Learn How to Listen - It can Help to Make Communication Effective

It is not uncommon during a dialogue for people to hear what is being voiced, without actually listening to what is being said. When you listen to what somebody else is saying you are in fact validating their experience and respecting their opinions. When you really hear what the other person is saying you are in fact empowering them to participate in the discussion, with an assurance that their opinion will be given due weightage. To become an effective listener is difficult and it is only those who are competent in their own field who have the capacity to lend an ear to others.


When you know and learn how to listen, you will be one step closer to forming relationships that will be enduring and affectionate. You will find people automatically attracted to you and want your friendship. People always feel great around people who listen to them, and I say this from personal experience. People have often called me a great conversationalist, even though I rarely contribute more than a small percentage of any dialogue or conversation. Yes, what I will have done is listen patiently to what others have said, and asked relevant questions that have gone on to elicit further replies.

                      

Think of listening as a relationship tonic and learn how not to interrupt others when they are talking, and yet taking in every word that they say. This will allow them to think that they are being valued, understood and given due importance. The very act of listening can make for an emotional, that increases the bond. People will feel that they are understood and that you respect their opinions, even if they differ from yours. It is then likely that they will give you an equally patient hearing that enables you to get your own view across, even if it is contrary to their expectations.

Improving Communication Can Lead to Greater Success and Effectiveness

Communication is the one way that human beings can give expression to their thoughts, their desires, and their feelings. In many ways, we first communicate with ourselves, before we get in touch with others.


The object of any communication has to be to see that our point of view or feelings is understood by others. For this, it is essential that we first understand clearly what we want to convey, and are completely convinced by it. Verbal communication is just as important as non-verbal communication which can come from body language, gestures, which are often just as expressive, and can at times give a lie to that which is said verbally.


Communication becomes more effective if it has a positive purpose and is respectful to the person or audience that is being addressed. You can work miracles if you are skillful in communicating. For this, it is necessary that whatever you say must be said with confidence and presented in language that is simple, easy to understand, and yet brief enough to hold attention. If you can present your views successfully, you are in a position to change the views and actions of others.
                                         
Proper communication can reduce conflict whether it is in the family social, workplace or other circles. It can be that much more effective if you understand the diversity in culture, experience and social mores of the people you are communicating with. Every communication needs to have a definite purpose. This can be a simple thing like passing on information that others can act on or respond to, or it

Modern-day communicating methods have led to things like short messages, emails, blogs, and others. Even here clarity and brevity can go a long way in making a communication effective. All these principles of simplicity, clarity, and brevity are important when while making written reports that serve as communication to a wider range of people. It can lead to your views not being misunderstood. when you are taking part in meetings keep to the point being discussed, as if you wander from the subject you are likely to lose the interest of your audience.



Successful people are always effective and efficient communicators and the object of their communication is to teach, entertain and encourage others. Verbal communication can allow for immediate feedback in the form of facial expressions and body language. But in the case of written communication, it is often necessary to wait for a response. 

Clarity Leads to Effective Communication

For any communication to be effective, it needs to be precise, specific and unambiguous. Before you express your thoughts or ideas, you need to be clear in your mind about the words you are going to use, and the meaning they convey.

It is important that the definition and meaning of the words that you use be those in universal usage, as this can then lead to the message being easily understood by the others to whom a communication, written or verbal, is addressed. Ambiguity arises in communication when the words or phrases have more than one meaning, and you will do well to avoid their use when you are seeking clarity in communication.

                   

When you are clear in your mind about what you wish to communicate, it can also help you to be known as a person who has a balanced view of things. Words used are more effective if they are appropriate and simple. This fact is equally important in whether you are communicating socially, officially or even expressing political views. A person who is ambiguous in what he says is a person who is also likely to be a person who avoids responsibilities and takes advantage of the lack of clarity in communication.

Clarity has to maintain a proper balance between familiar words and those that convey the required meaning with greater precision. All words in any communication must be linked with an idea that is required to be communicated. Communication becomes all the more effective when i is coherent, focused and has a central idea that you want to convey. It is this precision which makes a communication effective. It is also important that the communication be timely and within the context of any discussion or argument that is in progress.

