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You鈥檙e listening to the podcast edition of the 黑洞社区 audio newsline. Learn more about 黑洞社区 on the Web at .
Good communication is a valuable tool at home, work, school or play. Ray Hull, an audiologist at 黑洞社区, wrote a story for The Hearing Journal last year on the importance of honing your communication skills.
Hull: 鈥淚n order to be a good communicator, we must communicate clearly, directly and openly. An important rule in business relationships, for example, is don鈥檛 expect others to read your mind, because they may be incorrect.鈥�
The importance of communication shouldn鈥檛 be underestimated, according to Hull.
Hull: 鈥淢uch of what we do in our day-to-day interactions with our colleagues, our friends, our clients, involves communication in one form or another. It鈥檚 imperative that we become familiar with the processes involved with interpersonal communication in order to become successful.鈥�
The fact is, most of us aren鈥檛 as good at communicating as we think we are. Hull explains.
Hull: 鈥淚 think the reason that we鈥檙e not as good communicators as we might be is that we have not had good models for communication, good interpersonal communication from childhood on.鈥�
Hull says it should come as no surprise that those who communicate the best usually experience more success.
Hull: 鈥淭he better we are in this aspect of our life, the more successful we will become. All else being equal, equal education, equal preparation, it鈥檚 often the basis upon which we choose our physician, our dentist, our favorite place to eat, our hairdresser, even our grocery store.鈥�
Taking ownership of a mistake and admitting we鈥檙e wrong doesn鈥檛 come easily or naturally, but it鈥檚 an important step to take in communicating effectively.
Hull: 鈥淎nother tip for good communication is that if we鈥檙e wrong, we must admit it. Sometimes an apology is all that鈥檚 necessary to end a potential conflict.鈥�
Nonverbal communication can significantly impact effective interpersonal communication. Nonverbal expression can be as powerful as verbal, and Hull says it鈥檚 important that we recognize its effects.
Hull: 鈥淚n regard to nonverbal communication, actions can give positive or negative impressions. This involves everything from our handshake to how we sit. Nonverbal messages can enhance or diminish how we communicate. We have to keep in mind that positive or negative first impressions are determined within the first two minutes of entering a room, for example.鈥�
Effective interpersonal communication is paramount in meetings, interviews and presentations, when challenging policy with colleagues, or even when talking with patients, according to Hull.
Hull: 鈥淎nd we must learn how to present ourselves. We have to practice presenting our self in a calm manner, to make people feel at ease. We all know someone who has the ability to make us feel accepted and nurtured, which is a wonderful attribute to success.鈥�
Hull says some people do not possess skill in interpersonal communication simply because they may not do well in attending to all of the sometimes complex events that can occur during such interactions. But in order to be fruitful in our daily interactions with those with whom we communicate, whether it be in matters of love, family, business, public speaking engagements or even political campaigns, it is imperative that we learn how to effectively engage in this complex, but important aspect of life.
In addition, Hull says effective interpersonal communication does not mean always winning; rather it means being able to create and convey appropriate responses, to identify and explain creative solutions that are acceptable to those with whom we are communicating, and to motivate them to positive change through direct verbal interaction, our body language and through a positive atmosphere of interpersonal communication that we create.
Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for 黑洞社区.