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| Art Card by Marlney Monique Causing |
Have you ever felt like you are a bit difficult to understand? Or perhaps, being told that your words were of a certain degree based on the tone you used? If so, fret not! This article shall supply you with tips on how to improve your communication with others by improving both wording and tone. Words, after all, can test any type of relationship should butchered wording and off-tone speaking prevail.
Understanding the importance of both wording and tone of speech is essential for healthy communication. As Communication students, this not only applies to our future careers but also to our personal relationships. Whether in online media or in real life, we must observe the proper order of words and the appropriate tone you wish to send out to the one you are speaking to in any given situation.
Learn to be Straight to the Point. Let's not beat around the bush! Add suspense or make your sentences longer when necessary, but you shouldn’t do that all the time. Depending on who you are speaking to and the setting you’re in, if there is something to be said immediately, then just say it.
Formality and Watching The Tone. Did you know that there are four main types of tone? Depending on the setting and, of course, who you speak to, it is important to check on both your tone and formality. These are the Informative, Authoritative, Empathetic, and Conversational tones of speech.
Informative Tone applies here, as we are informing you of some tips to further enhance both wording and tone! Whether a friend, colleague, parent or even a professor. If you are around friends or even strangers, you would mostly be in a conversational tone; however, the remaining three (Authoritative, Informative, and Empathetic) can also be utilized, depending on the context or situation we face. Each person, regardless of the nature of your relationship, deserves a degree of formality that also matches the appropriate tone in the message or in real-life communication at some point.
Emotion Management. If you are in a specific state, for example, if it is in a destructive state (getting angry, irritated, or annoyed), we need to learn how to manage it and healthily communicate what we feel. It is a huge no-no to suddenly ignore someone and keep to yourself on what you truly feel. It is only going to escalate further, always maintain calmness amidst being a volcano about to erupt, responding aggressively will hinder effective communication and may negatively impact relationships.
Active and Attentive Listening. A critical component of successful relationships that is sadly often overlooked, developing your listening skills can help you to better understand other people’s feelings. Always listen with your full attention to the speaker! Spacing out or openly showing no such attention will result in letting the other party think that you are not interested in what they wish to share and it comes off disrespectful. People don’t realize it but just by listening, over time you can foster the trust of one another and hopefully develop a strong relationship with one another as listening is a factor that makes or breaks a friendship, any kind of relationship rather!
Projecting the Volume. Sometimes, healthy communication is not achieved nor understood if you have a weak volume in the voice (this is not to be confused with tone). If for example, the words uttered are in a shout, it will automatically come off as disrespectful. Adjust the volume of your voice accordingly should you wish to be understood in the message you would give. If you feel that you have offended or disrespected the one you spoke to, apologize.
The iconic “Think before you speak.” Breathe in, breathe out, reflect, then choose. Choosing what words you want to say in a given situation carefully helps! Especially if you are wordy, this minimizes the chances of fumbling on your own words. Organizing your thoughts in words is like choosing the appropriate materials in order to solidify your building’s structure. Think of choosing your words as you are building a building!
Communication starts with ourselves before others. Learn what you need to learn and unlearn what you need to unlearn. All the skills in wording and tone that we’ve supplied you are up to the best of your utilization, CASAns!
