Communication and the importance Of listening is enormous. Most people focus   on their oral communication and are utterly convinced  that good speaking equals effective communication. The ability to speak well is  a necessary part of  successful communication. The  ability to listen is equally as important.

The importance of listening [...]]]>

      The Importance Of Listening And Communication

 Communication and the importance Of listening is enormous. Most people focus   on their oral communication and are utterly convinced  that good speaking equals effective communication. The ability to speak well is  a necessary part of  successful communication. The  ability to listen is equally as important.

The importance of listening in communication is often easy to see when we look at our listening skills with those closest to us. In particular I am referring to our spouse, partner,  children or friends. Pay attention to the everyday discussions we share with those close to us with whom we think we are communicating well.

How often do you find yourself mindlessly saying “yes”when one of these people is trying to  tell you something only to have say just after  pardon me, I missed that sorry I was miles away. Have you been  talking to one of these people and you are not really listening completely to what they  have to say  because  you are already preparing your reply?

This is  more common than you think  and yet we think we are great communicators. In order to  interact effectively  we have to be able to  listen to and understand what the other person is saying. Not just hear because the acoustics are good or because the other person is speaking in a loud enough tone. It is important that we hear what the person is saying because we have taken the time to actively listen.
Listening takes effort and when it comes to  getting better communication skills there is no getting around that. When we are  listening to  music or television our attention is often not focused. If we want   our communication skills to get stronger it is important that we  not day dream in a conversation and instead concentrate fully on what  is being said .

No doubt this can be difficult. Not every conversation we are in is  fascinating for us. If  however, we want to improve these skills  focus is  crucial especially  when dealing with  younger children and teenagers.

By  giving the other person time  to completely finish  what they are saying before you begin to  create your answer is also  important  to good listening. To do this even better wait a  few seconds before you begin to  reply. This gives the other person a chance to add anything else they may have thought of. By  waiting an additional moment  before you reply you also let the other person know they have been heard completely. If you practice this for a  time people will relax when  talking to you  because they will know that  they don’t have to rush to get their two cents in. They will appreciate the fact that they can communicate with you and be heard.

When having those important conversations with  the people closest to you, try taking it one step further and  reflectively listen by feeding back  what they said.
For example  By doing this you give who you are talking with the  chance to correct any misconceptions that may have occurred  or to clarify any points they were trying to make. This  heightens the level of communication you are  striving for . And the person you are communicating with  will certainly feel  more relaxed and willing to share with you given the care you are taking with the conversation.

The  strategy of  repeating back  for clarity had been extremely useful  when I have  had conversations with my teenagers. It also comes in handy when  speaking with  a spouse or partner. Often times in those situations we begin to assume we know what the other person means.  By giving them a chance to finish what they are saying it  allows for greater intimacy, something we often want in our relationships but wonder why we are not  getting .

The importance of listening in communication is  definitely underestimated. Good listeners  are often some of the best speakers because they have taken the time to find out what  is important to other people. If you understand what is important to people then you understand how to reach them.

The  techniques I just described  are  equally powerful in the workplace especially in  customer care If you are really listening to what your  clients needs are it will be that much easier to fulfill those needs. The customer will be impressed that you listened to what they were communicating instead of just going into sales mode. I have personally found in sales that the more I listened and the less I talked the better my sales ratio was and the more satisfied my clients were. That is a win-win situation for all involved.

Technorati Tags: effective communication skills, importance of communication, improve communication skills, interpersonal communication skills, relationship communication

1. Criticizing. Criticism involves judgmental states that usually put down a person. “Don’t do it that way”, “You’re wrong”, “You’re not very good at…”, and “You need [...]]]>

There are 12 barriers to relationship communication that will strain the relationship to breaking point.Thomas Gordon came up with these 12  roadblocks if you want satisfying and fulfilling relationships.

1. Criticizing. Criticism involves judgmental states that usually put down a person. “Don’t do it that way”, “You’re wrong”, “You’re not very good at…”, and “You need to lose weight” are a few simple criticisms. We think criticism changes people, though it only reveals our own problems. Kill this barrier before it kills your relationships.

