Have you ever tried to explain to someone an issue or concern and they just don’t get it? have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever tried to support someone only to find you have offended them? You are not alone.
Communication is the art of “being heard and understood”. Communication is a two way street, you need to not only construct the right message but also for it to be received in the way you intended. This sounds simple, but believe me it s not. Why?
Firstly, many of us don’t think before we speak, we just send words out into the either and expect it to work. We mistakenly think that because we know what we mean then of course everyone else will. This is not the case at all. It takes many years and a lot of honesty and trust to get to know someone that well that we get that they mean. Even then we can still be hurt by the words and actions of others.
Secondly, we have our own intention when we do communicate,which is usually not clear to the receiver. This was a real struggle for me. Being such a strong personality when I intended to be gentle I would come across as confrontational. When I tried to be inspirational I would come across as a bully. Not my intention at all! Even worse I did not realise this for a very long time. People would not tell me how they felt because they were scared of confronting me.
As you can imagine this caused havoc for me personally and professionally. Thankfully I was able to learn from this so I could improve my ability to communicate and relate with all types of people. Hence my determinedness to share my experiences with you so you don’t have to struggle anymore. Learn from my mistakes please! This allows my struggle to be useful and make a difference in the lives of others.
Next time we will discuss how different communication styles make or communication even more complicated.
Until next time, Care, Connect and be a Courageous Communicator. Let’s change the world we live in one conversation at a time.
