Communicating Effectively for Dummies

Visualizing the message means picturing in your mind what the speaker is saying. It helps you tune in to closely follow the message

When you recognize that you missed something, give yourself permission to speak up. Sometimes this is as easy as saying, “Say again, please,” or “Could you repeat that

Throw away the old thinking that asking questions or checking for clarification means you’re not very smart. Quite the opposite, asking questions helps you concentrate and reassures your speaker that you’re working to understand his or her message

quite often people show their emotions much more than they state them

Facts/content + Emotion = The meaning of the message

If you tune in to only to the words you don’t fully know what the speaker truly means.

your radar — your openness and attentiveness — has a powerful effect on the flow of the conversation.

as a listener, you need to tune into and read the speaker to gain a full understanding

As a listener, it’s crucial for you either to invite a speaker to go forward with a message or do the opposite by blocking the expression of that message

experiences emphasize the importance of communication that goes beyond words