Methods to Enhance Communication Skills
I decided to take a different approach to my research this time. Rather than reading other blogs I decided to watch educational videos on how to improve communication skills. I watched a few videos through my research but the one that I found the most helpful is, “Communication Skills — How To Improve Communication Skills — 7 Unique Tips!”. This video was very informative on ways to refine one’s communication skills.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPRUNGGORDo
The video focuses on 7 specific methods to think about while trying to enhance your communication skills. The seven steps are the following:
1. Be Efficient with your Speaking
2. Use Pauses instead of Filters
3. Conversational Threading
4. Use Statements Instead of Questions
5. Humor
6. Story Telling
7. Deep Conversation
The 3 tips I found the most helpful are Use Pauses Instead of Filters, Conversational Threading and lastly Use Statements Instead of Questions. What the video meant when it said to use pauses rather than filters is to watch unneeded and unnecessary comments. That drag on a conversation and lose your audience’s attention (Pautt, 2016). Conversational threading was described as the ability to branch conversations off in to different topics (Pautt, 2016). The idea behind this is to give whomever you’re speaking to areas in which they can either join in by elaborating or ask questions which will lead to better overall communication with others. Finally, the 3rd tip I found helpful which is use statements instead of questions means to avoid the typical interview conversation which often happens. This is where one person holds the conversation up by continuously asking meaningless questions. The tip is rather asking questions make statements so that others can join in and add their own opinions and questions (Pautt, 2016).
These 3 tips were very useful to me while practicing communication. In order to incorporate these 3 tips into my practicing I went out of my way to talk with fellow classmates for a few days. I focused on pausing when speaking rather than just blurting out unneeded information and I found my conversations to be shorter than normal. This does not mean they weren’t strong communicating, the opposite I was able to get points across efficiently. Conversationally threading was also very beneficial for me. For example, one conversation I had with a peer was turning very dry and boring. We were talking about proper dieting and working out, I mentioned how I used to play hockey. Shortly after we were in a interesting discussion about how we actually grew up playing one another. Using statements rather than questions was surprising helpful in communicating with others. Instead of trying to hold conversations up with different questions every time the conversation was dying I would add an additional statement and I found my colleagues feeding off these statements. This allowed for them to add questions that helped hold or change the conversations direction. I suggest watching the video and trying the tips listed. They help and information like this shouldn’t be taken for grant, I will continue to try incorporating these tips into my everyday communication.
Citation
Pautt, D. (2016, January 27) Communication Skills — How To Improve Communication Skills — 7 Unique Tips! [Video]
