Dots and Dashes
”The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
George Bernard Shaw
Morse code was at one time the fastest way to communicate across vast distances long before cell phones and the internet. Through a series of dots and dashes, operators could send news faster than any known means of travel and snail mail and thus started us all on the path of creating a smaller world. As one human swimming in a sea of humanity, we are all bound to one another through some form of communication. Earlier this week I wrote about taking time to get away from all the bells and whistles of life to find a happy quiet spot to recharge your health. Today, I’m talking about the ability to communicate effectively between two people or between a person and a group of people. From a health care perspective, communication is one of the greatest asset a patient can possess in articulating the needs and concerns they have to their provider. As a provider, communication skills are the greatest tool available in the medical kit because it allows them to hear and to understand what the needs and concerns are for the patient. Effective communication is a skill and it needs to be practiced in order to gain a better understanding of what communication really is.
If you look online or in the business section of your local library, you will be overloaded with the amount of information on how to be a better communicator…I’m just going to touch on the basics.
1) Be still and listen: communication is a two way street and if the other party can’t share their thoughts the action is not called communication in the whole sense.
2) Be aware of body language and inflection of tone: you might be saying one thing and the message your body is giving off could be a completely different one. This can send a confusing message to the one you’re speaking to.
3) Be specific: if you’re trying to get a point across to someone, stay on topic and try not to beat around the bush. Being long-winded will cause the listener to lose focus and they might miss the point.
4) Communicate with empathy, not ego: most people want to know that you are listening to their needs and not hearing about how important you are…remember, people don’t care how much you know until the know how much you care.
5) Have an open mind: you never know when and where a great idea or new perspective might come from. Remember, a mind is like a parachute, it only works when it’s open.
6) Speak calmly and clearly: I don’t know about you but I have found that conversations held in a state of great excitement or anger tend to be void of very important points.
7) Think before you speak: remember that once something is said, it cannot be unsaid. Let me repeat that, once you say something that is without thought or hurtful, it can never be unheard or unsaid. You can say you’re sorry, but that may not fix the damage that might have been done.
I could go on and on but I feel like I have hit the highlights and that is the point of today’s post. Whether you’re trying to communicate with your co-workers or your neighbor, these tips on communication will help you become better at listening as well as sharing your needs and wants. When we as a part of humanity can eliminate confusion and misunderstanding, then the opportunity for real understanding has a chance to develop between people.
I hope you have found this post enlightening and I encourage you to share with those around you. Have a great weekend everyone, be safe and take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com