Communication Tips
Which Device and method(s) do you use for written communication?
- Email (with /without attachments, photos, CC, BCC, Adding a signature on template
- WhatsApp – inviting connections, storing chats, saving photos,
- WhatsApp Group – creating, adding, removing contacts to share group chat
- Signal (private messaging service)
- Messenger (Facebook account)
- Group Messenger
- Text Message
- Verbal – Mobile Device, do you manage tracking of your device?
- Phone call
- Voice note,
- Video calling – Zoom, Teams, Facetime, Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype
Don’t forget the importance of Face-Face communication it benefits from visual and auditory information to help prevent misunderstanding.
USE ACTIVE LISTENING
We can all tend to passively hear others in a conversation, but taking the time to ‘actively listen’ and engage actively with verbal and non-verbal information. Actively listening and providing feedback through appropriate adjustments ;to both your responses and your non-verbal cues, will help progress the conversation.
LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES AND EARS (and instinct can have a part to play)
Conversations are more than just words, so we need to ensure that by actively listening, using our Eyes as well as our Ears to assess feedback, then we are more likely to ensure a mutually shared understanding of what is being discussed.
TAKE TIME
To effectively communicate, to be understood and to understand, does require time. A luxury a PA does not have often. However, commination is a 2 way street. We need to be open about what the other person is saying, and ensure that we have not misunderstood what was being sent in their message.
PERSONAL PERCEPTION FILTERS
Each time we engage in communicating with someone we bring our own perception to the meaning of words, situations and topics, based on our own lived experiences in education, family life, culture, so we need to ensure that these ‘personal filters’ do not inhibit our understanding of the dialogue.