3 Strategies to Navigate Over-Dominance in Conversation for Effective Communication
People often think that successful interaction lies in the ability to dominate a conversation. However, is it really what makes a conversation interactive?
We often hear and do not listen. Thats how most of us tend to be.
“I’ve been listening to you for quite a while, will you not hear my input”, such phrases tend to occur in a conversation which are highly dominant. And what i really mean by dominant, is an individual that tends to occupy a significant portion of the time in a conversation giving little or no time to the one he/she is conversing with.
Generally speaking, this sort of methodology is used by individuals who incorrectly insinuate that the time spent listening has no value to the conversation and this is absolutely incorrect. Within listening effectively, lies many factors which lead to an effective conversation.
- Effective Listening Leads to an Effective Conversation
Listening is a skill which many people underestimate. A lot of us think the more that we listen, the less significant we become in a conversation or that we be left out in making a point, this is one of the stepping stones towards a weak conversation leading to ineffective over-dominance.
Avoiding interruption should be a priority as a lot of points tend to be missed by the one speaking when the other tends to interrupt quite often. If you ever disagree or want to comment on the topic that a person speaks to you in a conversation, it would be more ideal to express it with body language such that the person knows you have a concern or an input to that specific point.
There is absolutely no room for your input to not add value, but the moment you frequently interrupt, the less likely the person is to successfully articulate his point. Why not leave the points till the end of the sentence, and briefly interrupt?
This would be a much more civilized approach to discussing and engaging in conversations which often tend to go unfocused
2. Being Clear And Concise
We live in a world where attention spans are very limited. We want things quick in a world that is already rapidly changing and so this means that the way that we speak should really be crystal clear to successfully deliver a point or message.
How often do we see a speaker that speaks for over 3 hours straight, but the audience initially full and jam-packed is now left to 2 or 3 people? This happens in universities and colleges indefinitely. And the real reason is : lack of attention span.
So what does conciseness in speech even have to do with attention spans?
Well think about it, the more concise you are in speech, the better you are able to paraphrase a lot of the points, the shorter your conversation is. Thus, it is crucial to articulate thoughts in a straightforward way instead of digressing in a conversation.
While we may think that the ideal approach is to use formal strong language in conversations, it might not be the case in many scenarios because we have what’s known as an AUDIENCE.
No two fingers are the same on your hand, are they?
We can’t expect people to understand language the same way that we understand. People come from all sorts of different backgrounds. Some prefer the strong formal tone, some the informal , some the colloquial and some even prefer slang all day, this is obviously due to diversity and many different cultural influences in language.
So speak to people the way that they understand, perhaps if it were a school, cut back on the strong formal tone in language, adopt a tone which is informal and school-like. However, Do not go ABOARD! You don’t wanna come across as someone forcing it, and it being so apparent which might end up ridiculously bad.
Keep the formal tone in places where it is really appreciated such as in business meetings, conferences and professional events. The richer your language is here, the more appreciated your points would be in this context.
3. Embracing The Heart of Empathy
If you really want to tone down on over-dominance in a conversation, tone up on empathy. When we approach communication with empathy, we not only hear the words spoken but also grasp the emotions and perspective behind those words.
It really creates an aura of trust and understanding in a conversation. It makes a person feel so comfortable that would lead to thoughts and expressions kept in secrecy, exposed. This is the power of empathy if one really implemented it effectively.
One of the effective ways to do this is really sympathizing with the person you converse when you need to sympathize, agreeing with the person in certain aspects even if you disagree with the person as a whole. This shows that a person is really less biased and more open to understanding , which is highly respected and appreciated in a conversation.
You could also think of implementing empathy when it comes to adding fuel to a conversation that’s already heated.If you notice the tone of the one your speaking to being in a constant state of fury, you don’t need to add more fuel. Its already ignited!
Unless of course you don’t mind and explosion and a few broken limbs.
Aim to keep a calm discourse throughout the conversation through empathy even if it means that you let go of your point for a greater purpose to maintain neutral grounds.
The best way to actually implement this is by using phrases such as : “I understand”, or “ I can imagine how bad this is”, this shows that you actually care about the one you converse with and that you actively understand the person well, which is a huge benefit in an effective conversation.
Implementing these three key factors can transform a conversation from one-sided dominance to a fair exchange of ideas. By giving precedence to active listening, practicing conciseness and clarity in speech, and incorporating empathy into your communication style, you not only become an effective communicator but also have the potential to forge robust connections.