Practice the use of simple words that are universally understood, as the use of long and rare words an do nothing more than exhibit your knowledge of the language, though they could be more easily misunderstood by people not familiar with them.

Dealing With An Upset Customer or Irate Callers

As professionals, it is important that we remain calm and collected in our dealings with others so that we are more effective in communicating any message that we need to pass on. When a caller is angry with you for whatever reason, it is necessary that you find ways to convert this anger into acceptance. Your ability to understand the concerns of the opposite party and listening to their grievances can lead to greater understanding of the problem that has caused them to be upset.

You have to start with attempting to understand what the has caused the callers concerns. Often, it is something as simple as a fear that the problem they have will not be attended to. This feeling quite often comes after a caller with a complaint is shifted to another person, and the caller then becomes afraid of being passed over or ignored.

To allay this fear the greatest tool is to listen to what is being said and not just hearing the words being used. You need to create an empathy with the callers, understand their anger, their nervousness and their hesitation to accept what is being told to them. You must learn not to interrupt and mentally file away any rebuttals or reasons you may have for use later after the caller has fully vented his or her feelings. You must at the same time give the caller affirmations that you are being attentive. Once you have given the complainant a patient hearing you can then ask questions about what the person expects and discuss dispassionately o these are acceptable. Do not accept profanity, and remind the caller that you expect the same courtesies from him or her, as you are extending.

Now is a good time to mirror exactly what the person has said, the expectations, what you think can be done, and the time frame for any action. Summarize the problem and its solutions. If you do need to refer the caller to someone else more competent to handle the problem, ask for the permission of the caller to do so, while explaining in detail, why you need to do this.



The proper attitude, understanding the fears of the caller, hearing the caller out patiently, summarizing the entire problem and likely solutions and steering the customer to the right department can ensure that you will have a satisfied customer, who will elect to stay with you  

A Guide to Teaching Children with Sensory Developmental Delay

Development Delays Can Affect Children in Many Ways

When a child’s development does not meet the normal ranges for his or her age, a developmental delay can be said to have affected the child. Developmental delay can happen in different areas and the four most common are:

• Language
• Motor skills
• Visual or spatial
• Sensory

Language, motor skills, and problems with visual or spatial delays can all be developed with constant practice. Encouraging a child to talk and encouraging the need to express every action even during play can help to develop language skills. Motor skills also require constant practice and repeating movements constantly can help to develop motor skills. Encouraging a child to play hide and seek games or treasure hunts can help develop spatial skills. In sensory developmental delay, the child will have difficulty modulating the senses and may react excessively or not at all to sounds, light, touch.

All these areas of developmental delay can affect the learning process and make it difficult for a child when they start going to school.

Sensory Developmental Delay

Children suffering from sensory developmental delay will have nervous systems that are not able to process the inputs from the senses and are less responsive to sensations. As a result, this child will wait for a longer time before response or seek to make those more intensive. They would, therefore, enjoy very loud sounds. They would indulge in unsafe behavior because it is taking them longer to understand the danger. They may be hyperactive and unaware of pain or touch others aggressively.

Every child who has such a disability can develop physically mentally, emotionally, and socially throughout their life. It is only likely that such development may take a little longer and would require expert guidance and the necessary backing of a teaching structure and family involvement.

Parents, family members, and teachers can help such children to learn by continually using language that the child is able to understand. Let the child have a little extra time to learn any new skills and encourage the practice of them constantly. Tasks must be explained in a step by step method; each step is made as simple as possible. Daily routines that the child has to perform must be predictable. The teaching style must constantly involve the child to touch and listen with the help of audiovisual aids and other means. The child must be made to participate in activities with other children. The expectations from the children must be realistic and consistent without being too demanding.

Early diagnosis of developmental delay is very important as the longer period that correct interventions would have would help the child and give sufficient time to develop the necessary skills and compensate for any deficiencies. Other therapies like Speech Training, Movement Therapy, and Neuro-feedback can help the child to stimulate the senses to achieve the necessary development.