Ten Commandments of Effective Communication

Everything we do is communication. Without communication we will not be able to interact in a civilized manner. Without communication we will not be able to create modern societies. Without communication we would not be able to create prosperity for ourselves. Without communication we would not be able to construct organizations necessary for the reproduction of material wealth. Communication is the most important building block of human civilization. According to the German philosopher Jurgen Habermas the social reality consists of two parts: system and lifeworld. The system consists of the political subsystem and the economic subsystem. The lifeworld consists of the private domain and the public domain. Communication in the system occurs strategically or is based on finding ways to find and refine various methods and techniques to make our lives wealthier and more efficient. Communication in the lifeworld is the opposite; it is based on symmetric relationships between people and is aimed towards finding consensus on many issues facing our social reality. Communication in the lifeworld is truly aimed at finding common grounds between all people involved. For this reason Habermas calls all interaction in the lifeworld communicative rationality.

If communication is so important then this implies a certain competency level in the strategies and tactics of communication possessed by all people irrespective of their education, social background, nationality, and common language. This is unfortunately not true because a large number of people do not have the proper communication skills necessary to become successful. Most of them are simply muddling through their daily lives using basic communication skills which are barely enough to keep their heads above the water. What are actually the characteristics of good communicators? Below are some typical characteristics which good communicators possess:

1. Good communicators pay attention to everything the other person is communicating;

Ten Commandments of Effective Communication

2. Good communicators constantly think about the nature of their messages: they always think about when, where, and how they will deliver their messages;

3. Good communicators always try to find the right combination of words, body language, dress, and tone of voice before sending a message;

4. Good communicators try to avoid using the same words when sending their message to different persons because no one person is identical. Good communicators try to find out what is important for the other person;

5. Good communicators are always ready to be flexible or try to move on after delivering their message by reaching a decision, solving a problem, negotiating a compromise, etc;

6. Good communicators are fully aware of the reciprocal nature of communication which is a process of giving and receiving a message. Good communication is a like a dance which entails leading and following.

Although the above typical characteristics seem to be obvious and easy to understand, many people have difficulties applying them in a consistent manner. Communication is a process which is comparable to driving a car. The more you do it, the better driver you will become. Experience is the best teacher in communication. Moreover, the willingness to learn from your experiences is very important. Of course we make mistakes, but we try to learn from those mistakes and become better next time.

Having explained the above characteristics of good communicators, what are the ten commandments of effective communication?

1. Always try to give feedback based on facts and not on opinions and/or emotions which might upset or offend the other person;

2. Always try to empathize or to see a situation from the other's point view. Try to accept the other person's views without preaching and/or moralizing;

3. Criticize using neutral language and tone of voice;

4. Say what you mean without becoming sarcastic;

5. If you want something from others, ask, don't command;

6. Give the other person a chance to speak, don't slip into 'railroading';

7. Explain why something needs to happen, don't threaten;

8. Don't give advice or opinions if people don't ask for it;

9. Be to the point, avoid vagueness at all cost;

10. Don't talk down or up to others; avoid diverting the conversation to trivial matters.

Ten Commandments of Effective Communication
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My name is Martin Hahn Ph.D. and I am an industrial sociologist with more than 20 years experience in teaching, management consulting, and corporate training. For more info and purchase my e-book, please visit: http://martinimhahn.com.

Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication

More and more companies around the world are hopping national borders to conduct business. Regardless of the organization you join, you are likely to be dealing with people who come from various national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Communicating across language and cultural barriers at home will also challenge your skills. Without leaving your own country, you're likely to come into contact with people from a variety of backgrounds who work in your company, industry, and community.

Communicating with people from other cultures can be challenging. At the same time, your ability to foster successful communication between people of differing cultures will bolster your success in business and career. To overcome cultural barriers to effective communication, you must first learn what culture actually means. Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.
Subcultures, in turn, are distinct groups that exist within a major culture.

Cultures differ in several ways that affect communication:

Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication

• Stability: conditions in the culture may be stable or may be changing either slowly or rapidly;

• Complexity: cultures vary in the accessibility of information.

• Composition: some cultures are made up of many diverse subcultures and generally, the fewer the subcultures in a person's background, the easier it is to communicate, because you have fewer potential differences to consider;

• Acceptance: cultures carry in their attitudes toward outsiders, some are openly hostile, some maintain a detached aloofness, and others are friendly, and cooperative toward strangers.

By bridging these differences, you can successfully achieve intercultural communication. However, the four elements of culture are very general in nature. They don't say much about how to communicate with persons from other cultures. Here are the so called ten commandments of intercultural communication.

I. Be aware of differing social values;

II. Be aware of differing status symbols and how to demonstrate them;

III. Be aware of decision making customs: not all people like to make decisions quickly and efficiently;

IV. Be aware of concepts of time: not all people like to see time as money;

V. Be aware of personal space: people from different cultures have different 'comfort zones';

VI. Be aware of cultural context: people from certain cultures (called 'high-context cultures) rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental settings to convey meaning. People from low-context cultures like the USA rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning to convey meaning;

VII. Be aware of body language: learn the basic differences in the way people supplement their words with body movement;

VIII. Be aware of different etiquette rules or manners: what is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another;

IX. Be aware of legal and ethical behavior;

X. Be aware of language barriers: English is the most prevalent language in international business, but it's a mistake to assume that everyone understands it.

