Communicating effectively can sometimes be difficult to do. So here are some thoughts, based on borrowed wisdom, on how to communicate clearly and make a better connection with the other person too.

To get your ideas across use small words, big ideas, and short sentences. ~ John Henry Patterson.

Keep it simple and dont use jargon. Adjust your style according to who you are communicating with. Take responsibility by checking frequently that the other person understands the message you are trying to convey dont assume that your message is always clear.

People who talk only of themselves think only of themselves. ~ Dale Carnegie.

Find out about the other person. Focus on the other person their needs, their wants, their situation. Build rapport instead of barriers. Show respect for them and for their views.

One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each other's stories. ~ Rebecca Falls.

Giving someone space in which to talk and allowing them to follow through their ideas without fear of interruption is a most valuable gift. Listen. And switch off your mobile phone!

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. ~ Stephen Covey.

Be in the moment and give the speaker your full attention. Say what else do you need to tell me about this? Summarise key points that show you have been listening actively and ask questions that will help clarify your understanding of the issue.

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." ~ Mother Teresa.

Be nice! Acknowledge someones efforts and achievements, praise them, pay them a sincere compliment.

Jackie Fletcher
http://www.transitionslifecoaching.co.uk