By Kim Truman
Listening
Listening is one of the most powerful skills one can possess. Listening falls into two categories: 1) Listening to your own gut instinct. 2) The ability to listen to others with patience while being engaging and without interrupting. Listen and observe without judgment.
Life experiences and what you know
Learning is continuous when dealing with conversations with others. Certain dynamics still remain the same; the skeleton of communication.
Life experiences and learning helps one be more aware of how they interact, react or exchange words y with others. Words within your own head and words spoken are very powerful.
Eye Contact
Eye-to-eye contact sets the tone and mood when two people speak. Having steady eye contact gives one the appearance of confidence and self assurance of their words. When no eye contact is made, one appears to have no confidence and to be disinterested in the conversation.
Keeping your focus and eye contact can make the connection to another or a group, and deepen the connection for success.
Humility
When in conversation, remember your self-value, but be humble as well. We are all human after all – we have slurred our words or mispronounced a specific word. Don’t try to oversell or impress the person with which you are talking. If you can relax, be yourself and if you stutter or mispronounce a word, be humble enough to laugh at yourself.
Kidding Around
If you are speaking to someone who is boring or repetitive, shake it up a bit with a joke or two. Kidding around or a sense of humor can do wonders for a mundane conversation. Humor is a way to break up tension or monotony. Humor can also make one seem more approachable or likeable.
Others
Communicating and mingling with others at all levels can be a learning experience. By expressing interests and goals you can learn from one another or pick up ideas to expand on something you’re working on. How a person might react to what you are talking about is vital. Listen and find out what makes people tick or who they really are as a person.
Yourself – A Voice Within
Listening to your own voice can be another powerful tool. Think about your delivery when you are talking to your friends or family. The stress and tone of the voice can create the situation or conviction of an idea. If you are trying to say something, you wouldn’t want to speak with a weak and whiny voice – you would want a powerful voice that is clear and to the point, with no breaks in your pattern.
Delivery with a Smile
A smile can be as powerful as eye-to-eye contact. You can communicate with a smile and make a difference in the conversation and the point you are trying to make. Think about the lift a smile can give a conversation compared to having a frown and upset face. Smile with confident words.
Role Model or Mentors
Reaching out to someone you admire or a person that is a role model can be an important lesson. You can look at the choices and events that have shaped them and given them peace. It’s lucky to have a mentor and someone who is close to you to help guide you to be the best possible you. Embrace and take it all in. Remember to have patience. Take mental notes on how they communicate with people or how they deal with specific situations. Aspects of communication can help you realize your dreams and how to achieve them.
Be Prepared
Education and life experiences is your platform for being prepared. Continue to educate yourself through academic venues and by observing your life and lessons learnt from both good and challenging times. Always be aware and have a direction or passion of how you want to live your life.
These tips might seem simple, but they are powerful. Sometimes the most simple things are the most effective way to learn and understand. For example, a smile is so simple, but underestimated. A simple smile can uplift and bring light and laughter to any situation.
