Communication – it concerns each of us, in every area of our lives. Business sells nothing without reaching the customer – it communicates with them. Thousands of books have been written on this topic, and millions of trainings and workshops have likely been conducted. But closing the laptop is not enough to forget about communication – we also communicate in our private lives, as well as with ourselves. But what, in the world, do personal resources have to do with this? More on that in just a moment.
How? – Effectively!
We all seem to know it, it’s a very obvious truth – the best way to communicate is effectively. But what does that actually mean? Essentially, it means that what I think and say to my recipient is understood by them in the same way it is by me. Why did I write „think and say”? I often encounter situations where my own intentions, thoughts, and plans are conveyed to the recipient through verbal (and non-verbal) communication, yet we understand these words differently. I describe my intentions faithfully, while the recipient – hearing the words – filters them through their own dictionary of definitions. Complicated? Effective communication comes to our aid – it’s enough to ask for clarification, specify your message, ensure that the recipient understands it the same way, and – voila!
The whole process seems quite simple. But what if we don’t have the opportunity to clarify our mutual expectations? And in business? What if the client does not want to explain their needs to us, or does not immediately realize that our product is exactly what they need?
Noise, or what bothers me
In communication, we encounter various barriers that make it difficult to convey information. In my opinion, the main problem in this regard is differences in perception. Every person you communicate with is different – they have different beliefs, value systems, and life experiences and look at a given topic or situation from a different perspective. We all know that each of us is different, but what does this mean in practice?
In my experience, in communication, it means not forcing open doors. A wonderful example is small children. If you tell a 3-year-old to „clean up your room” – you will achieve nothing. But if you change the message a little? And say „put the blocks in the box” – they’ll do it in no time. Why? Because the second message is understandable to them! And my intention in both cases is the same; only the sentence sounds slightly different. This is important because each person’s perception is different and depends on their own experiences, way of thinking, strengths, weaknesses, and potential. For some, the glass is half full, and for others, it is half empty. And it may not necessarily mean that someone is a pessimist or optimist, but rather – what drink is in the glass 😉. I want to say that there is no single right scenario and way of thinking – there are simply different ones.
My Potential and Your Potential – So What?
Potential is something unseen, but we can see the effects of actions that are the result of potential. It’s that extra something that everyone has, or rather, something everyone can utilize and use at will, for their own satisfaction and the good of others. Often, we are not aware that this exceptional thing is within us. Why? Because it comes to us easily, with pleasure, just like that. These are our resources that we can manage; some people call these resources talents. Do you have talent? Of course! Everyone has a different set of talents. It’s worth getting to know them and using them for our own development. When we begin to look into the topic of resources, we can recognize them not only in ourselves but also in others. It’s easier for us to accept ourselves as we are and build self-awareness. Thanks to this, we can consciously manage ourselves, as well as manage others and their resources. However, we can only manage something that we are aware exists!
But what do personal resources have to do with communication?
Speak to me in the language of resources!
So, let’s go back to the situation where we want to quickly and effectively reach our recipient. If you know that your interlocutor is different from you, has different resources, different strengths – use that! Take a moment to show interest in the other person, find out what is important to them; these few moments will enable you to build the right message that will be properly understood by the recipient. Speak to them using their resources. If they have a goal – show how you can help them achieve it. If they are strongly rooted in the „here and now” – what benefits can they gain from cooperating with you today. If they strongly believe in their values – how joint actions can strengthen what is important to them.
Every message can be said in many ways. What is important to us is effective communication. By using our resources, talents, and potential, we have a straight line to success, not only in communication. Market success is not only about doing the right things, at the right time and place, with the right people, and for the right recipients, but above all doing it in an exceptional way.
Karolina Nosowicz – coach and trainer at HR ACCELERATE