2. Labeling. Labels are names. An extreme form of labels is name-calling. “You’re a jerk”, “You are silly”, and “I think you’re mean” are some examples of labeling. Labeling is a barrier to communication because it categorizes people. It assumes people to have characteristics and destroys uniqueness that makes an enjoyable relationship.

3. Diagnosing. A diagnosis is one of the more complex barriers to effective communication. It involves reading into a person’s behavior. I call it “playing the amateur psychologist”. Some examples of the diagnosing barrier are: “You’re just jealous about…”, “You need to be happier”, and “Stop trying to antagonize me.”

4. Praising. People are always surprised when they hear praise is a communication barrier. Praise is not always a barrier because it depends on how it is given. Praise is so often poorly given as it makes people – especially children – dependent on receiving verbal rewards. “You’re a good boy”, “I love you for doing what you did”, and “You’re a lovely person because you think about me”. Learn to praise a person’s behavior, and be specific, to avoid evaluative praise and making people dependent on your praise.

5. Ordering. Orders are controlling statements to get people doing something. They are akin to dictatorship. “Go wash the dishes”, “Stop complaining”, and “Stop fighting with…” Orders force people to comply based on authoritative power. The result is resistant change and resentment. It is very common for people to rebel against orders so they regain their freedom. Psychologists call this “psychological reactance”
.

6. Threatening. A threat is similar to an order, except it has emphasis on punishment. “Go wash the dishes or I won’t cook for you tomorrow night”, “Stop complaining or you’ll be sent to your room”, “Stop fighting with… or you’ll be grounded”. Just like orders, threats create fear, temporary results, and resentment – while killing a relationship.

7. Questioning. How could questioning be a barrier to effective communication? Like praise, there are types of questioning that make it a roadblock to good relationship communication. Rhetorical questions is one common form of poor questioning. Examples include, “Why do you disobey me?” “Why do you always do wrong?” and “What about my needs? You constantly ignore them.”

These are 7 of 12 barriers to effective communication. When you overcome all 12 barriers to effective communication, you communicate openly, intimately, understand you’re partner – all the while creating change in your relationships.

By Joshua Ubergang

Technorati Tags: communication skills, couples communication, relationship communication

It is possible that at some time or another that any relationship may falter for a variety of different reasons, but using some common sense solutions can easily be found. If you have been in a relationship for many years then it is senseless to throw away everything that you have built up, and the [...]]]>

It is possible that at some time or another that any relationship may falter for a variety of different reasons, but using some common sense solutions can easily be found. If you have been in a relationship for many years then it is senseless to throw away everything that you have built up, and the damage can be repaired by facing and evaluating the issues that have arisen. Sometimes situations and problems crop up which are completely unpredictable, and you may think that ending the relationship is the only option. Some calm thought on how to save your relationship and the steps that can be taken to do so, can mean damage control well in time before it is beyond the point of no return.

If you strongly wish to strengthen your relationship there are numerous solutions and methods that can be pursued which can easily be uncovered through a little research. Modern stressful living is doing a lot of damage to relationships. Equality in the workplace means that both partners in a relationship may be career orientated and the damage this can do is evident in millions of failed relationships already. The question as to how I can save my relationship today that anyone may ask, is one that has many different answers. Finding the solutions begins with assessing where the relationship stands right now, and also investigating the facts as to what has gone wrong and in which areas.

Things can be running pretty smoothly in your relationship and everything is all roses. Unforeseen conflicts and disagreements happen at any time and it is right then and there that you should take a look at ways of saving your relationship, and not let these issues become completely unmanageable. Proper effort to find assistance and guidance to solve the crises should be pursued without delay. Firstly try to understand the exact reasons for your problems. Some examples could be a lack of communication, infidelity, excessive fighting over insignificant problems, addictive behavior or jealousy and possessiveness that is unwarranted.

Keeping your relationship alive requires some concerted effort from your part as well as some patience and tolerance as well. If you are determined to rescue your relationship and are wondering how to save my marriage today, then you may begin the process yourself and afterwards discuss these solutions with your partner when you have them. Compromise is one of the key words when it comes to saving relationships and by understanding your needs and those of your partner many issues can be solved through give and take that benefits you both.

