We all have to do it.
No one is exempt.
Regardless of what you and I do or where we choose to go, we have to communicate.
Now, the people we’re around and the setting we’re in often altar the way we communicate in any given moment. That being said, though, there are still certain things that communicate to the people around us that aren’t words….
Those hidden parts of communication matter to the success of others understanding what you’re going to say. Here are 3 hidden keys to communication that you may not think about…
1. Our Tone
No matter the context, our tone matters. Whether it be in an email, in a face to face cover station, in a phone call, or in an ole timer snail mail letter, we set a tone with the words we say and how we say them. Be careful. Is your tone matching your content? Is it relaying the right message and feeling? Don’t be in too big of a hurry when you send that email or have that conversation that you rush through and ruin your tone. It’s important for effective communication.
2. Our Length
This is more important now than ever before. Our attention spans are shorter and the way we take in information is changing drastically due to social media and the internet. Like it or not, how long it takes you to say what you’re saying is going to matter. Whether your typing out a long blog post or leaving a long Facebook message, be careful and be poignant. There are times, that I open a message and never read it simply based on how long I think it’s going to take me to read it. Use bullet points. Make what you write daily scannable. Give only the necessary details. Be careful with length.
3. Our Eyes
Now this only applies to face to face conversation or video communication, but our eyes say a lot to others. Whether it’s avoiding eye contact with our boss or trying to look away as we lie to our parents about where we’ve been, our eyes say a lot. Look others in the eye (although too much can be freaky) and look ahead. Keep your head up when in conversation and look like you’re interested in the conversation.
Those are my 3. I’d love to hear what you have to add. Just leave a comment.
Oh, and pass this post on if you liked reading it.
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