3.1

Communicating Effectively

Importance of Communication

• Effective communication is essential for healthy relationships and defending decisions and goals
• It involves the exchange of messages between people, including verbal and nonverbal communication

Types of Communication

• Verbal communication: use of words to send an oral or written message
  • Examples: conversations, text messages, phone calls, emails, social media posts, letters, and notes
• Nonverbal communication: communicating through facial expressions, body language, gestures, tone and volume of voice, and other signals that do not involve words
  • Examples: facial expressions, posture, eye contact, and tone of voice

The Communication Process

• Diagram: sender sends a message to a receiver, who receives and understands the message, and gives feedback to the sender
• Cycle: sender sends a message, receiver receives and understands the message, and receiver gives feedback to the sender

Active Listening

• Effective communication requires excellent listening skills
• Two key steps:
  • Focus your full attention on the person talking
  • Acknowledge and repeat what you heard in your own words
• Four stages of active listening:
  • Clarify: ask questions about the message
  • Paraphrase: provide an opportunity for the person to clear up misunderstandings
  • Reflect: acknowledge and relate to the speaker's feelings
  • Summarize: summarize the main points of the conversation

Communication Styles

• Four common communication styles:
  • Passive: does not clearly state needs, wants, and feelings
  • Aggressive: makes demands of another person and insults others
  • Passive-aggressive: uses techniques that do not clearly state needs, wants, and feelings to make demands of or insult others
  • Assertive: clearly expresses feelings, needs, and goals in a way that shows respect to the other person

Factors Affecting Communication

• Life experiences, values taught during childhood, and cultural traditions
• Upbringing and self-esteem
• Environment and emotional state

Using I-Statements

• Effective communication uses I-statements to express thoughts, feelings, and desires
• I-statements explain how the speaker thinks or feels without passing judgment on the receiver
• Examples: "I feel ignored, which makes me worried. Is something wrong?" instead of "You don't like me anymore."

Nonverbal Communication

• Be aware of the nonverbal messages you send
• Facial expressions, body language, tone and volume of voice, and other signals can communicate to others
• Examples: smiling, making eye contact, and using gestures

Online Communication

• Online communication has many advantages, including instant feedback, long-distance communication, and time to think of the best response
• Disadvantages: miscommunications can occur easily due to the lack of nonverbal cues
• Strategies to avoid misunderstandings:
  • Be kind and respectful
  • Solve conflicts offline
  • Use I-statements and avoid blaming language
  • Be aware of the tone and meaning of online communication