

🔷 Courtesy

Understanding others’ feelings and opinions, using respectful words, and being mindful of both tone and posture are included. This is one of the 5 Cs which is essential in effective communication.

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What are the factors influencing communication❓

🔶 Some individuals have to try twice harder than normal ones as they face greater challenges in the name of communication. On the other hand, some are incoherently talkative, and never consider what they are going to say is appropriate or respectful.

In addition, those who are typically quite chatty become less talkative depending on the time and circumstances, and these factors mainly influencing communication are

◼️ Different Personalities 🧬

Our personalities are chiefly dominated by genetics, and there is less impact by surroundings on personalities. Numerous frameworks can be found to differentiate personality traits such as MBTI, and Big Five - roughly, indicating extrovert or introvert. These personality traits have more or less influence on the way someone interacts with others.

◼️ Social Anxiety 😰

Social Anxiety which is also called social phobia contains feeling uncomfortable, sick, and sweaty when you are in public areas, and the inability to speak due to the fear of being judged. This is such a common mental issue and can be different in severity from person to person.

◼️ Surroundings and Upbringing 🏡

The surrounding is the main factor in shaping oneself behaviors.

Only if an introvert grew up in a sociable background could he even act well in social settings, but he may sometimes need to recharge later on his own. Your unique communication style, likewise, can be different from others based on the way your parents raised you and how you were taught in childhood.

◼️ Belief and Value 🙏

Would you be surprised if your personal beliefs really have an impact on communication? Determining which points to omit or prioritize in communication is crucially related to beliefs and values.

◼️ Relationships and Positional Relations 🤝

How you interact with your friends and family should not be the same, and that is also true with your superiors and colleagues.

◼️ Past Experiences 🕰

Relating to your communication skills in the past, whether you have experienced any form of trauma or have had memorable moments of praise, plays a significant role in your ability to communicate effectively.

◼️ Emotions 🎭

People tend to perceive emotions in diverse ways at different levels. Even if it is the same event, the emotions experienced might be opposite in each individual. Do not think of others, even yourself in the present and that of last year cannot be the same in responding to an event. Distinctive emotional states like this exert a huge impact on your day-to-day interactions.

◼️ Medium 📱

This refers to the modes of communication. Although chatting face-to-face is completely fine, a certain amount of people might feel uneasy or anxious about communicating through platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet. Some prefer voice calls to video calls, and some may even prefer texting. Our interaction styles can vary hanging on these different communication mediums.

Besides, there are numerous other factors influencing communication such as Autism and communication disorder.

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How to overcome your lack of communication skills - 1

🔶 Identify the cause 🔗

Find out the reasons for your hesitation to engage in conversation with others. Is it because of your personality? Are you a victim of some kind of disorder? Is it because of your environment full of criticism without encouraging you, or trauma, or your low self-esteem? This is like the saying, “Unknown symptom, no prescription.”.

🔶 Practice writing 📖

Talking in a disordered and digress way is the result of your disorganized thoughts. Either when you have to lead a discussion in an important meeting or when you have to give a presentation at work or school, write down your speech and important notes in advance. By writing down the important ones in your head on paper, you will see clearly what you have to prepare and come up with new ideas, making it easier to recall the information.

🔶 Compliment 🙌

The majority tend to misunderstand the meaning of the word ‘compliment’ with ‘flattery’. Flattery means praise for something that is not sincere, and only people with mere self-awareness appreciate this kind of action. Everybody likes being praised. Praise means appreciation of qualities or actions in others that you find favorable. It is just normal to be willing to live in a place where you are appreciated, particularly, you feel more pleasant when you get complimented for your oblivious attitude. Hence, if you find something you like in someone, just give them a compliment wholeheartedly.

🔶 Think before you talk 💡

It is really difficult to think twice before talking though it seems so easy. However, taking a long time to think which leads to reluctance to respond to them, can make you seem like an inauthentic person who usually pretends by not telling the truth. If you speak without thinking first, it is a sure bet you will accidentally include regretful words.

Thus, what is important here is to find a balance between these two aspects. An instance would be thinking deeply after a sigh before talking.

🔶 Create safe conversations 👏

Safe conversation means communication without criticism. Conversations should be a place where all participants can frankly express their perspectives. Talking at a constant rate without giving others a chance to participate, mocking others’ opinions, and being too fanatical about your own point of view should be abandoned. Such safe conversations strengthen trust and grasp between each other, thereby, boosting problem-solving skills.

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How to overcome your lack of communication skills - 2

🔶 Hearing or Listening? 👂

You cannot be a great communicator unless you listen attentively when someone talks to you. Active listening implies encouraging the speaker by nodding to go on without interruption, being aware of facial expressions and body language, asking inquiries when something is not clear, using empathetic words and expressions to convey your interest, and responding properly in alignment with the speaker’s emotional state. Be a listener before a speaker.

🔶 Initiate a way for others to talk about themselves 🗣

There is no one on earth who does not like talking about oneself. Only the chapters they like to talk about are different. Some enjoy talking about clothes, while others like conversations about their children, girlfriends, favorite books, or preferred bands. That is why people write NGL and 50 Facts about Myself on social media. Thus, when you are in a deep conversation, make an effort to ask about their story with interest - sort of light questions that do not delve deeply into personal matters. Then you will know more about people, and be able to make like-minded friends.

🔶 Know your audience 👥

In 2014, the former president of the U.S., Barack Obama, came to Myanmar and gave a public speech at Yangon University. His speech gained attention due to a Burmese proverb he shared "Never do things by halves.". The video clip of Obama saying that proverb in Burmese with an American accent was widely favored by the Burmese. Journalists also grasped this incident, writing about it extensively. What is interesting here is that understanding your audience or people you are communicating with can contribute a great deal to your communication skills. Only if Obama talked everything in English would it not have been so popular. Accordingly, when you interact with someone else, you need to be careful with his cultural background, behaviors, and beliefs.

Now, we hope that you have acquired a broad understanding of Communication. We will also be sharing another Essential Life Skill this upcoming Saturday. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment. Stay Tuned!!💕