Let’s be clear... “Communication is…”

• Able to provide clear answers? 
• Excellent writing skills? 
• A persuasive speaker? 
• An active listener? 
• Warm body language? 
• An engaging public speaker? 

Many ideas may come to mind. There is no doubt that communication is a multifaceted, complex process. But what exactly do people do to communicate? Let’s break it down. 

Communication is the dynamic exchange of information between two or more people. Wait...2 or more people? “What if I’m talking to myself?” you might ask? Fair enough....but that’s a topic for another day! 

Let’s stick with two or more people for now. We are consciously and subconsciously doing things to receive information from others, and we are doing things to give information to others. 

What do we mean “receive information”? 

Listening to someone talking, the words they are using and their tone of voice.....a presentation, a story, instructions, an opinion....... 

Watching the speaker’s body language, gestures, and facial expressions......are they confident, are they anxious, are they excited...... 

Looking at visuals the speaker may be holding or showing....photos of their pet, a new watch they got for their birthday, the tools they are teaching you how to use.

Maybe reading something the speaker is showing us........a text message they want you to read to get your opinion, a funny birthday card, an advertisement for an event they want you to go to.

We do an awful lot of listening throughout the day, and we automatically take in visual and auditory information, integrate it with what we already know and ultimately receive the information from the speaker.

What do we mean “give information”? 

Well, just the opposite of receiving information, except when you give information, you’re the one choosing the words, using non-verbal skills (tone of voice, body language, gestures, facial expression, etc.) and choosing if there’s anything else you want to show your listener to layer on top of your talking to help express your ideas. Imagine you just came back from a trip, and you’re telling your friend all about it. You’re going to talk about everything, but you will also want to show them pictures, show them items you purchased, maybe show them a blog post or two to add additional details. These are all things we can do to “give information.”

There IS one more important aspect of communication: The verification process. As I’m sure we can all relate, one does not always give or receive information as intended. There are often misunderstandings! And so, taking the time to make sure you’ve communicated your message clearly and/or you’ve received the message correctly is a crucial step to communicating effectively. More on this in another blog post! 

Best,

Natalie & Crystal