Communication Skills

Have you ever had a conversation where you felt you spoke, but the other person failed to listen? Too often, we convince ourselves we are listening when we are only hearing ourselves speak. Studies have shown that people speak 120 to 160 words per minute, yet they only hear an average of 14 words. While the noise is heard, the comprehension of what is being said is at best only 7% of what is being said.
The remaining 93% of communication is interpreted through body language and tone. Body language in America is given credit for 55% of what people hear while the tone impacts 38% of the message. How often are we doing one thing while instructing people to do something entirely different then frustrated because a task was done improperly. If how we say, what we say is such a large percentage of how we communicate then the cliché to “walk your talk” makes much more sense.

Barriers to Effective Communication

That means be aware of the need to listen and understand that there are numerous barriers to communicating. Here are some that you are probably already aware of:

o Not understanding the language
o Verbal and non-verbal messages are in a different language. This includes not understanding the jargon or idioms used by another sub-culture or group.
o Not understanding the context
o Not knowing the history of the occasion, relationship, or culture.
o Distraction
o Not giving adequate attention to processing the message in real-time, perhaps because of multitasking.
o Lack of time - there is rarely enough time to communicate with everyone.
o Physical barriers to the transmission of messages, such as background noise, facing the wrong way, talking too softly, and physical distance.
o Medical issues - Hearing loss and various brain conditions can hamper communication.
o Beliefs - World-views may discourage one person from listening to another.
o Emotions - Fear and anxiety associated with communication.

Make what you say matter

People in leadership positions need to communicate with silence more than with words. 70% of a leader’s time should be spent listening instead of speaking. This past week I have suffered from a severe case of laryngitis, a bad experience for a person who makes a living speaking. After making it through the week giving several full day programs, I needed to be able to speak at the National Speakers Association of Central Florida program as I was being inducted as this years President. The laryngitis prevented a long speech, but secured that I used the right message, which had the same effect. The moral to the story is that sometimes saying less, says more. The next time you want to communicate, remember that there are already plenty of barriers that can keep people from hearing your message, so make sure what you say is said at the right time and that it matters.

June is "Effective Communications" Month. Improve your business with better communication skills when it comes to dealing with potential clients, current customers, employees and more.