Learning as much as possible about another culture will enhance your ability to communicate with its members. Read books and articles about the culture and talk to people who have done business with that culture's members. Concentrate on learning something about the culture's history, religion, politics, values, and customs. Find out about a country's subcultures, especially its business subculture, and any special rules of protocol.

Here are some tips when communication interculturally

• Take responsibility for communication

• Withhold judgments

• Show respect

• Empathize

• Tolerate ambiguity

• Look beyond the superficial

• Be patient and persistent

• Recognize your own cultural biases

• Be flexible

• Emphasize common ground

• Send clear messages

• Increase your cultural sensitivity

• Deal with the individual

• Learn when to be direct

Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication
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Martin Hahn Ph.D. is an industrial sociologist with more than 20 years experience in teaching, management consulting, and corporate training. For more info and purchase my e-book, please visit: http://martinimhahn.com.

Overcoming Communication Barriers Between People

When you send a message, you intend to communicate meaning, but the message itself doesn't contain meaning. The meaning exists in your mind and in the mind of your receiver. To understand one another, you and your receiver must share similar meanings for words, gestures, tone of voice, and other symbols.

1. Differences in perception

The world constantly bombards us with information: sights, sounds, scents, and so on. Our minds organize this stream of sensation into a mental map that represents our perception or reality. In no case is the perception of a certain person the same as the world itself, and no two maps are identical. As you view the world, your mind absorbs your experiences in a unique and personal way. Because your perceptions are unique, the ideas you want to express differ from other people's Even when two people have experienced the same event, their mental images of that event will not be identical. As senders, we choose the details that seem important and focus our attention on the most relevant and general, a process known as selective perception. As receivers, we try to fit new details into our existing pattern. If a detail doesn't quite fit, we are inclined to distort the information rather than rearrange the pattern.

Overcoming Communication Barriers Between People

2. Incorrect filtering

Filtering is screening out before a message is passed on to someone else. In business, the filters between you and your receiver are many; secretaries, assistants, receptionists, answering machines, etc. Those same gatekeepers may also 'translate' your receiver's ideas and responses before passing them on to you. To overcome filtering barriers, try to establish more than one communication channel, eliminate as many intermediaries as possible, and decrease distortion by condensing message information to the bare essentials.

3. Language problems

When you choose the words for your message, you signal that you are a member of a particular culture or subculture and that you know the code. The nature of your code imposes its own barriers on your message. Barriers also exist because words can be interpreted in more than one way. Language is an arbitrary code that depends on shared definitions, but there's a limit to how completely any of us share the same meaning for a given word. To overcome language barriers, use the most specific and accurate words possible. Always try to use words your audience will understand. Increase the accuracy of your messages by using language that describes rather than evaluates and by presenting observable facts, events, and circumstances.

4. Poor listening

Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply a lack of attention on the receiver's part. We all let our minds wander now and then, regardless of how hard we try to concentrate. People are essentially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to information that is difficult to understand or that has little direct bearing on their own lives. Too few of us simply do not listen well! To overcome barriers, paraphrase what you have understood, try to view the situation through the eyes of other speakers and resist jumping to conclusions. Clarify meaning by asking non-threatening questions, and listen without interrupting.

5. Differing emotional states

Every message contains both a content meaning, which deals with the subject of the message, and a relationship meaning, which suggests the nature of the interaction between sender and receiver. Communication can break down when the receiver reacts negatively to either of these meanings. You may have to deal with people when they are upset or when you are. An upset person tends to ignore or distort what the other person is saying and is often unable to present feelings and ideas effectively. This is not to say that you should avoid all communication when you are emotionally involved, but you should be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies aroused emotions. To overcome emotional barriers, be aware of the feelings that arise in your self and in others as you communicate, and attempt to control them. Most important, be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies emotional messages.

6. Differing backgrounds

Differences in background can be one of the hardest communication barriers to overcome. Age, education, gender, social status, economic position, cultural background, temperament, health, beauty, popularity, religion, political belief, even a passing mood can all separate one person from another and make understanding difficult. To overcome the barriers associated with differing backgrounds, avoid projecting your own background or culture onto others. Clarify your own and understand the background of others, spheres of knowledge, personalities and perceptions and don't assume that certain behaviors mean the same thing to everyone.

If you would like to get custom-made advice about your communication problems, please feel free to email me at martinmim21@hotmail.com All requests will be handled professionally and your communication problem will be handled in strict confidence.

Overcoming Communication Barriers Between People
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Martin Hahn Ph.D. is an industrial sociologist with more than 20 years experience in teaching, management consulting, and corporate training. The above article is an excerpt from the ebook titled 'Overcoming Communication Barriers between People and in Organizations'. His ebook on communication can be purchased at http://www.martinimhahn.com