5 Ways to Get Better Results With Your Communication

Space Needle view from Kerry Park Seattle, Wa.

Little Jiro giving some good eye contact with those alien eyes!

Many of us find ourselves working in environments that involve increasing interactions with others, despite the increased technology and opportunities to be more unique in the workplace and elsewhere. The more that we progress with this tech and ever shifting work environments, it is going to be even more important that we are effective with our communication. This is important for many reasons including; portraying your thoughts and ideas accurately, making sure your questions or concerns are heard and to improve collaboration with others while working towards a common goal. Without effective communication, all things become more difficult. We have all had those times, wether at work, school, or at home, when we were given a task but with little to no clarity on what we are actually trying to accomplish. At best, this will waste time as you try and figure it out on your own. But, what more often seems to happen is that this leads to confusion, frustration and much less accomplishment than if there was a clearly defined goal. If we start with good communication in mind, these setbacks can be mitigated if not avoided altogether.

Here are 5 specific principles that I have found to be helpful.

1. Listen: Allow your colleague to vent, complain and explain what they are experiencing before jumping to the solutions. Sometimes all they really need is to be heard.
   
2. Eye contact: This will help not only with listening but show that you are in fact paying attention to your patient. With everyone competing for your attention these days, it is imperative that we make a point to give this focus when interacting with others.  ​

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      3. Goals: Speak with clear goals in mind and review these goals often. This can also ensure that all          parties are on the same page of what the focus is, and can help to accomplish more. 
    4. Check-in: Check in with your patient (friend or coworker), constantly to clear up any potential confusion or lack of understanding. This will make your life easier by reducing the chances of misunderstandings and give them a better experience.  
      5. Bring the details: Make sure to educate your colleague on exactly it is that you are working on and your proposed solution, including the details. But, make sure to come back to the big picture and relate this back to your overall goal with analogies or simplified comparisons to promote clarity and understanding. Clear up confusion. ​

Writing your goals down can help to make them a reality.

Although these principles are written specifically for the context of outpatient physical therapy and personal training, these could be used and applied to most all situations or relationships where there is a common goal or plan to accomplish, and when simply working with others. 


All of these seem so simple, and they can be.

It is oftentimes not the complicated things that are needed, but rather the simple things repeated over time. ​​​

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