26 Jun Is It Time for a Communication Reboot?
I’d venture to guess that most of us are not good communicators.
The reality is, when it comes to communicating with one another, we often approach communication by how we are used to communicating. The key to better communication, especially in your business, rests in your ability to understand how others communicate and match your styles to them.
For example, there are three communication modalities I call them.
They are audio, visual, and kinesthetic.
Someone who is an audio communicator bases a lot of what they experience and share on what they hear. So, they may say a phrase such as “That sounds good to me.”
A visual communicator will often comment based on how things appear or look to them. They will most likely say things like “The project looks good”, or “I don’t like how the report is displayed”.
A kinesthetic communicator is big on the feel of things in their world and they would often use a phrase such as “I love how this makes me feel”.
Understanding the modalities of how people communicate is key, so you can make sure you are “speaking” the same language.
If someone says that this deal “looks good” (visual), but you say okay that “sounds good” (auditory), then you are speaking in two different modalities.
Take for example how air traffic controllers communicate with pilots.
Air traffic controllers are consistent in their communication for a reason so that what is said is easily understood – without fail.
There is constant correction in what they say and how communication is handled. With any command, the pilot must repeat back to the air traffic controller what they heard to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Now, this is not to say you should do the same type of procedure with your teams. But, investing time in refining and improving how you communicate within your business can boost your productivity.
This week I invite you to review how you are communicating within your company? Find at least one way that you can enhance your communications for the better. Maybe it’s calling an employee instead of emailing them. Whatever it is, find something you can do to take your communication to the next level.
Keep in mind, if you want to receive something in life, you have to master how you communicate.
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