C.O.M.M.U.N.I.C.A.T.I.O.N.S

Well, as you might have noticed, communication isn't always easy. Different people communicate with their own particular quirks and styles. Some people seem to 'get you' right away ... and others, no matter how much you try to explain ... never really do understand.

This hit or miss mode of communicating can be very frustrating, and you may lose your patience or can't see the logic in what others are saying; if things seem stuck and generally just don't feel good, then this is where having the flexibility and knowing how to speak another persons' language is useful. Choosing specific words can help with getting things back on track.

1) When people seem as though they are impatient with a lot of details, and want things to move faster -- they're indicating that they're a Visual processor. Try adding some visual language into the conversation ... "I see what you mean" if you do ... or "How does this look to you?".

2) When people seem as though they're talking too much, or repeating themselves -- they're indicating they're an Auditory processor. Try adding some auditory language into the conversation ... "What I hear you saying is ..." or "What does that sound like?"

3) When people seem as though they're wiggling too much and slow to become comfortable and settled (with an idea) they're indicating a tendency toward Kinesthetic processing. Try incorporating some feeling language into your communication ... "I'm beginning to grasp what you mean" ... or "Do you feel like you have a handle on this?"

4) And when people seem as though they're taking too much time to think and sort things through, they're indicating a tendency toward Auditory Digital processing. Try adding some structure and logic into the conversation ... "Does that make sense?" ...or "Do you feel you've got all the logical details?"

So if it seems like you're not getting through to someone, even though you've very patiently explained it to them more than once ... Step Back ... take a deep breath ... and R E L A X. It could be that you simply need to change your language to match your listener's preferred communication style!

Copyright © Linda Storey. All rights reserved.