Thread by @wisdomcounselin

0) "Systems for communication" starts now #Strength4Weakend

1) Sam, effective communication skills are fundamental to success in many aspects of life. Many jobs require strong communication skills. #Strength4Weakend

2) People with good communication skills also usually enjoy better interpersonal relationships with friends and family. #Strength4Weakend

3) Effective communication is therefore a key interpersonal skill and learning how to improve your communication has many benefits. #Strength4Weakend

4) However, many people find it difficult to know where to start. Communication is a two-way process. It involves both how we send and receive messages. #Strength4Weakend

5) Receiving includes both how we take in the message (reading or listening, for example), and the ‘decoding’ of the message. #Strength4Weakend

6) Improving communication may therefore also involve either or both elements. However, many of the most common issues actually lie in receiving rather than sending messages. #Strength4Weakend

7) Many people appreciate that they have a problem with communication skills, but struggle to know where to start to improve. #Strength4Weakend

8) There are generally four main areas of communication skills that most of us would do well to improve. These are listening, non-verbal communication, emotional awareness and management, and questioning. #Strength4Weakend

9) Learn to Listen. One of the most common areas to need improvement is listening. We all have a tendency to forget that communication is a two-way process. #Strength4Weakend

10) We fall into the trap of ‘broadcasting’, where we just issue a message, and fail to listen to the response. Quite a lot of the time, we are not really listening to others in conversation, but thinking about what we plan to say next. #Strength4Weakend

11) What, however, is listening? Listening is not the same as hearing. Learning to listen means not only paying attention to the words being spoken but also how they are being spoken and the non-verbal messages sent with them. #Strength4Weakend

12) It means giving your full attention to the person speaking, and genuinely concentrating on what they are saying—and what they are not saying. #Strength4Weakend

13) Studying and Understanding Non-Verbal Communication. Much of any message is communicated non-verbally. Some estimates suggest that this may be as much as 80% of communication. #Strength4Weakend

14) It is therefore important to consider and understand non-verbal communication—particularly when it is absent or reduced, such as when you are communicating in writing or by telephone. #Strength4Weakend

15) Non-verbal communication is often thought of as body language, but it actually covers far more. It includes, tone and pitch of the voice, body movement, eye contact, posture, facial expression, and even physiological changes such as sweating. #Strength4Weakend

16) You can therefore understand other people better by paying close attention to their non-verbal communication. You can also ensure that your message is conveyed more clearly by ensuring that your words and body language are consistent. #Strength4Weakend

17) Emotional Awareness and Management
The third undersung area of communication is awareness of our own and other people’s emotions, and an ability to manage those emotions. #Strength4Weakend

18) However, an awareness of emotions, both positive and negative, can definitely improve communication. This understanding of our own and others’ emotion is known as Emotional Intelligence. #Strength4Weakend

19) Emotional intelligence covers a wide range of skills, usually divided into personal skills and social skills. The personal skills include self-awareness, self-regulation and motivation. #Strength4Weakend

20) Empathy is the ability to ‘feel with’ others: to share their emotions and understanding them. It includes understanding others, developing them, having a service orientation, valuing and leveraging diversity, and political awareness. #Strength4Weakend

21) Questioning is a crucial skill to ensure that you have understood someone’s message correctly. It is also a very good way of obtaining more information about a particular topic, or simply starting a conversation and keeping it going. #Strength4Weakend

22) Those with good questioning skills are often also seen as very good listeners, because they tend to spend far more time drawing information out from others than broadcasting their own opinions. #Strength4Weakend

23) Improving your communication skills will almost certainly ease and improve all your interpersonal relationships, both at home and at work. It is an investment of time that will very definitely pay off. #Strength4Weakend

24) Ever lost interest in someone you really liked because of poor communication and unmatched energy? Now it's time to upgrade systems of communication. Your friend Sir Alex #Strength4Weakend

25) Should you need any assistance or help then don't hesitate to send a DM now @wisdomcounselin or subscribe tinyurl.com/upgradesubscri… #Strength4Weakend