Communication

Last week I shared some thoughts on communication in our weekly staff meeting. It doesn't matter if your a pastor, spouse, employee or friend; you will need to continue to work on your communication skills to be successful. Relationships of any kind are either enhanced or strained by communication.

All communication can be immediately improved by being a good listener. This is undoubtedly the most important component in communication. This skill can be augmented by making simple eye contact. This helps you focus and tells the other person speaking that their words are important.

Another often overlooked component in communication is being sensitive to how we talk to one another. Verbal and non-verbal communication is critical. How we present ourselves, our tone of voice, and our timing are all important things to consider when sharing information.

Some questions that you could ask yourself every time you desire to share information are: "How should the information be conveyed? Should it be done in person? Will a text message or email be appropriate? Is a letter or phone call required for proper communication to occur? Maybe, the information is too weighty or sensitive; so should it be done in person?"

It's possible that you have the right information, and share it at the right time with the right attitude, but use the wrong method, thereby creating unnecessary frustration.

Communication is an area we all need to work on. Evaluate your effectiveness in your relationships by examining your communication.