Communication and social awareness

In a rustic office with exposed red brick walls and vintage pallet wood paneling, Gemma stands in front of a work desk with a laptop. Communication is about getting your message across to others. Right? Well, actually, that's only half of the story. And quite honestly, if that's all you focus on when developing your communication skills, you're missing a trick. Often when we think about communicating, we consider how we can make our point effectively and how others are going to interpret what we're saying. An illustration depicts a black woman with blond hair and a choral dress conversing with a white man with purple hair, glasses and a blue T-shirt. Two arrows float and point back and forth between them. Communication, however, is a two way street which involves providing information for others and gathering information from others. We return to the instructor. Let's consider how you communicate your message. You may do this through speaking or writing, but actually most of what we communicate is down to our body language and how we say something, not what we say. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who's told you they're fine? But you can tell from their tone of voice or body language that that just isn't true at all. An illustration depicts a group of five diverse people chatting. How we communicate with our voice and our bodies says a lots more about the actual message we want to get across rather than the exact words we use. We return to the instructor. So think about that. Most of what you communicate is probably unconscious. If you're not focused on your body language and tone of voice or tone of writing, then your message may not come across as you would like it to. Text appears on a white background. Your unconscious communication is driven by your thoughts, feelings, and mood. And here's the key point. Your unconscious communication will be driven by your thoughts, your feelings, emotions and mood. We return to the instructor. This is one of the reasons why it's so important to look inwards before considering how you interact with others when you're developing your emotional intelligence. The key to effective communication is listening. A black woman in a yellow sleeveless shirt sits at a desk and points to a laptop. A white man with purple hair and a blue T-shirt sits beside her and strokes his chin. She states, "This should be effective because..." Yes, you will have a point of view, a message that you want to get across. But if you want to build effective and strong relationships, you also need to really listen to messages from the other person. And that includes words, tone and body language. We return to the instructor. It can be really easy to fall into the trap of focusing on your point, particularly if the stakes are high or you're in a pressurized environment. But this is a missed opportunity. If you listen and interpret the other person's message, you are much more likely to find strong middle ground that you can both work with, building a collaborative and respectful relationship. Text appears on a white background. Listen to find solutions and uncover new perspectives. You are also more likely to find solutions when facing challenges, and you might actually discover another way of looking at the situation which you hadn't thought of. A new and useful alternative perspective that you can use again. We return to the instructor. Communication should be a process of information flowing equally between two parties. Remember, there's a difference between actually hearing what someone saying and just not talking. Text appears on a white background. Do you listen intensely? Take some time to reflect on your communication style. Do you listen intently to others and really hear what they're saying? Text appears on a white background. What can you do to become a better listener? Are there times where you listen more than others? If so, when and why? And what can you do to become a better listener? We return to Gemma. If you're unsure of how well you communicate, the best way to gain an insight is to gather feedback from others. Ask for opinions from colleagues or friends on how well you listen and how effectively you get your message across.