Sometimes a lot of damage in a relationship is easily repaired by planning a romantic getaway where you can spend quality time discussing where your relationship is going and what your future plans are. This also gives you time to express your feelings with your partner which is reassuring for them. Saving your relationship today means action and indicates the strong desire of most people who have understood the importance of relationships.

Joan Masterson
http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/tips-for-saving-your-relationship-today-526157.html

Updated in a new 2nd edition, Interpersonal Messages stresses the importance of politeness, cultural awareness and ethical principles within daily interpersonal interactions by engaging students with its lively and accessible insight to interpersonal skill development. By creating a foundation for the reader, Interpersonal Messages gives room to understand the concepts of interpersonal communication and to [...]]]>

Updated in a new 2nd edition, Interpersonal Messages stresses the importance of politeness, cultural awareness and ethical principles within daily interpersonal interactions by engaging students with its lively and accessible insight to interpersonal skill development. By creating a foundation for the reader, Interpersonal Messages gives room to understand the concepts of interpersonal communication and to develop the skills necessary to apply what they've learned. With a focus on skill-building, this book helps the reader to understand how to master interpersonal communication and relationship skills.

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If one of both partners in a relationship is questioning the integrity of their bond, a potential solution could be to take a few relationship quizzes to see how the couple ranks. Before taking the results too seriously, it should be understood that relationship quizzes, while often created by ‘experts’ in the field [...]]]>

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If one of both partners in a relationship is questioning the integrity of their bond, a potential solution could be to take a few relationship quizzes to see how the couple ranks. Before taking the results too seriously, it should be understood that relationship quizzes, while often created by ‘experts’ in the field of human interaction, will only represent an outsiders opinion on very generic/superficial signals and won’t necessarily be an accurate assessment of every individual couple. With that said, relationship quizzes can give partners and idea on whether they have major issues to work out if they want to maintain a healthy bond with each other.

Some typical subjects for these quizzes can range from trivial to pivotal matters. There are quizzes that ask, “What type of animal is your mate?”, while others pose the question, “Is your partner emotionally satisfied?” The danger with relationship quizzes is not answering correctly, or supplying the answers that would make the most sense—yet not necessarily the ones that apply to an individual couple’s situation. There’s no way to get an accurate result if the quiz isn’t taken seriously, and it’s especially difficult to come to grips with unhealthy behavior in a relationship if the person taking the quiz is the main culprit.

Ultimately, if a relationship feels good, the results of relationship quizzes are meaningless. It honestly should not take an outsider’s approval to convince either partner that they are doing fine/doing poorly. The decision that a relationship quiz is needed may actually be a sign of problems in the strength of a couple to begin with. In addition, taking a quiz behind a partner’s back suggests a lack of communication, which is typically the main issue between two lovers and what many (if not all) relationship quizzes will measure when giving results.

Divya
http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/relationship-quizzes-749767.html

Duration : 48 sec

Technorati Tags: marriage counseling

For [...]]]> Knowing that sex is not THE most important things, how important would you say it is to a relationship between two people?

It is hard to put a number on how important. . . you can’t define it in percentages.
I know a lot of couples put a lot of importance of sex in the relationship.

For me it is an outward expression of my love for my partner. To look in his eyes and see the satisfaction in them and on his face. To give him over to total pleasure, is one of the best feelings.

So I would place it up near the top, but it is not the most important thing in our relationship. I know if we were never to have sex again we would stay together, because we based our love on other things, not just sex.

Expert: Jessica Claire Contact: www.newyorkdatingcoach.com Bio: Jessica Claire is the host of her own midnight [...]]]> Attract a crush by flirting, asking the person out on a date and involving yourself in the things that your crush enjoys. Spend more time with a crush using advice from a dating coach in this free video on dating and relationship advice.

Expert: Jessica Claire
Contact: www.newyorkdatingcoach.com
Bio: Jessica Claire is the host of her own midnight hour talk radio show, where she gives advice on dating.
Filmmaker: Paul Muller

Duration : 0:1:10

Technorati Tags: "communication, boyfriends, dating, dating advice, dating tips, girlfriends, relationship advice, relationships