Effective communication and Listening

Effective Communication

Traits of an effective communicator:

• Responsive
• Takes time to pause
• Practical examples
• Eye contact - connection
• Confidence
• Direct
• Respectful
• "Oops and Ouch"
• **Listening**
• Patient

Most of these tie back to listening

What makes you feel heard?

• When people are looking at me
• Responding directly to what I say
• Not doing other things/multitasking
• Focusing
• Echoing the message
• Not interrupting
• Lack of defensiveness
• Asking follow-up questions
• Picking the correct environment
• Picking the right environment
• Demonstrating understanding
• Affirmative body language/non-verbal affirmation
• Genuine responsiveness
• Interactions have a "back and forth" flow

What makes you a good listener

• Staying present, trusting the conversation will flow our way
• Removing distractions/focus
• Not interrupting
• Acknowledging emotions/ echoing emotion
• Eye contact
• Not making assumptions
• Asking what they need
• Pay attention
• Be a reflective listener
• Flag when you don't understand something
• Be aware of your emotions and self-regulation
• Be aware of your reaction to what someone says
• Acknowledge repercussions of the conversation
• Acknowledge or account for power imbalance

Unsolicited advice

• It will shut people down
• Makes people feel unheard
• Some communications are meant to convey information, some are meant to convey emotions
• Asking people for consent to give advice
• When accepting advice, it lets others define what's correct