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communicate
Coaching with confidence
Communication fulfills a primary human need: the need to
Training Programs connect with other humans. In prisons, solitary confinement is and ease in
used as a form of punishment because it deprives inmates of EVERY area of
Classes/Workshops your life?
the opportunity to meet this basic need. It is considered a
Success Stories hardship, because by nature humans are social beings and
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must have a connection to other humans. to set up a
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complimentary
• Communication In order to satisfy this fundamental need, it is important to session with
• Creativity & clear a path during the communication process. The first thing Coach Lea!
Innovation is to recognize that communication is a two-way process. It is
• Career Tips an activity, not a one-time event. Communication is not
complete until the listener has heard you, understood you and
• Managing Time responded to you. True communication is never a monologue,
• Inner Wisdom it is always dialogue where the listener's role is as central to
• Life Mapping the process as the role of the speaker.

Weblog Here are a few suggestions to help you clear a path as you
communicate:
Virtual Coach

Contact Us Create a space for communication to occur. As a speaker,

become aware of what your barriers and filters are. We all
have opinions, personal history, expectations and ideas. Learn
how these affect you when you speak with others. As a
listener, identify your red flag words, triggers and hot button
topics. Being aware of them will help you avoid distorting the
speaker's message, becoming defensive or shutting down as
he or she speaks.

Shift your focus to the other person as you converse. Place

your emphasis on trying to understand, rather than be
understood. People can (and will) have other ideas, thoughts
and feelings. Don't try to convert them to your way. Let go of
pushing to prove yourself right. Ask yourself is being right
more important than authentic communication?

Be responsible for yourself and the situation. Make a

commitment to speak authentically and make the effort to
listen and understand what's being said. Ask for feedback. Try
asking: "What do you hear me saying?" As a listener, try
asking: "Have I understood you correctly? Will you correct me
if I don't really get what you've said?" Listen and then reflect
back what you've heard.

Make sure your actions and words match. Communication

happens both verbally and non-verbally. Your body and face
speak volumes. Does your facial expression support the
words? Does your vocal tone and inflexions match the words
you are saying? Do your movements support the message or
are they in conflict with the message you are giving? Be aware
and coordinate your verbal and non-verbal messages. When
they match, the listener perceives you to be genuine because
you are sending one message, not two.

Accept that conflict is part of being in relationship to others.

Agree that when conflict develops it will be addressed. Don't
settle for false harmony. False harmony occurs when two
people pretend a conflict doesn't exist and will go to any
length to avoid it. Commit to paying attention to it and to
resolving it in a mutually beneficial way. Conflict is part of life,
acknowledge it, expect it, anticipate it and develop ways to
move through it. Albert Einstein summed it up beautifully: "In
the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Be willing to take

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Creating Strategies: Clear A Path For Communication http://www.creatingstrategies.com/articles/communication_tips/clear_c...

risks and participate in the dance of communication.

Clearing a path, just like communication itself, is a process.

You can start the process by making these simple
adjustments.

Over 400 years ago John Donne, an English poet, wrote: No

man is an island, entire of itself; Everyman is a piece of the
continent. Communication is the bridge between our individual
islands. It is the glue that brings us together. So, clear a path
for yourself.

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