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Keys to Positive Communication

These tips can help you start to inspire and influence the people around you. 1

  • Greet to create human contact
    • The work of communication often starts with greeting, which is a simple but significant behavior: the moment when you initiate the process of making contact.
  • Ask to discover the unknown
    • One way of improving your communication is to learn to flip your questions from closed-ended to open-ended.
  • Compliment to affect people’s sense of self
    • Complimenting is just one behavior among many that illustrates our capacity for affecting people in a positive way.
  • Disclose to deepen relationships
    • The way we go about enacting this sense of love and collegiality is by the act of disclosure: revealing how we think, how we feel, and who we are in an authentic way.
    • Pay attention to the feelings and thoughts going on inside of you—should I do it, should I not do it, how are they going to respond? Despite all that, in this moment you can choose to express your gratitude. That’s disclosure.
  • Encourage to give support
  • Listen to transcend differences
    • Listening can be uncomfortable, but there is a lot to learn if we quiet everything going on inside of us and turn our attention to other people.

An six keys outline to positive communication: 2

  1. Greeting: Initiating contact with others through greetings fosters connection and respect.
  2. Asking: Asking open-ended questions demonstrates curiosity and encourages deeper engagement.
  3. Complimenting: Compliments build self-esteem and show appreciation for others, having a positive impact on their well-being.
  4. Disclosing: Sharing authentic thoughts and feelings strengthens relationships by building trust and vulnerability.
  5. Encouraging: Offering words of support and encouragement provides social support and motivates others to succeed.
  6. Listening: Practicing active listening with empathy and openness allows us to transcend differences and understand different perspectives.