COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

1. Communication

   • We are primarily "social" beings, in the sense that we spend most of our lives with other people.
     • Therefore, it is important to learn to understand with others and function correctly in social situations.
       • Certain communication skills help us improve interpersonal relationships.
         • Communication is the act by which an individual has a contact with another that allows him to transmit an information. In the communication several elements intervene that can hinder the process.
           • Issuer: The person (or persons) that issues a message.
             • Recipient: The person (or persons) who receives the message.
               • Message: Content of the information that is sent.
                 • Channel: Medium by which the message is sent.
                   • Code: Signs and rules used to send the message.
                     • Context: Situation in which communication occurs.

2. Types of communication

   • The forms of human communication can be grouped into two broad categories: verbal communication and non-verbal communication:
     • Verbal communication refers to the words we use and the inflections of our voice (tone of voice).
       • Nonverbal communication refers to a large number of channels, among which one could cite as the most important visual contact, facial gestures, movements of arms and hands or posture and body distance.
         • Verbal communication Words (what we say) Tone of our voice Non-verbal communication Eye contact Facial gestures (expression of the face) Movements of arms and hands Posture and body distance
           • Despite the importance that we usually attribute to verbal communication, between 65% and 80% of our total communication with others is carried out through non-verbal channels.
             • To communicate effectively, verbal and non-verbal messages must coincide with each other. Many difficulties in communication occur when our words contradict our nonverbal behavior.
               • Example: A son gives a gift to his father for his birthday and he, with an expression of disappointment, says: "Thank you, it's just what I wanted". A boy finds his best friend on the street and, when he greets him, the other greets him with a cold, dry "hello" and looks away.

3. Effective communication techniques Skills for active listening:

   • Show empathy: Actively listening to the emotions of others is to try to "get into their skin" and understand their motives.
     • It is listening to their feelings and letting them know that we "take charge", trying to understand what that person feels.
       • It is not about showing joy, if only to be friendly. Simply, we are able to put ourselves in their place. However, it does not mean accepting or agreeing with the position of the other. To demonstrate that attitude, we will use phrases like: "I understand what you feel", "I notice that ...".
         • Paraphrase: This concept means verifying or saying in your own words what the sender seems to have just said.
           • It is very important in the listening process as it helps to understand what the other is saying and allows you to verify if you are really understanding and not misinterpreting what is being said. An example of paraphrasing can be: "Then, I see, what happened was that ...", "Do you mean you felt ...?".

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