Communication and why a lazy person decrees that it is very important skill to learn
Ok, for those of you who do not know me in person, I am a very lazy individual. However, I am a lazy individual that tries to get things accomplished with as little effort as possible. So, when it comes to something I want to say, I try not to beat around the bush.
I’ve said this many times to people that communication is a very important skill to have because understanding how best to use it depending on your circumstance is a massive game changer.
Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a photobook project as an editor to the photobook’s author/photographer. It was during this project that I learned a few things about communication and what to keep note of both in professional settings and everyday interactions.
- Understanding what the other party’s wants/goal is
No matter how skilled of a speaker you are, no matter how eloquent you are with your words, it does not matter if you don’t understand what the other person/party wants, all your expressive words and big ideas could just fall on deaf ears.
When I was working with my partner on the photobook project, I had to understand what it was they wanted to show in their photobook, what kind of narrative or style did they have in mind.
As someone who is also within the creative field, it was easy for me to see the variety of ways in which the photobook could be formatted, how the text could have been used and how the overall look and style could be achieved. But since I was in more of a supporting role, I had to take a step back and cater these designs, choices and overall feel of the photobook to my partner’s needs and vision.
The easiest way to achieve this? Just ask questions! Simple as that.
Get to know them, ask about what they’re interested in, how they see things. Or in my case, I asked what it is they saw when taking these photos, why they decided to go with this idea, what kind of photobook they had in mind.
There is nothing wrong with asking questions, plus, people really like talking about themselves, they’ll do the talking for you.
2. Remembering what they said
Nowadays, our attention span has significantly decreased due to the introduction of snappy quick content online and the constant vying of our attention, due to this remembering what other people may have said can be quite difficult.
However, making an effort to remember what they said, or at least the necessary details is very important. This is saying a lot coming from a lazy person such as myself.
For one, it shows that you were actively engaged in the conversation, which makes a very good impression on them because it would give them more of a reason to talk to you more and trust you with whatever it is that you are discussing with them.
Second, it is also just good to remember these details because it ties in with the first point that I stated. If you can remember these points of interest, it can go a long way with the longevity of the person you are communicating with.
Also, no one likes spilling their heart and passion to someone, only for the other person to come back later and say that they had completely forgotten what they had said. It’s not a nice feeling.
3. The first step is always the hardest
I’m sure you’ve heard of this many times, but it is true.
Whether it is that nervous phone call, the person you’ve seen in the back of the room or that partner you need to work with on the project (looking at myself), the first step is the most daunting but most important one.
You just need to get the ball rolling, once you start and initiate that conversation or interaction, a snowball effect starts to take place. You can’t have a good conversation if there is no conversation to begin with.
But it’s got to be a good first step. It’s why they say first impressions are so important.
When starting the photobook project, I had to contact my partner, but since this was a more professional setting, I had to demonstrate that I could clearly say what was needed and my thoughts on how we could go about working on the project. As well as putting forward a possible time we could meet.
Point is, showing an eagerness and willingness to listen and converse is key to making the first step and impression. It really does go a long way.
Some people think that they need to be some brilliant, charming and charismatic person to be good at communicating with people, when all it takes is a pinch of courage and an earnest desire to establish a solid connection, everything else will come into place. Communication is a skill and so therefore can be learnt.
So get out there and interact with some people, this lazy person says so.
