Insight Seminars take each individual on an adventure of developing their self-awareness and confidence by sharing the tools and techniques needed for greater levels of success in all areas of life, including better personal & professional relationships and confident communication.
For instance, you will have the opportunity to learn clear and effective communication skills. Here, Juliette Smith, one of our Insight Grads (who, because of doing Insight Seminars, became a Personal and Relationship Coach), shares some of her top tips for confident and conscious communication.
People often assume that if there is a miscommunication, the responsibility lies with the person speaking. But communication involves both the conveying and receiving of a message, so speaker and listener have a joint responsibility for making communication work.
Top Tips for Confident and Conscious Communication
1. Notice your thoughts
Before you even begin to communicate, let go of any judgements and preconceptions. If you have made any assumptions, notice them and let them go too. If you begin a conversation with an open mind, you are more likely to be able to listen, understand and connect.
2. Be Congruent
Ensure what you are saying is congruent with your non-verbal communication. If your words are inconsistent with your body language, tone, energy and emotions, people are likely to be confused by your communication. At the very least the mismatch of words and actions will weaken the strength of the message you are attempting to convey verbally. At worst, you may come across as not being fully honest.
3. Express yourself respectfully without accusation
Telling someone how you feel is very different from attacking them with the feelings. Use “I feel” rather than “you make me feel”.
4. Replace criticism with a request
When you want someone to do something differently, avoid criticism and accusation. Otherwise what you say is likely to result in a defensive response rather than a change in behaviour.
If you want a change, make a clear request (not a demand).
5. Listen!
Good listening skills are essential for good communication.
If, whilst you are listening, you are planning your response, judging what the other person is saying, or your mind is on something else, you’re not truly listening. Listen to how the person is speaking as well as to what they are saying.
6. Use feedback
Tell the speaker what you’ve heard and how you’re interpreting it, so you can check you are hearing and understanding correctly.
7. Empathise
Try seeing things from another’s point of view – even if you don’t agree with them. Imagine what it’s like to be and feel like them.
Putting these skills into practice is made easier by developing a deeper sense of self, which is where an Insight Seminar can help.
Call us on 020 3286 6036 to find out how you could become more confident in how you communicate by participating in our next Insight 1 seminar or join us at our next evening workshop in London. Please click here for more information about next events.
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Juliette Smith helps us understand how to communicate more effectively. Juliette has been Relationship Coach for the last 15 years working with hundreds of coaching clients. You can find her on Twitter @CoachJuliette
