Effective communication;Communication is about more than just exchanginginformation. It's about understanding the emotion and intentionsbehind the information. Effective communication is also a two-way street. It’s not only how you convey a message so that it isreceived and understood by someone in exactly the way youintended, it’s also how you listen to gain the full meaning ofwhat’s being said and to make the other person feel heard andunderstood.More than just the words you use, effective communicationcombines a set of skills including nonverbal communication,engaged listening, managing stress in the moment, the ability tocommunicate assertively, and the capacity to recognize andunderstand your own emotions and those of the person you’recommunicating with.Effective communication is the glue that helps you deepen yourconnections to others and improve teamwork, decision making,and problem solving. It enables you to communicate evennegative or difficult messages without creating conflict ordestroying trust.While effective communication is a learned skill, it is moreeffective when it’s spontaneous rather than formulaic. A speechthat is read, for example, rarely has the same impact as a speechthat’s delivered (or appears to be delivered) spontaneously. Ofcourse, it takes time and effort to develop these skills andbecome an effective communicator. The more effort and practiceyou put in, the more instinctive and spontaneous yourcommunication skills will become.
